Moving to California from Oregon
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Oregon to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Oregon to California, you would find that California is 26.2% more expensive than Oregon. A $75,000 salary in Oregon would need to be roughly $95,190 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 64°F in Salem, making it significantly warmer. How your spending power changes when you relocate from Oregon to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $95,190 To maintain the same standard of living in California The biggest cost differences at a glance Restaurants pay 13.6% more Groceries pay 19.6% more Transportation pay 11.9% more Housing pay 35.7% more Childcare pay 69.0% more Entertainment and Sports pay 22.2% 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. 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 29% more than cities in Oregon. Compare cities head-to-head How Oregon and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Oregon generally does better on safety, though California leads in property crime rate. share of people without health insurance share of adults with obesity share of adults with diabetes share of adults who smoke Oregon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Oregon performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Oregon 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 Oregon generally does better on employment & economy, though California leads in gdp per capita. average years of life at birth share of adults with a 4-year college degree Oregon generally does better on family life, though California leads in life expectancy. 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: Day-to-day costs in California run about 27% higher than Oregon on average; specific cities can swing further. A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around $23,798 in California for everyday spending, before movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit. Oregon generally does better on safety, though California leads in property crime rate. Oregon generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 64°F in Salem. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Salem gets 39.7 in. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Cost of living by city
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
Months Salem Sacramento Jan–Mar 52°/36°F (11°/2°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 68°/45°F (20°/7°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 80°/51°F (27°/11°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 54°/38°F (12°/3°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Salem Sacramento Jan 48°/35°F (8.7°/1.5°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 52°/35°F (10.9°/1.4°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 56°/37°F (13.6°/2.9°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 61°/40°F (16.2°/4.2°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.1°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 82°/53°F (27.8°/11.7°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 82°/53°F (28.0°/11.6°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 77°/48°F (24.9°/9.1°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 64°/42°F (17.8°/5.7°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 53°/38°F (11.4°/3.6°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 46°/34°F (7.9°/1.1°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
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