What it costs to live here, and how good a place it is to live, in plain numbers.
Best place to live rank
#44
44th out of 50 states overall.
Among the weaker states for overall quality of life.
How we rank states ›Cost to live here
#49
49th cheapest state, about 53% above average.
To live the way $75,000 affords in an average state, you would need about $115,000 here.
How we measure cost ›California ranks 44th of 50 states for overall quality of life and 49th for affordability. It does best on climate, dog friendly, and green space, and struggles most with safety, cost, and air quality. A typical household earns about $96,900 a year, and the cost of living runs about 53% above average.
Our Best Life Rank scores every state on the things that shape daily life, from cost and climate to schools and safety. Here is how California scores on each, best to worst.
Each factor is ranked 1 (best) to 50 (worst) across all states. Green is strong, yellow is middling, red is weak.
Typical household income
$96,900
7th highest
Typical home price
$765,000
2nd highest
Overall cost of living
53% above average
49th cheapest
Total taxes on a typical household
About 16%
1st highest income tax
Typical commute
About 30 min
one way
Enter your salary and get your actual paycheck after California taxes.
Calculate my take-home pay ›