Moving to Massachusetts from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Massachusetts — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Massachusetts, you would find that Massachusetts is 2.4% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $73,197 in Massachusetts to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Boston averages 59°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to Massachusetts.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $73,197
To maintain the same standard of living in Massachusetts
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 3.1% less
Groceries
pay 3.2% less
Transportation
pay 8.4% less
Housing
pay 5.0% less
Childcare
pay 8.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.3% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Massachusetts cost about 4% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to Massachusetts.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Massachusetts performs significantly better than California 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Massachusetts leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Massachusetts 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 performs better than Massachusetts across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Massachusetts performs significantly better than California across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California generally does better on family life, though Massachusetts leads in bachelor's degree or higher.
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 | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 40°/26°F (4°/-3°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 78°/62°F (25°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 51°/38°F (11°/3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Boston |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.4°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 39°/25°F (3.7°/-4.1°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 45°/31°F (7.4°/-0.5°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 56°/41°F (13.1°/4.8°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 66°/50°F (18.9°/9.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.3°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 81°/65°F (27.4°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 80°/65°F (26.4°/18.1°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 72°/57°F (22.4°/14.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 61°/47°F (16.3°/8.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 51°/38°F (10.8°/3.3°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 41°/28°F (5.1°/-2.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Massachusetts than California?
Costs in Massachusetts and California are broadly similar overall, though categories like rent and dining differ between cities.
How much money do I need to move to Massachusetts?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $18,299 in Massachusetts on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Massachusetts safe?
Massachusetts performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Massachusetts compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Massachusetts leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Massachusetts compared to California?
The average high temperature in Boston is 59°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Boston receives around 43.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
