California vs New York

New York is cheaper overall, while $100 goes further in California, California has higher incomes, New York has lower state income tax, and California gets more sunshine.

California flag
California
CA · West
16 / 32
metrics won
VS
New York flag
New York
NY · Northeast
16 / 32
metrics won
NY wins Housing NY wins Quality of Life CA wins Climate CA wins Income NY wins Demographics NY wins Taxes
Continue with the moving guides: Living in California Living in New York All 50 states State Match
CA 16
16 NY

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Your match

It's close between these two

California and New York split the 32 scored metrics roughly evenly — pick a priority below to see who pulls ahead where it matters to you.

Run the numbers

What's your salary really worth?

California

After state tax
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Housing / month
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Left after housing
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Cost-adjusted remainder
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New York

After state tax
—
Housing / month
—
Left after housing
—
Cost-adjusted remainder
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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
Sacramento vs Albany
State Color
Solid Blue vs Solid Blue
Population
39,345,844
20,003,435
Median Income
$84,097
$78,609
Cost of Living
138.5
132.7
Median Housing Value
$693,700
$367,200
Property Tax
0.70%
1.55%
State Income Tax
13.30%
10.90%
Minimum Wage
$16.50/hr
$16.50/hr
Gas Price
$5.929/gal
$4.069/gal
Electricity Rates
30.29 c/kWh
28.37 c/kWh
Livability Score
50.49
57.94
Average Temperature
59.4°F
45.4°F
Sunny Days
146 days
63 days
Land Area
163,696 sq mi
54,555 sq mi
Population Density
240.4 per sq mi
366.7 per sq mi
Statehood
September 9, 1850 (#31)
July 26, 1788 (#11)

Tradeoffs

Pros and cons for each state

The biggest advantages and drawbacks pulled from affordability, housing, income, taxes, safety, health, education, jobs, and weather.

California flag

California

Pros

  • California shows higher median income.
  • California has lower property tax rates on average.
  • California has more sunny days.

Cons

  • California has a higher overall cost of living.
  • California has a higher housing cost index.
  • California has higher median home values.
  • California has a higher violent crime rate.
  • California job growth trend is weaker.
  • California health access/outcomes proxy is lower.
New York flag

New York

Pros

  • New York has a lower overall cost of living.
  • New York has a lower housing cost index.
  • New York has lower median home values.
  • New York has a lower violent crime rate.
  • New York job growth trend is stronger.
  • New York health access/outcomes proxy is higher.

Cons

  • New York shows lower median income.
  • New York has higher property tax rates on average.
  • New York has fewer sunny days.

People also ask

California vs New York — common questions

QIs California cheaper to live in than New York?

New York has the lower cost of living. On the national index (100 = average), New York scores 132.7 versus 138.5 for California - a gap of 5.8 points.

QWhere does $100 go further - California or New York?

$100 goes further in California. After BEA regional price adjustments, $100 is worth about $92.31 in California, compared with $88.30 in New York.

QWhich state is bigger - California or New York?

California is larger, covering 163,696 sq mi compared with 54,555 sq mi for New York - roughly 3.0x the size.

QDoes California or New York have more people?

California has the larger population at 39,345,844, compared with 20,003,435 in New York.

QWhich state has higher household income - California or New York?

California has the higher median household income at $84,097, versus $78,609 in New York.

QWhich state has lower income taxes - California or New York?

New York has the lower state income tax top rate at 10.90%, compared with 13.30% in California.

QIs housing cheaper in California or New York?

Homes are cheaper in New York, where the median home value is $367,200, versus $693,700 in California.

QWhich state is more densely populated - California or New York?

New York is more densely populated at 366.7 per sq mi people per sq mi. California is more spread out at 240.4 per sq mi people per sq mi.

Related comparisons

Alaska flag Alaska vs New York Arizona flag Arizona vs New York California flag California vs Connecticut California flag California vs Maine

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.

See our editorial policy for how we review and update these pages.