Moving to Washington from Florida
What to Expect
Considering a move from Florida to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Florida to Washington, you would find that Washington is 12.6% more expensive than Florida. A $75,000 salary in Florida would need to be roughly $76,705 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°F vs 80°F in Tallahassee, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Florida and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $76,705
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 0.5% more
Groceries
pay 1.9% more
Transportation
pay 15.5% more
Housing
pay 4.2% less
Childcare
pay 54.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.4% more
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 Washington cost about 11% more than cities in Florida.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Florida.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Florida performs better than Washington 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
Washington performs significantly better than Florida across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Florida performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington performs significantly better than Florida 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Florida leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs significantly better than Florida 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 | Tallahassee | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 68°/43°F (20°/6°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 86°/61°F (30°/16°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 91°/71°F (33°/22°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/48°F (23°/9°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Tallahassee | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64°/39°F (17.5°/3.9°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 67°/42°F (19.7°/5.5°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 74°/47°F (23.2°/8.4°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 80°/52°F (26.6°/11.3°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 87°/62°F (30.6°/16.4°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 91°/69°F (32.8°/20.8°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.4°/22.2°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.3°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 88°/68°F (31.3°/20.1°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 81°/57°F (27.4°/14.1°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 73°/47°F (22.8°/8.6°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 65°/41°F (18.5°/5.1°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Florida?
Washington and Florida are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $19,176 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
Florida performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Florida?
Washington performs significantly better than Florida across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Florida?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 80°F in Tallahassee. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Tallahassee gets 59.2 in.
