Moving to Washington from Utah

moving to

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

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 Washington compared to Utah.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

UT
224
WA
349
Property crime rateFBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

UT
1576
WA
2819

Utah performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rateUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

UT
8.1%
WA
6.1%
Adult obesity rateCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

UT
32.3%
WA
31.1%

Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Utah leads in adult smoking rate.

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

UT
$455,000
WA
$519,800
Median rentUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

UT
$1,405
WA
$1,682

Utah performs better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet accessUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

UT
92.9%
WA
93.1%
Average commuteUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

UT
22 min
WA
27 min

Utah generally does better on infrastructure, though Washington leads in internet access.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rateBureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

UT
3.5%
WA
5.3%
GDP per capitaBureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

UT
$66,207
WA
$87,768

Utah generally does better on employment & economy, though Washington leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancyOECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

UT
78.6 yrs
WA
79.2 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higherUS Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

UT
21%
WA
26%

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.

Salt Lake CityRain: 16.1 in/yr (409 mm)
64°/42°F

Avg. annual high / low

OlympiaRain: 50.0 in/yr (1270 mm)
60°/41°F

Avg. annual high / low

MonthsSalt Lake CityOlympia
Jan–Mar45°/27°F (7°/-3°C)50°/34°F (10°/1°C)
Apr–Jun72°/48°F (22°/9°C)65°/43°F (18°/6°C)
Jul–Sep87°/60°F (31°/16°C)76°/49°F (24°/10°C)
Oct–Dec51°/32°F (10°/0°C)51°/36°F (11°/2°C)
View all months
MonthSalt Lake CityOlympia
Jan37°/22°F (3.0°/-5.8°C)46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C)
Feb43°/25°F (6.2°/-3.8°C)49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C)
Mar54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C)
Apr62°/40°F (16.4°/4.2°C)59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C)
May72°/48°F (22.2°/8.8°C)65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C)
Jun83°/56°F (28.3°/13.6°C)71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C)
Jul93°/65°F (33.7°/18.2°C)77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C)
Aug90°/63°F (32.5°/17.4°C)78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C)
Sep79°/53°F (26.2°/11.7°C)72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C)
Oct65°/41°F (18.2°/5.2°C)60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C)
Nov49°/31°F (9.7°/-0.8°C)50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C)
Dec38°/23°F (3.3°/-5.2°C)44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C)

Data: National Weather Service 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.

Share this