Real Dollar Value
Alabama stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $114.62 of local goods and services in Alabama, compared with $92.31 in California.
Income
Alabama vs California: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in Alabama: about $114.62 in local buying power versus $92.31 in California, a $22.31 gap.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for purchasing power of $100.
Alabama
#2 · $114.62
California
#48 · $92.31
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Purchasing Power of $100
#1
Mississippi
$116.01
Mississippi
#2
Alabama
$114.62
Alabama
#3
Oklahoma
$113.65
Oklahoma
#4
Arkansas
$113.40
Arkansas
#5
Kansas
$113.09
Kansas
#6
West Virginia
$112.73
West Virginia
#7
Missouri
$112.21
Missouri
#8
Iowa
$111.93
Iowa
#9
Tennessee
$111.32
Tennessee
#10
South Dakota
$111.28
South Dakota
Selected states
#48
California
$92.31
California
Alabama ranks 2nd and California ranks 48th nationally for purchasing power of $100.
Safety Context
Purchasing Power of $100 in context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
BEA Price Index
Alabama has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in Alabama (87.2) than in California (113.4), which is why the same cash buys more there.
See full data →Income Check
California has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. California has a median household income of $84,097, versus $54,943 in Alabama.
See full data →Living Costs
Alabama also looks cheaper on the cost index
Alabama's cost-of-living index is 88.6, compared with 138.5 in the other state.
See full data →Related pages
What this means
Alabama vs California: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
Alabama's purchasing power of $100 is $114.62, compared with $92.31 in California, a gap of 24.2%. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Alabama
$114.62
California
$92.31
Difference
$22
People also ask
Alabama vs California Purchasing Power of $100 — common questions
QWhat is Alabama's purchasing power of $100?
Alabama's purchasing power of $100 is $114.62.
QWhat is California's purchasing power of $100?
California's purchasing power of $100 is $92.31.
QWhich state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — Alabama or California?
$100 goes further in Alabama: about $114.62 in local buying power versus $92.31 in California, a $22.31 gap.
QHow much more purchasing power of $100 does Alabama have compared to California?
$22.
More comparisons: Alabama vs California
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
Latest incorporated BEA release
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Derived as 100 divided by the state price parity, multiplied by $100.