California vs Texas

Income Comparison

California

Texas

How California and Texas 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 Texas by $17,134.

Regional Price Parity

Texas has a lower official price level than California.

Purchasing Power of $100

Texas makes $100 go further than California by $17.

Poverty Rate

California has a lower poverty rate than Texas.

Employment/Population Ratio

Texas has a higher employment/population ratio than California.

Unemployment Rate

Texas has a lower unemployment rate than California.

Metric	CA	TX	Deep dive
Median Income Median household income in U.S. dollars.	$84,097	$66,963	Details ->
Regional Price Parity Official price level relative to the national average (100 = U.S. average).	113.4	97.2	Details ->
Purchasing Power of $100 Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.	$92.31	$109.17	Details ->
Poverty Rate Share of residents below the federal poverty line (ACS 2023).	12.0%	13.7%	Details ->
Employment/Population Ratio Employed civilian population as a share of the adult population (ACS 2023).	60.2%	62.6%	Details ->
Unemployment Rate Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).	5.5%	4.3%	Details ->
Job Growth Change in total nonfarm payroll employment from December 2024 to December 2025 (BLS).	-0.1%	0.9%	Details ->
Infant Childcare Cost Average annual cost of full-time infant daycare.	$21,945/yr	$10,706/yr	Details ->
Income Needed to Live Alone Estimated annual income a single adult needs to cover basic living costs in 2025.	$119,475/yr	$90,771/yr	Details ->