California
CA • West
Quality of Life Score
50.49
State Comparison
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
15
/ 30
metrics won
Score
VS
Tie
New York
15
/ 30
metrics won
NY wins Housing
NY wins Quality of Life
CA wins Climate
CA wins Income
Quality of Life
Composite score — income, affordability, education, health, and safety.
California
vs
New York
winner
New York scores higher on quality of life — 7.45 points difference.
Overview
Key differences overview
These cards keep the comparison factual first, so the biggest tradeoffs in affordability, housing, taxes, politics, climate, and day-to-day living are easy to scan.
Overall Affordability
New York is 5.8 points cheaper overall
New York has the lower cost-of-living index. New York is at 132.7, while California is at 138.5.
View detailed comparison
Real Dollar Value
$100 goes $4.01 further in California
After BEA price-level adjustments, $100 has about $92.31 of local buying power in California, versus $88.30 in New York.
View detailed comparison
Income
California income is 7.0% higher
California has the higher median household income at $84,097, compared with $78,609 in New York.
View detailed comparison
Jobs
New York has the higher minimum wage
New York has the higher statewide minimum wage at $16.50/hr, compared with $16.50/hr in California.
View detailed comparison
Housing
California homes cost about 1.9x more
New York has the lower median home value at $367,200, versus $693,700 in California.
View detailed comparison
Taxes
New York has lower state income tax
New York has the lower state income tax rate. Its top rate is 10.90%, compared with 13.30% in California.
View detailed comparisonTake-Home Calculator
What's Your Salary Really Worth?
Enter your gross income to see real purchasing power and the cost-of-living equivalent in both states.
$
$10k$250k$500k
California
- Gross salary
- —
- State income tax (top rate 13.3%)
- —
- After state tax
- —
- Real buying power (BEA RPP)
- —
New York
- Gross salary
- —
- State income tax (top rate 10.9%)
- —
- After state tax
- —
- Real buying power (BEA RPP)
- —
Cost-of-Living Equivalent
—
* "After state tax" uses the top marginal rate — actual effective rate is lower for most incomes. Real buying power uses BEA Regional Price Parity (113.4 for California, 114.8 for New York). COL equivalent uses the MERIC/C2ER composite index.
Tradeoffs
Pros and cons for each state
A fast scan of the biggest advantages and drawbacks pulled from affordability, housing, income, taxes, safety, health, education, jobs, and weather.
California
At-a-glance strengths and tradeoffs
Pros: California
- 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
At-a-glance strengths and tradeoffs
Pros: New York
- 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.
Full Comparison
Pick a category to focus on. General shows the most important facts at a glance.
| Metric |
CA
|
NY
|
|---|---|---|
|
Capital City
|
Sacramento | Albany |
|
State Color
|
Solid Blue | Solid Blue |
|
Population
|
39,538,223
|
20,201,249
|
|
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
|
241.5 per sq mi
|
370.3 per sq mi
|
|
Statehood
|
September 9, 1850 (#31)
|
July 26, 1788 (#11)
|
Intent-Oriented
Which state fits your priorities better?
Use these cards as decision shortcuts for common goals like saving money, buying a home, finding better weather, or optimizing for work and family life.
6
of
15
shown
Saving Money
New York is cheaper overall
Overall cost-of-living index: 132.7 vs 138.5 in California. On a national baseline of 100, the lower score usually means cheaper day-to-day expenses.
See full data
Gas Price
New York is cheaper at the pump
Average regular gas price: $4.069/gal in New York vs $5.929/gal in California. Lower pump prices can cut everyday driving costs.
See full data
Electricity Rates
New York has cheaper electricity
Average residential electricity rate: 28.37 c/kWh in New York vs 30.29 c/kWh in California. Lower cents-per-kWh pricing can help keep utility bills down.
See full data
Buying a Home
New York is more attainable for buyers
Home-value-to-income ratio: 4.67x in New York vs 8.25x in California. A lower ratio means the median home is easier to afford on a median income.
See full data
Renting
New York is easier for renters
Rent-to-income ratio: 24.1% in New York vs 26.5% in California. A lower percentage means rent takes a smaller bite out of a typical household budget.
See full data
Property Tax
California has lower property taxes
Effective property tax rate: 0.70% in California vs 1.55% in New York. A lower rate usually means a smaller yearly tax bill relative to home value.
See full dataExplore by Category
Dive Deeper
Each link opens a full one-on-one breakdown for that metric — national rankings, charts, and context.
Population
California has a larger population than New York by 19,336,974 people.
Population Density
New York is more densely populated than California.
Bachelor's Degree
New York has a higher college-educated share than California.
Advanced Degree
New York has a higher advanced-degree share than California.
People Also Ask
California vs New York - Common Questions
Q Is 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.
Q Where 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.
Q Which 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.
Q Does California or New York have more people?
California has the larger population at 39,538,223, compared with 20,201,249 in New York.
Q Which 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.
Q Which 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.
Q Is 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.
Q Which state is more densely populated - California or New York?
New York is more densely populated at 370.3 per sq mi people per sq mi. California is more spread out at 241.5 per sq mi people per sq mi.
Related Comparisons
Methodology
All figures are sourced from U.S. government datasets and updated annually. Page last updated: April 2026.
Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files and statehood dates from the National Archives. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker. See our editorial policy for how we review and update these pages.