Relocating to another state is a prospect that you need to consider very carefully. Before you make the decision, you will want to make sure that the relocation is in your best interest. After all, you don’t want to hire one of the best interstate moving companies California has, only to figure out that the relocation is not going to improve your life. However, there are also times when you may not have a choice in the matter. In any case, moving from California to Pennsylvania merits doing a bit of research. In this article, Verified Movers will provide you with an excellent starting point.
Things you need to consider when moving from California to Pennsylvania
While every relocation might be unique, and your needs may vary, you absolutely need to consider these four things:
- The difference in living costs
- Employment opportunities
- Weather
After you do your research on your new state, you will want to also research moving companies in your area. The easiest way to go about it is through Verified Movers. Our database will provide you with all the information you might need to select the best mover for the job. You can also browse our extensive blog section, where you can find excellent tips and tricks that can make your relocation much easier. But first, you will want to explore the differences between California and Pennsylvania.
California vs Pennsylvania – Living costs
To start with, let’s assume that the U.S. overall average living cost is represented by the number 100. California’s overall living cost number is 78, whereas Pennsylvania’s is 92.5. This means that, overall, it is more expensive to live in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania than it is to live in California. However, you do not want to be looking at the overall number only. The reason for that is that most of the living costs are actually quite similar between the states, with one large exception: Housing. Purchasing a home in Pennsylvania is significantly more expensive (the median home price in Pennsylvania is $235,000) than in California (median home price of $97,000).
Overall vs specific
You also need to understand that these numbers are for the entire state. Depending on your choice of location, these numbers may have quite a significant variance. For example, you may think that hiring one of the interstate moving companies Pennsylvania has to offer is going to be more expensive, based on the overall cost of living index alone. But that is not the case, as they might offer a better price than their California-based counterparts. Again, proper research is essential to get the best deal.
Here are some additional facts:
- Groceries are slightly more expensive in Pennsylvania than in California (100 vs 96)
- Health services are more expensive in Pennsylvania (97 vs 85)
- Utilities are more expensive in Pennsylvania (88 vs 98)
- Transportation is slightly more expensive in Pennsylvania (100 vs 104)
- Miscellaneous living costs are cheaper in Pennsylvania (99 vs 101)
As you can see, the differences, aside from housing, are actually not that significant. In fact, they are pretty much the same. And you can always choose to live in a “cheaper” area when moving from California to Pennsylvania, making the living costs even lower.
Employment opportunities in Pennsylvania
If you don’t already have a job and are looking to find one in your new state, the first thing you might want to look at is the annual openings. In Pennsylvania, there are almost five thousand annual openings for registered nurses, three thousand for nursing assistances, two thousand for tractor-trailer truck drivers, two thousand annual openings for accountants and auditors, and around two thousand openings for general maintenance and repair workers.
Then, you may want to look into some of the growing job markets, such as occupational therapy assistants, home health aides, biomedical engineers, web developers, computer systems analysts, and electrical power-line installers. All of these jobs have a predicted increase rate of at least 20%, with occupational therapy assistants being projected to increase at a 33% rate.
Alternatively, you may simply want to look at some of the fastest-growing counties, as they are more likely to have excellent job opportunities in the near future. Let’s say that you are relocating from Sacramento and are hiring one of the top Sacramento movers for your relocation. You will want to find a county that offers similar, if not better, job opportunities in the future. Here are some of the counties you may want to consider:
- Philadelphia
- Montgomery
- Lebanon
- Franklin
- York
- Lancaster
- Chester
- Centre
All of these counties feature a growth rate from 3% to more than 5%. While these numbers may seem low to you, they are actually quite significant. Many counties experience negative growth rates, after all.
Pennsylvania weather
You are going to need to prepare for more rainy days after you relocate to Pennsylvania. Here’s a quick comparison: Los Angeles, California, averages 15.5 inches of rain each year, whereas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania gets 47.2 inches of rain. That is quite a significant difference, indeed! But there is snow in Pennsylvania, which you can’t get in California! However, this also means that you might be completely unprepared for it, as you might never have had to deal with snow until the relocation. Due to the weather differences, it might be prudent to choose one of the top movers in Philadelphia for your relocation, as they are more experienced with changing weather conditions, meaning that your belongings will be safer.
Here are some additional weather facts:
- Summer high in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is around 87 degrees in July, as opposed to 83.6 degrees in Los Angeles, California
- The lowest temperatures reach 26 in Pennsylvania, as opposed to California’s 45.9
- There is no snow in California, while there is an average of 13.1 inches of snow in Pennsylvania
Bottom line is that it is colder in Pennsylvania, and you might want to prepare for it.
Moving from California to Pennsylvania might be the best decision of your life. Or it can be a really bad one. It all depends on your unique needs. That is why doing as much research as you can is critically important.