Quality of Life

Alabama vs California: Livability Score

California has a higher livability score than Alabama.

Alabama flag
Alabama
AL · South
47.01
Best States to Live In total score (August 11, 2025).
California flag
California
CA · West
Winner
50.49
Best States to Live In total score (August 11, 2025).

Visual comparison

Alabama47.01
California50.49

Difference: 3.48 points — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for livability score.

Alabama #41 · 47.01
California #32 · 50.49
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Livability Score

#1 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
60.23
#2 Idaho flag Idaho
60.19
#3 New Jersey flag New Jersey
59.81
#4 Wisconsin flag Wisconsin
59.66
#5 Minnesota flag Minnesota
58.69
#6 Florida flag Florida
58.51
#7 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
58.21
#8 New York flag New York
57.94
#9 Utah flag Utah
57.94
#10 Pennsylvania flag Pennsylvania
57.90
Selected states
#41 Alabama flag Alabama
47.01
#32 California flag California
50.49

Alabama ranks 41st and California ranks 32nd nationally for livability score.

Related context

What Drives the Score

The livability score synthesizes several quality-of-life signals — here are the key inputs.

MetricAlabamaCalifornia
Cost of Living Index 88.6 138.5 Median Household Income $54,943 $84,097 Life Expectancy 73.2 yrs 79.2 yrs Violent Crime / 100k 447.8 499.5 Unemployment Rate 2.7% 5.5% Sunny Days / Year 99 days 146 days

What this means

Alabama vs California: Livability Score in context

California's livability score is 50.49, compared with 47.01 in Alabama. Best States to Live In total score (August 11, 2025).

Alabama
47.01
California
50.49
Difference
3.48 points

People also ask

Alabama vs California Livability Score — common questions

QWhat is Alabama's livability score?

Alabama's livability score is 47.01.

QWhat is California's livability score?

California's livability score is 50.49.

QWhich state has a higher livability score — Alabama or California?

California has a higher livability score than Alabama.

More comparisons: Alabama vs California

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Full comparison
Best State to Live In Cost of Living Gas Price Gas Tax Electricity Rates Commute Time Car Insurance Cost Average Credit Score

Explore each state

Alabama symbols California symbols Compare other states

Data source and freshness

Primary source
WalletHub — Best States to Live In
Data period
2025 comparison
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
WalletHub total score incorporated into the comparison dataset.