Moving to Washington from Utah
What to Expect
Considering a move from Utah to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Utah to Washington, you would find that Washington is 19.9% more expensive than Utah. A $75,000 salary in Utah would need to be roughly $86,062 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Utah and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $86,062
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 14.7% more
Groceries
pay 15.6% more
Transportation
pay 9.4% more
Housing
pay 14.2% more
Childcare
pay 65.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.4% 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 Washington compared to Utah.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Utah performs better than Washington 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
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Utah performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Utah generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington 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
Utah generally does better on employment & economy, though Washington leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs significantly better than Utah 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 | Salt Lake City | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/27°F (7°/-3°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 72°/48°F (22°/9°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 87°/60°F (31°/16°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/32°F (10°/0°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Salt Lake City | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Utah?
On average Washington is around 15% pricier than Utah, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $21,516 for 3 months in Washington (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is Washington safe?
Utah performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Utah?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Utah?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 64°F in Salt Lake City. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Salt Lake City gets 16.1 in.
