Moving from Sacramento to Washington
Moving from Sacramento to Washington
You'd keep $767 more a month in Washington. +$9,204 a year.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 181 households moved Sacramento → Washington (about 263 people, average AGI $77,122). 139 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | Sacramento | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,939 | $6,923 |
| Rent | $1,677 | $1,929 |
| All other costs | $2,137 | $2,102 |
| Left over | $2,125 | $2,892 |
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 2,784 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $4,700–$8,850
- Container or pod
- $3,400–$6,400
- Rent a truck
- $2,250–$4,200
Dig into Washington
Paycheck
Take-home pay after tax and rent, and what's left at the end of the month.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
What the move itself costs from where you live now, and how to find a mover you can trust.
Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Washington than Sacramento?
A one-bedroom is about $1,677 in Sacramento versus $1,929 in Washington. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $767 a month higher in Washington. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Washington have state income tax?
Washington is in District of Columbia, which taxes wage income.
Did people actually move from Sacramento to Washington?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the Sacramento → Washington move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.