State profile
California Cost of Living Comparison
California's 2024 price level is 110.720, the highest of all 51 jurisdictions, and the premium is concentrated in rents (154.346) and utilities (158.899) rather than in goods.
Updated
110.720California all-items price level, U.S. = 100 · rank 51 of 51, lowest first
| Measure | California | Hawaii | First − second |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-items price level | 110.720 | 109.951 | +0.769 points |
| Rent price level | 154.346 | 125.304 | +29.042 points |
| Home value | $734,700±$1,307 | $839,100±$5,924 | −$104,400 |
| Two-bedroom gross rent | $2,103±$6 | $1,996±$32 | +$107 |
| Household income | $99,122±$310 | $100,389±$1,121 | −$1,267 |
| Real estate taxes paid | $5,124±$17 | $2,239±$31 | +$2,885 |
$4,000 of monthly spending in California scales to $3,972 in Hawaii at the 2024 all-items price ratio.
BEA 2024 and ACS 2020–2024; ± marks the Census 90% margin. How to read a gap
How California's premium is built
Two categories do most of the work. California's rent parity ranks 50th of 51, behind only the District of Columbia, and its utilities parity of 158.899 is 58.9% above the national level. Goods, at 106.098, and other services, at 102.591, are higher than average but not extreme. That split matters for a mover: someone who keeps a similar household but pays a California lease feels the full gap, while spending on goods changes far less.
The housing data are the most extreme in the set. The two-bedroom gross-rent median of $2,103 is the highest anywhere, the median home value of $734,700 ranks third, and owners with a mortgage report median monthly costs of $2,946, second only to one other jurisdiction. Renters spend 32.8% of income on gross rent, rank 4.
Incomes partly offset the prices. Median household income is $99,122, rank 6, and real per capita personal income, adjusted for California's price level, is $63,028, rank 13 and above the U.S. figure of $59,195.
The relative price level has edged down: 111.944 in 2020, a peak of 112.591 in 2022, and 110.720 in 2024, a change of minus 1.224 points.
California's state government raised $275.04 billion in fiscal 2025, $6,989 per resident (rank 5). Individual income tax supplied 46.8% of that, or $3,270 per resident, and corporate income tax 14.3%; property tax was just 1.3% at the state level, although owners still paid a median $5,124 a year in real estate taxes to local governments.
Every neighbour is cheaper on the headline measure: Oregon (103.361), Arizona (100.677) and Nevada (99.979). Hawaii, at 109.951, is the closest price level anywhere.
Category price levels in California
| Category | Parity | Rank, low first | vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 110.720 | 51 | 10.72% above |
| Goods | 106.098 | 46 | 6.10% above |
| Housing (rents) | 154.346 | 50 | 54.35% above |
| Utilities | 158.899 | 50 | 58.90% above |
| Other services | 102.591 | 40 | 2.59% above |
| Real income per person, 2017 $ | $63,028 | 13 | U.S. $59,195 |
All items by year: 2020 111.944 · 2021 111.918 · 2022 112.591 · 2023 112.195 · 2024 110.720 (−1.224 since 2020). How to read categories and trends
Monthly housing costs
- Owners with a mortgage
- $2,946±$5 · rank 2, high first
- Owners without a mortgage
- $829±$3 · rank 9
- Renters: gross rent / income
- 32.8%±0.2 · rank 4
California state tax collections, FY2025
$275.04 billion in total, $6,989 per resident. Scope of these figures
| Tax | FY2025 | Share | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual income | $128.69 billion | 46.8% | $3,270 |
| General sales | $53.49 billion | 19.4% | $1,359 |
| Property | $3.68 billion | 1.3% | $94 |
| Motor fuel | $9.40 billion | 3.4% | $239 |
| Other selective sales | $12.52 billion | 4.6% | $318 |
| Corporate income | $39.42 billion | 14.3% | $1,002 |
| Licenses | $13.89 billion | 5.1% | $353 |
| Severance | $176.5 million | 0.1% | $4 |
| Other taxes | $13.76 billion | 5.0% | $350 |
California income tax on wages
California's income tax is graduated. In the Franchise Tax Board's 2025 rate schedule for single filers and married or registered domestic partners filing separately, the rate climbs from 1% on the first $11,079 of taxable income to 12.3% on taxable income over $742,953; joint filers and heads of household have their own schedules.
Read : California Franchise Tax Board: 2025 tax rate schedules. Price parities exclude income taxes.
California sales tax
California's statewide sales and use tax rate is 7.25%. Most areas also charge district taxes, each between 0.10% and 2.00%, and some places have more than one, according to the Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Read : California Department of Tax and Fee Administration: sales and use tax rates.
California beside its neighbours
Before you budget a move
California has the highest all-items price parity among the 50 states in this release. Use that national comparison as a screening result, then examine the exact destination. A Los Angeles rental, Bay Area purchase and inland move have different household inputs that cannot be recovered from one statewide price level.
Existing homeowners should obtain the expected assessment after their own transaction rather than carry a historical tax median into a new budget. Renters should check lease utilities and parking. An employer salary offer should be compared after approved taxes and benefits, not against median household income alone.
Reviewed by the State Cost Compare Editorial Team · Review policy · Report a correction