Moving to California from Louisiana

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Louisiana to California, you would find that California is 40.1% more expensive than Louisiana. A $75,000 salary in Louisiana would need to be roughly $100,950 in California to maintain the same lifestyle.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $100,950

To maintain the same standard of living in California

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 22.7% more

Groceries

pay 18.7% more

Transportation

pay 39.2% more

Housing

pay 56.6% more

Childcare

pay 95.9% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 31.7% more

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.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Louisiana.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

LA
543
CA
503
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

LA
2605
CA
2303

California performs significantly better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

LA
7.9%
CA
6.8%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

LA
40.6%
CA
28.4%

California performs significantly better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

LA
$208,700
CA
$695,400
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

LA
$1,038
CA
$1,956

Louisiana performs 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

LA
84.9%
CA
92.6%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

LA
26 min
CA
29 min

Louisiana generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LA
3.9%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

LA
$55,662
CA
$84,028

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

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

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

LA
18%
CA
25%

California performs significantly better than Louisiana 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.

Baton RougeRain: 60.6 in/yr (1540 mm)
79°/58°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsBaton RougeSacramento
Jan–Mar67°/45°F (19°/7°C)60°/41°F (15°/5°C)
Apr–Jun85°/64°F (30°/18°C)79°/51°F (26°/11°C)
Jul–Sep91°/72°F (33°/22°C)90°/57°F (32°/14°C)
Oct–Dec72°/50°F (22°/10°C)65°/44°F (18°/7°C)
View all months
MonthBaton RougeSacramento
Jan62°/41°F (16.8°/5.1°C)54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)
Feb66°/44°F (18.7°/6.9°C)60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)
Mar73°/50°F (22.6°/10.2°C)65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)
Apr79°/57°F (26.3°/13.8°C)71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)
May86°/65°F (30.1°/18.4°C)80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)
Jun91°/71°F (32.7°/21.9°C)87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)
Jul92°/74°F (33.4°/23.2°C)92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)
Aug92°/73°F (33.6°/23.0°C)91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)
Sep89°/69°F (31.5°/20.3°C)87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)
Oct81°/58°F (27.1°/14.4°C)78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)
Nov72°/49°F (22.2°/9.4°C)64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)
Dec64°/43°F (17.8°/5.9°C)54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in California than Louisiana?

On average California is around 35% pricier than Louisiana, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to California?

Budget about $25,238 for 3 months in California (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is California safe?

California performs significantly better than Louisiana across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in California compared to Louisiana?

California performs significantly better than Louisiana across all health & wellbeing metrics.

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

The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 79°F in Baton Rouge. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Baton Rouge gets 60.6 in.

Share this