Moving to Ohio from California

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What to Expect

Considering a move from California to Ohio? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from California to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 21.0% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly $53,390 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between California and Ohio.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $53,390

To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 19.6% less

Groceries

pay 19.8% less

Transportation

pay 4.1% less

Housing

pay 31.3% less

Childcare

pay 33.4% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 26.8% less

See full cost of living breakdown

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 Ohio cost about 35% less than cities in California.

Compare cities head-to-head

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Ohio compared to California.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CA
503
OH
284
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

CA
2303
OH
1676

Ohio performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

CA
6.8%
OH
6.2%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

CA
28.4%
OH
39.5%

California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What about housing?

Median home valueUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

CA
$695,400
OH
$199,200
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

CA
$1,956
OH
$988

Ohio performs significantly better than California across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

CA
92.6%
OH
89.0%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

CA
29 min
OH
24 min

California generally does better on infrastructure, though Ohio leads in average commute.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CA
5.1%
OH
4.0%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

CA
$84,028
OH
$60,669

California generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

CA
79.0 yrs
OH
75.3 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

CA
25%
OH
21%

California performs better than Ohio 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.

SacramentoRain: 18.5 in/yr (470 mm)
74°/48°F

Avg. annual high / low

ColumbusRain: 46.8 in/yr (1188 mm)
76°/55°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSacramentoColumbus
Jan–Mar60°/41°F (15°/5°C)63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Apr–Jun79°/51°F (26°/11°C)84°/62°F (29°/16°C)
Jul–Sep90°/57°F (32°/14°C)90°/71°F (32°/21°C)
Oct–Dec65°/44°F (18°/7°C)68°/47°F (20°/8°C)
View all months
MonthSacramentoColumbus
Jan54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C)
Feb60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C)
Mar65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C)
Apr71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C)
May80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C)
Jun87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C)
Jul92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C)
Aug91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C)
Sep87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C)
Oct78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C)
Nov64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C)
Dec54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C)59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than California?

On average Ohio is about 29% less expensive than California, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Ohio?

Budget about $13,348 for 3 months in Ohio (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Ohio safe?

Ohio performs significantly better than California across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Ohio compared to California?

California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate.

What's the weather like in Ohio compared to California?

The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.

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