Moving to California from Mississippi

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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

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 Mississippi.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
202
CA
503
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

MS
1579
CA
2303

Mississippi performs better than California across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

MS
11.3%
CA
6.8%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MS
41.9%
CA
28.4%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

MS
$161,400
CA
$695,400
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

MS
$923
CA
$1,956

Mississippi 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

MS
82.0%
CA
92.6%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

MS
26 min
CA
29 min

Mississippi 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

MS
3.1%
CA
5.1%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MS
$41,778
CA
$84,028

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

MS
71.9 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

MS
16%
CA
25%

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.

JacksonRain: 54.3 in/yr (1380 mm)
76°/55°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsJacksonSacramento
Jan–Mar62°/41°F (17°/5°C)60°/41°F (15°/5°C)
Apr–Jun83°/62°F (28°/17°C)79°/51°F (26°/11°C)
Jul–Sep90°/70°F (32°/21°C)90°/57°F (32°/14°C)
Oct–Dec67°/46°F (20°/8°C)65°/44°F (18°/7°C)
View all months
MonthJacksonSacramento
Jan56°/37°F (13.6°/2.7°C)54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C)
Feb61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C)60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C)
Mar68°/47°F (20.2°/8.2°C)65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C)
Apr76°/54°F (24.4°/12.1°C)71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C)
May83°/63°F (28.3°/17.1°C)80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C)
Jun89°/69°F (31.8°/20.8°C)87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C)
Jul92°/72°F (33.1°/22.4°C)92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C)
Aug92°/72°F (33.1°/22.2°C)91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C)
Sep87°/66°F (30.3°/18.9°C)87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C)
Oct77°/55°F (25.1°/12.8°C)78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C)
Nov67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C)64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C)
Dec58°/39°F (14.7°/3.9°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 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.

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