Arizona
- After state tax
- —
- Housing / month
- —
- Left after housing
- —
- Cost-adjusted remainder
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Arizona vs California
Arizona is cheaper overall, while $100 goes further in Arizona, California has higher incomes, Arizona has lower state income tax, and Arizona gets more sunshine.
Arizona
AZ · West
22 / 33
metrics won
Winner
VS
California
CA · West
11 / 33
metrics won
AZ wins Housing
AZ wins Quality of Life
AZ wins Climate
CA wins Income
CA wins Demographics
AZ wins Taxes
AZ 22
11 CA
What matters to you?
Tell us your priority, get a verdict
Your match
Arizona fits you better
Arizona wins 22 of 33 scored metrics against California.
Your match — Saving Money
Arizona is cheaper overall
Cost-of-living index: 103.1 in Arizona vs 138.5 in California. On a national baseline of 100, the lower score usually means cheaper day-to-day expenses. See full data →
Your match — Jobs
California has the higher minimum wage
State minimum wage: $16.50/hr in California vs $14.35/hr in Arizona. Matters most for hourly and entry-level work. See full data →
Your match — Housing
Arizona is more attainable for buyers
Home-value-to-income ratio: 4.51x in Arizona vs 8.25x in California. Lower means the median home is easier to afford on a median income. See full data →
Your match — Weather
Arizona is warmer overall
Average annual temperature: 60.3°F in Arizona vs 59.4°F in California. See full data →
Your match — Family & Health
California looks better for families
California wins more family-oriented signals in this matchup, including life expectancy, uninsured rate, bachelor's degree, compared with Arizona. See full data →
Run the numbers
What's your salary really worth?
California
- After state tax
- —
- Housing / month
- —
- Left after housing
- —
- Cost-adjusted remainder
- —
Illustrative estimate only. Uses top marginal state income tax rate, BEA Regional Price Parity, and median housing costs — excludes federal tax, utilities, insurance, childcare, and debt.
Full comparison
Every metric, side by side
Pick a category. Each row opens the full breakdown for that metric — national rank, chart, and sourcing.
Capital City
Phoenix
vs
Sacramento
State Color
Swing State
vs
Solid Blue
Population
7,691,212
39,345,844
Median Income
$72,581
$84,097
Cost of Living
103.1
138.5
Median Housing Value
$327,400
$693,700
Property Tax
0.48%
0.70%
State Income Tax
2.50%
13.30%
Minimum Wage
$14.35/hr
$16.50/hr
Gas Price
$4.742/gal
$5.929/gal
Electricity Rates
15.61 c/kWh
30.29 c/kWh
Livability Score
51.01
50.49
Average Temperature
60.3°F
59.4°F
Sunny Days
193 days
146 days
Land Area
113,990 sq mi
163,696 sq mi
Population Density
67.5 per sq mi
240.4 per sq mi
Statehood
February 14, 1912 (#48)
September 9, 1850 (#31)
Population
7,691,212
39,345,844
Population Density
67.5 per sq mi
240.4 per sq mi
Bachelor's Degree
33.5%
37.5%
Advanced Degree
13.1%
14.7%
Net Domestic Migration
+31,100
-229,100
Population Growth Since 2020
+7.5%
-0.5%
Livability Score
51.01
50.49
Best State to Live In
51.01
50.49
Cost of Living
103.1
138.5
Gas Price
$4.742/gal
$5.929/gal
Gas Tax
18.00 c/gal
54.00 c/gal
Electricity Rates
15.61 c/kWh
30.29 c/kWh
Commute Time
25.9 min
28.4 min
Car Insurance Cost
$2,111/yr
$2,567/yr
Average Credit Score
709
721
Average Temperature
60.3°F
59.4°F
Summer Temperature
78.1°F
73.4°F
Winter Temperature
43.6°F
46.2°F
Sunny Days
193 days
146 days
Annual Precipitation
13.6 in
22.2 in
Average Wind Speed
7.3 mph
7.0 mph
Lightning Density
28.2 per sq mi
3.6 per sq mi
Median Housing Value
$327,400
$693,700
Median Gross Rent
$1,311/mo
$1,856/mo
Median Monthly Owner Costs With Mortgage
$1,893/mo
$3,001/mo
Owner Costs Without Mortgage
$560/mo
$882/mo
Homeownership Rate
65.5%
55.8%
Home Value to Income Ratio
4.51x
8.25x
Rent to Income Ratio
21.7%
26.5%
Owner Costs to Income
16.6%
21.0%
Home Insurance Cost
$2,605/yr
$1,348/yr
State Income Tax
2.50%
13.30%
State Sales Tax
5.60%
7.25%
Property Tax
0.48%
0.70%
Total Tax Burden
7.24%
9.24%
Grocery Tax Rate
0% (Exempt)
0% (Exempt)
Estate and Inheritance Tax
No State Death Tax
vs
No State Death Tax
Annual Vehicle Property Tax
No
vs
No
State Color
Swing State
vs
Solid Blue
Presidential Voting Margin
Rep +5.51
Dem +20.10
Swing State / Battleground
Battleground
vs
Not a battleground
Governor Party
Democratic
vs
Democratic
State House Control
Republican
vs
Democratic
State Senate Control
Republican
vs
Democratic
Trifecta
No Trifecta
vs
Democratic Trifecta
Electoral Votes
11
54
Gun Laws Status
Permissive
vs
Restrictive
Alcohol Laws
License State
vs
License State
Marijuana Legalization
Legal
vs
Legal
Minimum Marriage Age
16
No statutory minimum
Gun Ownership
39.5%
20.7%
Abortion Law Status
Legal - Viability (~24 weeks (viability))
vs
Legal - Viability (~24 weeks (viability))
Right-to-Work Law
Yes
vs
No
Land Area
113,990 sq mi
163,696 sq mi
Highest Point
Humphreys Peak (12,637 ft)
Mount Whitney (14,505 ft)
Statehood
February 14, 1912 (#48)
September 9, 1850 (#31)
Capital City
Phoenix
vs
Sacramento
Region
West
vs
West
Life Expectancy
76.6 yrs
79.2 yrs
Older Adult Health Outcomes
51.3
74.7
Uninsured Rate
9.9%
6.4%
Obesity Rate
33.3%
29.1%
Healthcare Quality Score
55.8
71.6
Infant Mortality Rate
5.40 per 1,000
4.18 per 1,000
Drug Overdose Death Rate
32.6 per 100,000
21.7 per 100,000
Violent Crime Rate
473.4 per 100k
499.5 per 100k
Property Crime Rate
2150.2 per 100k
2387.5 per 100k
AZA-Accredited Zoos
5
25
Casinos
29 (Talking Stick Resort)
83 (Pechanga Resort Casino)
UFO Sightings per 100,000
64.0 per 100K
41.1 per 100K
Most Popular Car
Tesla
vs
Tesla
K-12 Education Rank
#49
#32
High School Graduation Rate
82.0%
84.0%
Student-Teacher Ratio
20.4:1
22.2:1
School Spending
$12,003
$20,233
Teacher Salary
$64,291
$103,552
Public School Ranking
#50
#8
Student Loan Debt
$35,792
$38,300
College Graduation Rate
40.1%
60.2%
Median Income
$72,581
$84,097
Regional Price Parity
99.2
113.4
Purchasing Power of $100
$103.97
$92.31
Poverty Rate
12.4%
12.0%
Employment/Population Ratio
57.8%
60.2%
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
5.5%
Job Growth
0.8%
-0.1%
Infant Childcare Cost
$15,625/yr
$21,945/yr
Income Needed to Live Alone
$101,587/yr
$119,475/yr
Water Quality Score
77.4/100 (B)
83.7/100 (A)
Annual Power Outage Hours
1.5 hours/yr
4.7 hours/yr
Road Quality Rank
#35
#47
Renewable Electricity Share
17.0%
43.6%
Largest Airport
Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
vs
Los Angeles International (LAX)
Tradeoffs
Pros and cons for each state
The biggest advantages and drawbacks pulled from affordability, housing, income, taxes, safety, health, education, jobs, and weather.
Arizona
Pros
- Arizona has a lower overall cost of living.
- Arizona has a lower housing cost index.
- Arizona has lower median home values.
- Arizona has lower property tax rates on average.
- Arizona has a lower violent crime rate.
- Arizona job growth trend is stronger.
Cons
- Arizona shows lower median income.
- Arizona health access/outcomes proxy is lower.
- Arizona health coverage access proxy is weaker.
- Arizona education proxy is lower.
California
Pros
- California shows higher median income.
- California health access/outcomes proxy is higher.
- California health coverage access proxy is stronger.
- California education proxy is higher.
Cons
- California has a higher overall cost of living.
- California has a higher housing cost index.
- California has higher median home values.
- California has higher property tax rates on average.
- California has a higher violent crime rate.
- California job growth trend is weaker.
People also ask
Arizona vs California — common questions
QIs Arizona cheaper to live in than California?
Arizona has the lower cost of living. On the national index (100 = average), Arizona scores 103.1 versus 138.5 for California - a gap of 35.4 points.
QWhere does $100 go further - Arizona or California?
$100 goes further in Arizona. After BEA regional price adjustments, $100 is worth about $103.97 in Arizona, compared with $92.31 in California.
QWhich state is bigger - Arizona or California?
California is larger, covering 163,696 sq mi compared with 113,990 sq mi for Arizona - roughly 1.4x the size.
QDoes Arizona or California have more people?
California has the larger population at 39,345,844, compared with 7,691,212 in Arizona.
QWhich state has higher household income - Arizona or California?
California has the higher median household income at $84,097, versus $72,581 in Arizona.
QWhich state has lower income taxes - Arizona or California?
Arizona has the lower state income tax top rate at 2.50%, compared with 13.30% in California.
QIs housing cheaper in Arizona or California?
Homes are cheaper in Arizona, where the median home value is $327,400, versus $693,700 in California.
QWhich state is more densely populated - Arizona or California?
California is more densely populated at 240.4 per sq mi people per sq mi. Arizona is more spread out at 67.5 per sq mi people per sq mi.
Related comparisons
Methodology
Figures combine government datasets, named research sources, and clearly labeled derived scores. Dataset reviewed July 23, 2026.
Demographics & geography
2020 Census, American Community Survey, TIGER/Line Files, National Archives
Income, housing & cost of living
American Community Survey, BLS, BEA Regional Price Parities, and named market studies
Wages & energy
U.S. Department of Labor, AAA, U.S. EIA
Politics & law
NCSL, Giffords Law Center, NABCA
Data periods differ by metric. Open any individual comparison metric to see its primary source, data period, review date, and calculation note. Daily-changing fields such as gas prices are stored snapshots unless the page explicitly says a live feed is used.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — 2020 Census
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey
- U.S. Census Bureau — TIGER/Line Files
- National Archives
- BEA — Regional Price Parities
- BLS — State Labor Market Data
- NOAA — U.S. Climate Normals
- FBI — Crime Data Explorer
- FEMA — National Risk Index
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws
- AAA — Gas Prices
- U.S. Energy Information Administration — Electricity
- NCSL — State Partisan Composition
- Giffords Law Center — Annual Gun Law Scorecard
- NABCA
- NCSL — State Medical Cannabis Laws
See our editorial policy for how we review and update these pages.