Moving to California from North Korea
What to Expect
Considering a move from North Korea to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from North Korea to California, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly warmer.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from North Korea to California.
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in California compared to North Korea.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
North Korea performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs significantly better than North Korea across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | P'yongyang | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | P'yongyang | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
North Korea passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting North Korea
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from California?
From major California cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and California are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in California compared to North Korea?
North Korea performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to North Korea?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.
