Moving to Ohio from Washington
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Washington to Ohio — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Washington to Ohio, you would find that Ohio is 15.7% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly $59,902 in Ohio to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Columbus averages 76°F vs 60°F in Olympia, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Washington to Ohio.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $59,902
To maintain the same standard of living in Ohio
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 14.9% less
Groceries
pay 14.0% less
Transportation
pay 3.4% less
Housing
pay 19.8% less
Childcare
pay 28.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 21.8% less
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 by city
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 Ohio cost about 27% less than cities in Washington.
Compare cities head-to-head
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Washington to Ohio.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Ohio performs significantly 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 performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Ohio performs significantly better than Washington across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Washington generally does better on infrastructure, though Ohio leads in average commute.
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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Ohio leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
share of adults with a 4-year college degree
Washington performs 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)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Olympia | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) | 84°/62°F (29°/16°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) | 90°/71°F (32°/21°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
View all months
| Month | Olympia | Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) | 58°/37°F (14.2°/2.7°C) |
| Feb | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) | 62°/40°F (16.7°/4.5°C) |
| Mar | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) | 69°/46°F (20.8°/7.8°C) |
| Apr | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) | 77°/53°F (24.8°/11.4°C) |
| May | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) | 84°/62°F (28.9°/16.6°C) |
| Jun | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) | 90°/70°F (32.2°/20.9°C) |
| Jul | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) | 92°/73°F (33.4°/22.7°C) |
| Aug | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) | 91°/72°F (33.0°/22.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) | 86°/67°F (30.2°/19.3°C) |
| Oct | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.1°C) |
| Nov | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Dec | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) | 59°/39°F (15.2°/3.8°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Ohio than Washington?
Yes — Ohio is on average about 20% cheaper than Washington. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Ohio?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $14,976 in Ohio on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit).
Is Ohio safe?
Ohio performs significantly better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Ohio compared to Washington?
Washington performs better than Ohio across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Ohio compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Columbus is 76°F, compared to 60°F in Olympia. Columbus receives around 46.8 in of rainfall per year, while Olympia gets 50.0 in.
