Moving to Washington from Wisconsin
What to Expect
Considering a move from Wisconsin to Washington? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Wisconsin to Washington, you would find that Washington is 11.8% more expensive than Wisconsin. A $75,000 salary in Wisconsin would need to be roughly $87,042 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Wisconsin and Washington.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → $87,042
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 12.5% more
Transportation
pay 19.6% more
Housing
pay 28.1% more
Childcare
pay 10.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.1% 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 Washington compared to Wisconsin.
Is it safe?
incidents per 100,000 people per year
incidents per 100,000 people per year
Wisconsin performs 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Wisconsin leads in uninsured rate.
What about housing?
typical price of a home
typical monthly gross rent
share of homes that are owner-occupied
Wisconsin performs better than Washington 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 Washington 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Wisconsin 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 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 | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Madison | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Wisconsin?
On average Washington is around 16% pricier than Wisconsin, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Budget about $21,760 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?
Wisconsin performs better than Washington across all safety metrics.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Wisconsin?
Washington generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Wisconsin leads in uninsured rate.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Wisconsin?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 56°F in Madison. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Madison gets 34.5 in.
