When people move, many consider moving to California or Washington, as they are both beautiful states that many people enjoy living in. However, what are the pros and cons of living in California or Washington? Luckily for you, we have compiled some of them so you no longer have to look online or talk to residents of each state.
Pros and Cons of Moving to California
Below are some of the pros and cons of living in California that you can enjoy if you choose to move there.
1 Pro: the Climate
California is known for its nearly year-round sunny weather. During the fall and spring, temperatures are warm and the seasonal changes seen in nature are apparent, so you can enjoy falling golden leaves during the fall and beautiful blooming flowers during the spring.
During the winter, it doesn’t really snow outside of the mountains in California. Typically, temperatures stay between 
50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter, which is cold enough that you will need a jacket, but not a heavy one. If you want to enjoy the snow, but leave it behind soon after, California is the perfect state for you to move to.
During the summer, temperatures are typically around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot, but not stifling for many people. Sometimes temperatures skyrocket, but it is easy to find an air-conditioned room to cool down in.
Unfortunately, with the beautiful climate comes natural disasters. Fires and earthquakes happen often in California, and the fires are a massive problem because for as long as I can remember, California has been in a drought, so there is a lack of water that can be used to douse the fires.
2 Con: High Living Costs
Living in California is extremely expensive, and that isn’t just when it comes to the cost of housing, as the high cost applies to other things as well. In fact, California is the 3rd most expensive state in the United States to live in after Hawaii and New York.
When it comes to housing, California is quite expensive. On average, an apartment costs nearly $1,700 per month, not including utilities and other fees that apartment complexes charge. However, that cost could easily increase, especially if you live in a large city like San Diego or Los Angeles. The average cost of a home in California is more than $600,000, which is higher than the national average.
Although the minimum wage in California is quite high to try to ensure that people can afford to pay rent as well as their other bills, many California residents struggle to afford it. Many people that live in an apartment have at least one roommate to make the rent they pay less and make it easier to pay because of how high the cost is.
3 Pro: Beaches
California is known for its beautiful, warm beaches, and many of the beaches that you find in California do not disappoint. If you love the beach, you will love moving to and living in California.
However, some cities in California are nowhere near a beach, so keep that in mind when you are looking for a place to live. Also, many of the beaches in California are crowded and dirty, with trash lining the sand and being swept out to sea by waves.
Things have been done to try and clean up the beaches, and some have been successful, but there really is nothing that you can do about the crowds lining the shores. Unless you go to the beach on a cold, rainy day, you will have to fight for a spot on the sand.
4 Con: High Population
California is densely populated, especially in well-known cities like Los Angeles and Anaheim. The current population of California is 39.35 million people, and that doesn’t even include the number of tourists that visit this state every year.
When it comes to tourists, California thrives on the business that tourists give the state. In 2021, about 213.5 million tourists visited California, which is an extremely high number of people, especially when you consider how many people already live in the state. Because of the population and tourists, businesses and sidewalks are often crowded, making it hard to navigate the city.
5 Pro: Great Food
California has some amazing food that many people travel thousands of miles to enjoy. There are thousands of restaurants in the state, so you will definitely be able to find food that you will enjoy, whether you want to go to a fancy restaurant, fast food restaurant, or everything in-between. One restaurant that has many locations in California is In-N-Out, which many people thoroughly enjoy.
California also has many locally-grown wines for you to sample or purchase, as many vineyards are located in the state. This means you can wine and dine yourself and your family members with ease while living in California if you choose to move there.
6 Con: Traffic
When it comes to traffic, California is the worst. Okay, that might not necessarily be true, but there is still a lot of traffic in California. The roads are simply not meant to hold the number of people driving on them. When you drive somewhere, you will have to consider how long it will take you with traffic rather than without traffic, as there is almost always traffic. Oftentimes, it takes people twice as long as they should reach their destination because of how bad traffic is in California.
7 Pro: Events
If you love attending events, you will love living in California. The state of California hosts many music festivals, concerts, Coachella, and more. The exact events held near you will vary depending on where in California you live.
8 Con: High Crime Rate
California has a high crime rate, especially in large, popular cities like Los Angeles, Anaheim, Bakersfield, and Modesto. Even Beverly Hills has a high number of property-related crimes committed every year.
If you choose to move to California, you will want to invest in a quality security system and bring items to protect yourself and your family while out and about during the day and at night.
9 Pro: Public Transportation Everywhere
Oftentimes, you won’t even need to own a car and contribute to the traffic while you live in California because of how much public transportation is available. However, exactly how much public transportation is available near you and how reliable it truly is will vary depending on what city you live in. San Francisco has a great public transportation system, but other cities may not have the same system in place.
If you plan on using public transportation while living in California, look up what systems are available and how reliable they are.
Pros and Cons of Moving to Washington
Below are some of the pros and cons of living in Washington that you can enjoy if you choose to move there.
10 Pro: Education
Washington has a great public education system and is home to many universities, including Washington State University. Although the exact quality of education that your children will receive will vary depending on the school they attend and the teachers they have, you will know that your children are getting a good education if you move to Washington.
11 Con: Constant Rain
If you don’t like rain, you don’t want to move to Washington. As someone that has lived in Washington for most of their life, I know first-hand that it rains almost constantly. Sometimes it feels like you haven’t seen a clear sky for nearly 6 months, which may or may not be an exaggeration. I always tell people that Washington is called Washington not because of the United States president, but because the weather is trying to wash all of the people out.
There are beaches in Washington, but many are rocky and nearly all of them are cold because of the wind coming off the sea, even during the summer. When the beaches are warm, they are extremely crowded because of how many people want to enjoy the weather while it lasts.
During the winter, fall, and spring seasons, Washington is incredibly rainy. Sometimes during the winter, it is too cold to rain, but that doesn’t mean that it will snow. While it does snow sometimes, many parts of Washington only get a few inches at a time, and it rarely sticks. During the fall, the leaves on the trees that are abundant in the area turn orange, red, and gold, so the state is absolutely beautiful.
If you don’t like heat, you should move to Washington. During the summer the weather is warm, typically staying between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature rarely gets above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. However, because of this when it does get extremely hot, it is nearly impossible to find a home that has an air conditioner to relax in.
However, the climate isn’t consistent throughout the state, so do your research about the typical weather in the area of Washington that you are planning on moving to.
12 Pro: Booming Job Market
The number of jobs available in Washington is growing, especially when it comes to jobs in the tech industry. The population of the state is growing, so the number of jobs available is as well. Even if you don’t have a job lined up when you choose to move to Washington, it will likely be relatively easy for you to find one in your field, although the availability of some jobs will vary depending on the area that you plan on moving to.
Although it was hard for some people to find a job in Washington during the Covid-19 pandemic, the job market is back and booming once again.
13 Con: Cost of Living
The cost of living is extremely high in Washington. It is not as high as the cost of living in California, but it is still high. In any city, it will be hard for you to find an apartment, even a 1-bedroom apartment, that costs less than $950 per month, not including utilities and fees.
On average, homes in Washington cost about $635,000. However, most homes in Washington have multiple bedrooms, which increases the value.
Currently, there is a type of housing crisis, especially in big and medium-sized cities. There are not enough apartments and houses to house the people that want to move to the area. Unfortunately, this drives up the value and cost of homes and apartments.
14 Pro: Nature Everywhere
Washington state is full of natural beauty. There are plenty of evergreen trees, as well as other types, to fill the area with green and brown. The grass is almost always green because of how much rain there is every year, and there is plenty of wildlife for you to observe from afar.
There are also plenty of rivers, lakes, and streams to satisfy those that love being near water, even though it is too cold to jump in for most of the year. The mountains in Washington are absolutely beautiful and can be seen from miles away, even on a cloudy day.
Because there is so much natural beauty in Washington, this state is home to multiple national parks. Even when you are outside of a national park, you can easily go on a hike or bike ride to fully enjoy the natural beauty around you.
15 Con: Sales Tax
Unlike Oregon, there is a sales tax in Washington. It currently is at 6.5%, but it could increase at any time. However, if you don’t like paying an income tax, you are lucky because Washington does not have an income tax, just a sales tax.
16 Pro: High Minimum Wage
The minimum wage in Washington is relatively high when you compare it to the minimum wages in similar-sized states. It currently is $14.49 per hour, and it rises steadily every year. The minimum wage is high partially because the cost of housing and living is so high, but I digress.
7 Con: Traffic
Traffic is awful in Washington, especially in densely-populated cities like Seattle and the surrounding areas. Good luck getting home after work during rush hour in a reasonable amount of time, as it takes more than double the amount of time that it usually takes to get on and off the freeway during rush hour in some Washington cities.
Related Topics:
If you like the article above, here are some other similar articles you should check out!
17 Reasons Not to Move to Roseville, California
