Moving to California from Mississippi
What to Expect
Considering a move from Mississippi to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Mississippi to California, you would find that California is 48.9% more expensive than Mississippi. A $75,000 salary in Mississippi would need to be roughly $109,831 in California to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Mississippi and California.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $109,831
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 38.2% more
Groceries
pay 30.4% more
Transportation
pay 38.4% more
Housing
pay 67.3% more
Childcare
pay 99.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 54.2% 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 California compared to Mississippi.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Mississippi performs better than California 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
California performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Mississippi performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Mississippi generally does better on infrastructure, though California 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
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Mississippi leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
California performs significantly better than Mississippi 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 | Jackson | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 62°/41°F (17°/5°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 83°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/70°F (32°/21°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 67°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Jackson | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Mississippi?
On average California is around 46% pricier than Mississippi, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $27,458 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?
Mississippi performs better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in California compared to Mississippi?
California performs significantly better than Mississippi across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Mississippi?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 76°F in Jackson. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Jackson gets 54.3 in.
