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. 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 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. The numbers behind daily life in California compared to Wisconsin. incidents per 100,000 people per year incidents per 100,000 people per year Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate. 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. share of households with internet minutes each way to work Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 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) Monthly averages — select a city to compare. Avg. annual high / low Avg. annual high / low Data: On average California is around 30% pricier than Wisconsin, with notable variation by city. 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. Wisconsin performs better than California across all safety metrics. Wisconsin generally does better on health & wellbeing, though California leads in adult obesity rate. 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. How Far Will Your Money Go?
Key Indicator Comparison
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What's the Climate Like?
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) 
National Weather Service Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Wisconsin?
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What's the weather like in California compared to Wisconsin?
