Moving to California from Ohio
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Ohio to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Ohio to California, you would find that California is 34.0% more expensive than Ohio. A $75,000 salary in Ohio would need to be roughly $105,356 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Ohio to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $105,356 To maintain the same standard of living in California Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 24.6% more Groceries pay 27.9% more Transportation pay 11.9% more Housing pay 67.5% more Childcare pay 50.7% more Entertainment and Sports pay 40.7% 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. Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%). On average, cities in California cost about 55% more than cities in Ohio. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Ohio to California. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Ohio performs better than California across all safety metrics. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Ohio performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Ohio generally does better on infrastructure, though California leads in internet access. 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 Ohio leads in unemployment rate. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree California performs significantly better than Ohio 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: No — California is on average about 40% more expensive than Ohio. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $26,339 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Ohio performs better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Ohio leads in uninsured rate. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 76°F in Columbus. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Columbus gets 46.8 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
Is it safe?
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Columbus Sacramento Jan–Mar 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Columbus Sacramento Jan 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Ohio?
How much money do I need to move to California?
Is California safe?
How is healthcare in California compared to Ohio?
What's the weather like in California compared to Ohio?
