Moving from Seattle, WA to Fresno, CA
Seattle to Fresno is a move of about 927 miles. Median rent is $1,392 a month in Fresno and $2,000 in Seattle, and the median home is $389,400 against $717,500. Seattle has no state income tax, against up to 13.30% in Fresno. Property tax runs 0.73% of home value in Fresno and 0.85% in Seattle.
Moving to Fresno costs
About the same
Seattle and Fresno work out within $50/mo of each other, renting on a $80,000 household income
Not your income? Run it on your own numbers
Worth knowing
Seattle and Fresno cost about the same to live in
Homes cost 1.8x more in one than the other, yet once taxes and everyday costs are counted the two land within $50 a month of each other. The sticker price on a house is a poor guide to what a place actually costs.
Seattle vs Fresno at a glance
| Seattle | Fresno | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $717,500 | $389,400 |
| Median rent | $2,000/mo | $1,392/mo |
| State income tax | No state income tax | Up to 13.30% |
| Property tax rate | 0.85% | 0.73% |
| Groceries, gas & goods | 104 | 105 |
| Utilities | 93 | 161 |
Price levels are indexes where 100 is the national average. They cover everyday spending only; housing is the two rows above.
Monthly cost of living: Seattle vs Fresno
| Monthly | Seattle | Fresno | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Housing (median rent)Biggest factor | $2,000 | $1,392 | -$608 |
| Taxes | |||
| State income tax | $0 | $298 | +$298 |
| Sales tax (on everyday spending) | $103 | $119 | +$16 |
| Everyday costs | |||
| Groceries, gas & goods | $1,906 | $1,928 | +$22 |
| Utilities | $379 | $657 | +$278 |
| Total | +$6 | ||
Cost to move from Seattle to Fresno
$2,200 to $4,900
From a container you load yourself up to full-service movers.
Shipping one car adds about $650 to $950, against roughly $250 in fuel and lodging to drive it the 2-day trip yourself.
Housing and everyday prices here are for the metro area. Income and sales tax are set by state law and have no metro equivalent, so those come from Washington and California. Compare the whole states instead to see how each metro sits against the state it is in.
Run this with your own numbers
What jobs pay in Fresno, after the cost of living
Estimates only, not advice. Housing and income figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (2024); price levels from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024); tax rates are for the 2026 tax year, compiled from state revenue departments and the Tax Foundation. Moving costs are modelled from published ranges rather than quoted. Housing and price figures are metro-area medians or averages; income and sales tax are statewide. Neither will match any particular household.