Moving to California from Virginia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Virginia to California — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Virginia to California, you would find that California is 8.6% more expensive than Virginia. A $75,000 salary in Virginia would need to be roughly $82,230 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. What to expect for your wallet after moving from Virginia to California. What does your salary buy? $75,000 → $82,230 To maintain the same standard of living in California Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day Restaurants pay 5.9% more Groceries pay 1.7% less Transportation pay 14.8% more Housing pay 25.5% more Childcare pay 0.2% more Entertainment and Sports pay 14.7% 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 24% more than cities in Virginia. Compare cities head-to-head Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Virginia to California. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Virginia 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 Virginia leads in uninsured rate. typical price of a home typical monthly gross rent share of homes that are owner-occupied Virginia performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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: No — California is on average about 10% more expensive than Virginia. City-level variation matters. Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,558 in California on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit). Virginia performs better than California across all safety metrics. California generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Virginia leads in uninsured rate. The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 70°F in Richmond. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Richmond gets 43.6 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 Richmond Sacramento Jan–Mar 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) Apr–Jun 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) Jul–Sep 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) Oct–Dec 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) View all months
Month Richmond Sacramento Jan 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) Feb 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) Mar 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) Apr 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) May 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) Jun 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) Jul 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) Aug 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) Sep 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) Oct 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) Nov 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) Dec 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Virginia?
How much money do I need to move to California?
Is California safe?
How is healthcare in California compared to Virginia?
What's the weather like in California compared to Virginia?
