Arizona vs California

Income Comparison

Arizona

California

How Arizona and California compare on income: median income, regional price parity, purchasing power of $100, and more.

Overview

Key differences

Median Income

California has a higher median household income than Arizona by $11,516.

Regional Price Parity

Arizona has a lower official price level than California.

Purchasing Power of $100

Arizona makes $100 go further than California by $12.

Poverty Rate

California has a lower poverty rate than Arizona.

Employment/Population Ratio

California has a higher employment/population ratio than Arizona.

Unemployment Rate

Arizona has a lower unemployment rate than California.

Metric	AZ	CA	Deep dive
Median Income Median household income in U.S. dollars.	$72,581	$84,097	Details ->
Regional Price Parity Official price level relative to the national average (100 = U.S. average).	99.2	113.4	Details ->
Purchasing Power of $100 Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.	$103.97	$92.31	Details ->
Poverty Rate Share of residents below the federal poverty line (ACS 2023).	12.4%	12.0%	Details ->
Employment/Population Ratio Employed civilian population as a share of the adult population (ACS 2023).	57.8%	60.2%	Details ->
Unemployment Rate Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).	4.3%	5.5%	Details ->
Job Growth Change in total nonfarm payroll employment from December 2024 to December 2025 (BLS).	0.8%	-0.1%	Details ->
Infant Childcare Cost Average annual cost of full-time infant daycare.	$15,625/yr	$21,945/yr	Details ->
Income Needed to Live Alone Estimated annual income a single adult needs to cover basic living costs in 2025.	$101,587/yr	$119,475/yr	Details ->