Head-to-head
California vs Arizona
Moving from California to Arizona lowers the 2024 price level by 10.043 points (110.720 to 100.677), and utilities and rents explain most of it: California's utilities parity is 66.582 points higher and its rent parity 47.542 points higher.
Updated
| Measure | California | Arizona | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 110.720 | 100.677 | +10.043 points |
| Rent price level | 154.346 | 106.804 | +47.542 points |
| Home value | $734,700±$1,307 | $394,500±$1,474 | +$340,200 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $2,103±$6 | $1,541±$12 | +$562 |
| Household income | $99,122±$310 | $79,964±$407 | +$19,158 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $5,124±$17 | $1,879±$10 | +$3,245 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in California scales to $3,637 in Arizona at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
Where a California-to-Arizona move saves, and where it does not
Not every category moves. Other services are essentially level, 102.591 in California against 102.808 in Arizona, and Arizona is in fact slightly dearer there. Goods are cheaper in Arizona by 10.737 points, a real but smaller saving. The big differences are the housing and utility lines, which is where a mover should look first.
Housing figures make the gap concrete. Arizona's median two-bedroom costs $562 less a month, $6,744 a year. For buyers the median home is $340,200 cheaper and the typical tax bill $3,245 lower. A mortgaged owner's monthly outlay drops by $1,143 at the median.
Incomes do not fall as far as one might expect, and price-adjusted income falls further. The median household income is $99,122 in California and $79,964 in Arizona. Real per capita personal income, which accounts for each state's prices, is $63,028 in California (rank 13) and $52,890 in Arizona (rank 43). A household that keeps a California salary while living in Arizona gains; one that takes an Arizona-market salary may not.
The state tax systems differ sharply. California's individual income tax supplied 46.8% of its fiscal 2025 collections, $3,270 per resident; Arizona's supplied 20.6%, $720 per resident, while general sales supplied 50.7%. Total collections were $6,989 per resident in California and $3,494 in Arizona.
Keep the first-year bill separate: moving charges, deposits and any home sale or purchase belong outside recurring monthly spending.
Price levels by category
| Measure | California | Arizona | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 110.720 | 100.677 | +10.043 |
| Goods | 106.098 | 95.361 | +10.737 |
| Housing (rents) | 154.346 | 106.804 | +47.542 |
| Utilities | 158.899 | 92.317 | +66.582 |
| Other services | 102.591 | 102.808 | −0.217 |
| Real income per person (2017 $) | $63,028 | $52,890 | +$10,138 |
Two state tax mixes, FY2025
California: $275.04 billion, $6,989 per resident. Arizona: $26.64 billion, $3,494 per resident.
| Tax | CA share | AZ share | CA per resident | AZ per resident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | 46.8% | 20.6% | $3,270 | $720 |
| General sales | 19.4% | 50.7% | $1,359 | $1,772 |
| Property | 1.3% | 5.4% | $94 | $188 |
| Motor fuel | 3.4% | 3.5% | $239 | $123 |
| Other selective sales | 4.6% | 10.5% | $318 | $365 |
| Corporate income | 14.3% | 6.6% | $1,002 | $230 |
| Licenses | 5.1% | 2.7% | $353 | $94 |
| Severance | 0.1% | 0.1% | $4 | $3 |
| Other taxes | 5.0% | 0.0% | $350 | $0 |
Taxes on wages and purchases
| Tax | California | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax | graduated, 1% to 12.3% for 2025 (single filers) | Not summarised on this site; see the Arizona Department of Revenue |
| State sales tax | 7.25% statewide plus district taxes | Not summarised on this site; see the Arizona Department of Revenue |
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