Moving to Arizona from Kentucky
What to Expect
Considering a move from Kentucky to Arizona? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Kentucky to Arizona, you would find that Arizona is 11.0% more expensive than Kentucky. A $75,000 salary in Kentucky would need to be roughly $84,845 in Arizona to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Phoenix averages 87°F vs 69°F in Bowling Green, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Kentucky and Arizona.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $84,845
To maintain the same standard of living in Arizona
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 18.2% more
Groceries
pay 5.6% more
Transportation
pay 14.5% more
Housing
pay 37.2% more
Childcare
pay 21.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 16.6% 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.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Arizona compared to Kentucky.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Kentucky performs better than Arizona 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
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Kentucky performs better than Arizona across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Kentucky generally does better on infrastructure, though Arizona 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
Arizona generally does better on employment & economy, though Kentucky leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Arizona performs significantly better than Kentucky 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 | Bowling Green | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/31°F (11°/-1°C) | 73°/49°F (23°/10°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/55°F (25°/13°C) | 95°/69°F (35°/20°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/64°F (30°/18°C) | 103°/80°F (40°/27°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 59°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bowling Green | Phoenix |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45°/26°F (7.2°/-3.1°C) | 69°/46°F (20.3°/7.6°C) |
| Feb | 50°/30°F (10.0°/-1.3°C) | 72°/49°F (22.1°/9.3°C) |
| Mar | 60°/37°F (15.4°/2.8°C) | 78°/53°F (25.7°/11.9°C) |
| Apr | 70°/46°F (20.9°/7.6°C) | 86°/60°F (29.9°/15.7°C) |
| May | 78°/55°F (25.4°/12.8°C) | 95°/69°F (34.8°/20.6°C) |
| Jun | 86°/64°F (30.1°/17.7°C) | 104°/77°F (39.9°/25.1°C) |
| Jul | 89°/68°F (31.9°/19.9°C) | 106°/83°F (41.0°/28.1°C) |
| Aug | 89°/66°F (31.6°/18.9°C) | 104°/82°F (40.1°/27.8°C) |
| Sep | 82°/58°F (27.8°/14.4°C) | 100°/75°F (37.8°/24.1°C) |
| Oct | 71°/46°F (21.8°/7.9°C) | 89°/64°F (31.8°/18.0°C) |
| Nov | 59°/38°F (15.2°/3.1°C) | 76°/52°F (24.7°/11.1°C) |
| Dec | 48°/29°F (8.8°/-1.6°C) | 67°/45°F (19.6°/7.1°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Arizona than Kentucky?
On average Arizona is around 13% pricier than Kentucky, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Arizona?
Budget about $21,211 for 3 months in Arizona (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Arizona safe?
Kentucky performs better than Arizona across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Arizona compared to Kentucky?
Arizona generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kentucky leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Arizona compared to Kentucky?
The average high temperature in Phoenix is 87°F, compared to 69°F in Bowling Green. Phoenix receives around 8.2 in of rainfall per year, while Bowling Green gets 49.9 in.
