US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
Sacramento

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 0 frost days a year to Sacramento's 1 — Los Angeles wins by 1. Los Angeles also leads on hot days by 63.

Los AngelesSacramento
Sunny days
315284
Hot days
65128
Frost days
01
Rain days
2446
Outdoor dinner months
6/126/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s2.2 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4123,255
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo117 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.29.7

Los Angeles

Feels-like °C

14
15
16
21
23
27
30
31
28
25
18
14

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Sacramento

Feels-like °C

9
12
14
20
25
29
30
31
28
23
13
8

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Sacramento is $684/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Sacramento's $3,667/mo — Sacramento comes in $684 cheaper each month, roughly 19% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,394Comfort $6,993
Top 89%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Sacramento

$3,667

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,816Comfort $6,219
Top 76%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Sacramento scores 2.6 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on cycling infrastructure. Los Angeles still holds an edge on flight connectivity.

2.0/5
vs
2.6/5
Los AngelesSacramento
Flights
CyclingCar EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
Sacramento leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Sacramento's 3.2, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

4.2/5
vs
3.2/5
Los AngelesSacramento
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Venues
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Sacramento's nature & outdoors score of 4.3 sits well above Los Angeles's 4.0, with the biggest gap on lakes & rivers. Los Angeles still holds an edge on sea access.

4.0/5
vs
4.3/5
Los AngelesSacramento
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
MountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachDivingSkiingClimbing
Sacramento leads

Safety

Sacramento's safety score is ~1.4× Los Angeles's — in the middle of the scale, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on walking safety.

1.8/5
vs
2.5/5
Los AngelesSacramento
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Property CrimeEarthquakeWildfire
Sacramento leads

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Sacramento's 2.8, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

4.4/5
vs
2.8/5
Los AngelesSacramento
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Los Angeles and Sacramento score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.6 vs 3.4, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesSacramento
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityAdmin English Support
Los Angeles leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Sacramento's 3.2 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on restaurant variety.

4.8/5
vs
3.2/5
Los AngelesSacramento
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

On family, Los Angeles scores 4.0 vs Sacramento's 2.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities. Sacramento still holds an edge on playgrounds.

4.0/5
vs
2.6/5
Los AngelesSacramento
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
AmenitiesPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaTennis
Los Angeles leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Los Angeles scores 2.8 vs Sacramento's 2.1 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.8/5
vs
2.1/5
Los AngelesSacramento
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
Los Angeles leads

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Sacramento's 9.8 µg/m³ (good) — Sacramento breathes ~29% cleaner air (3.9 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Sacramento

13.8µg/m³
9.8µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Los Angeles (13.5M) and Sacramento (1.7M) are 7.9x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Sacramento the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 5.9x more ground.

6.9x

Los Angeles is roughly 6.9x the scale of Sacramento

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
6.9x
US flagSacramento
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M7.9x
2.US flagSacramento1.7M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²5.9x
2.US flagSacramento759 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
34 km48 km

US flagSacramento

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Sacramento

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Sacramento?
Sacramento is approximately $684 per month cheaper. Los Angeles averages $4,351/mo while Sacramento averages $3,667/mo.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Sacramento?
Sunny days: 315 vs 284 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 3,255 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 117 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 128 d — Los Angeles lower Frost days: 0 vs 1 d — Similar Rainy days: 24 vs 46 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Sacramento safer?
Sacramento scores higher on safety. Los Angeles rates 1.8/5 while Sacramento rates 2.5/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Los Angeles or Sacramento?
Los Angeles and Sacramento are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Sacramento is generally more affordable, while Los Angeles may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Los Angeles and Sacramento stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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