Moving to Louisiana from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to Louisiana? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to Louisiana, you would find that Louisiana is 23.1% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $55,720 in Louisiana to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and Louisiana.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $55,720
To maintain the same standard of living in Louisiana
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.5% less
Groceries
pay 14.8% less
Transportation
pay 22.6% less
Housing
pay 30.7% less
Childcare
pay 39.1% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Louisiana compared to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
California performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
share of people without health insurance
share of adults with obesity
share of adults with diabetes
share of adults who smoke
California performs better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Louisiana performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
California generally does better on infrastructure, though Louisiana leads in average commute.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
typical annual income of a household
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Louisiana leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs better than Louisiana across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 67°/45°F (19°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 85°/64°F (30°/18°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 91°/72°F (33°/22°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Baton Rouge |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Louisiana than California?
On average Louisiana is about 26% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Louisiana?
Budget about $13,930 for 3 months in Louisiana (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Louisiana safe?
California performs better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Louisiana compared to California?
California performs better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Louisiana compared to California?
The average high temperature in Baton Rouge is 79°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Baton Rouge receives around 60.6 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
