Moving to New Hampshire from California
What to Expect
Considering a move from California to New Hampshire? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from California to New Hampshire, you would find that New Hampshire is 10.9% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $66,808 in New Hampshire to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Concord averages 58°F vs 74°F in Sacramento, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and New Hampshire.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $66,808
To maintain the same standard of living in New Hampshire
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 8.6% less
Groceries
pay 6.5% less
Transportation
pay 14.1% less
Housing
pay 17.6% less
Childcare
pay 12.9% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.8% 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 New Hampshire compared to California.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire 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 generally does better on family life, though New Hampshire 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 | Concord |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 37°/15°F (2°/-9°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 79°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 48°/27°F (9°/-3°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Concord |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 31°/10°F (-0.7°/-12.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 35°/14°F (1.6°/-10.1°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 44°/22°F (6.6°/-5.3°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 57°/33°F (14.1°/0.4°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 69°/43°F (20.5°/5.9°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 77°/53°F (25.2°/11.4°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 82°/58°F (27.9°/14.3°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 81°/56°F (27.2°/13.4°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 73°/47°F (22.6°/8.6°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 60°/36°F (15.8°/2.1°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 48°/28°F (9.1°/-2.1°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 36°/17°F (2.4°/-8.2°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in New Hampshire than California?
On average New Hampshire is about 11% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to New Hampshire?
Budget about $16,702 for 3 months in New Hampshire (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is New Hampshire safe?
New Hampshire performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in New Hampshire compared to California?
California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Hampshire leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in New Hampshire compared to California?
The average high temperature in Concord is 58°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Concord receives around 40.6 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
