Income

California vs New York: Purchasing Power of $100

$100 goes further in California: about $92.31 in local buying power versus $88.30 in New York, a $4.01 gap.

California flag
California
CA · West
Winner
$92.31
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
New York flag
New York
NY · Northeast
$88.30
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.

Visual comparison

California$92.31
New York$88.30

Difference: $4 — California leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for purchasing power of $100.

California #48 · $92.31
New York #49 · $88.30
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Purchasing Power of $100

#1 Mississippi flag Mississippi
$116.01
#2 Alabama flag Alabama
$114.62
#3 Oklahoma flag Oklahoma
$113.65
#4 Arkansas flag Arkansas
$113.40
#5 Kansas flag Kansas
$113.09
#6 West Virginia flag West Virginia
$112.73
#7 Missouri flag Missouri
$112.21
#8 Iowa flag Iowa
$111.93
#9 Tennessee flag Tennessee
$111.32
#10 South Dakota flag South Dakota
$111.28
Selected states
#48 California flag California
$92.31
#49 New York flag New York
$88.30

California ranks 48th and New York ranks 49th nationally for purchasing power of $100.

Safety Context

Purchasing Power of $100 in context

Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.

Real Dollar Value

California stretches $100 further

A national-average $100 buys about $92.31 of local goods and services in California, compared with $88.30 in New York.

BEA Price Index

California has the lower official price level

BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in California (113.4) than in New York (114.8), which is why the same cash buys more there.

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Income Check

California has the higher median income

Purchasing power does not replace income. California has a median household income of $84,097, versus $78,609 in New York.

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Living Costs

New York also looks cheaper on the cost index

New York's cost-of-living index is 132.7, compared with 138.5 in the other state.

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Related pages

What this means

California vs New York: Purchasing Power of $100 in context

California's purchasing power of $100 is $92.31, compared with $88.30 in New York. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.

California
$92.31
New York
$88.30
Difference
$4

People also ask

California vs New York Purchasing Power of $100 — common questions

QWhat is California's purchasing power of $100?

California's purchasing power of $100 is $92.31.

QWhat is New York's purchasing power of $100?

New York's purchasing power of $100 is $88.30.

QWhich state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — California or New York?

$100 goes further in California: about $92.31 in local buying power versus $88.30 in New York, a $4.01 gap.

More comparisons: California vs New York

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Data source and freshness

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.