Moving to California from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to California? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to California, you would find that California is 21.7% more expensive than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $97,657 in California to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sacramento averages 74°F vs 56°F in Madison, making it significantly warmer.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and California.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $97,657
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 17.4% more
Groceries
pay 21.2% more
Transportation
pay 24.0% more
Housing
pay 59.3% more
Childcare
pay 3.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 28.1% 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 California compared to Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin performs better than California 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
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Wisconsin performs better than California across all what about housing? metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
minutes each way to work
Wisconsin generally does better on infrastructure, though California 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
Wisconsin generally does better on employment & economy, though California 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
California performs significantly better than Wisconsin 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 | Madison | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Wisconsin?
On average California is around 30% pricier than Wisconsin, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to California?
Budget about $24,414 for 3 months in California (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.
Is California safe?
Wisconsin performs better than California across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in California compared to Wisconsin?
Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate.
What's the weather like in California compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
