Moving to Washington from Kansas
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kansas to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kansas to Washington, you would find that Washington is 27.6% more expensive than Kansas. A $75,000 salary in Kansas would need to be roughly $95,029 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kansas and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $95,029
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 20.8% more
Groceries
pay 17.5% more
Transportation
pay 36.6% more
Housing
pay 32.4% more
Childcare
pay 63.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.1% 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 20% more than cities in Kansas.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Washington compared to Kansas.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kansas generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
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 Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kansas 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
Kansas generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.
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 Kansas 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 Kansas 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 | Topeka | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 46°/25°F (8°/-4°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 86°/63°F (30°/17°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/32°F (12°/0°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Topeka | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°/19°F (4.1°/-7.3°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 44°/23°F (6.9°/-5.1°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 56°/32°F (13.4°/0.1°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 66°/43°F (19.1°/5.9°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (24.1°/11.8°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 84°/63°F (28.9°/17.0°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 90°/68°F (32.2°/19.9°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 89°/65°F (31.6°/18.6°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 80°/55°F (26.7°/13.0°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 67°/44°F (19.6°/6.6°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 54°/32°F (12.3°/0.2°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 41°/21°F (4.9°/-5.9°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Kansas?
On average Washington is around 27% pricier than Kansas, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $23,757 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?
Kansas generally does better on safety, though Washington leads in violent crime rate.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Kansas?
Washington performs significantly better than Kansas across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Kansas?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 66°F in Topeka. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Topeka gets 38.9 in.
