The Rational Moderate

State profile

California

20 official measures, each beside the U.S. value, with California’s rank among the 50 states and DC and its margin of error where the source publishes one. Rank 1 is the highest value; a rank says nothing on its own about better or worse. Select a measure to see every state.

marks a rank that is not statistically different from the next higher state, by the Census Bureau’s test at the 90 percent confidence level. Margins of error are 90 percent.

Each comparison with the U.S. value uses the same test wherever the source publishes a margin of error. A difference is stated only where the test confirms it or no test is possible; untested ones are marked. For life expectancy the U.S. figure comes from a separate NCHS report without a standard error, so that test uses the state’s alone. A state is part of the nation, so the two estimates are not fully independent, which the Census Bureau’s ACS handbook warns about. The test does not adjust for it, and allowing for it changes none of the comparisons shown.

People

  • Population

    July 1, 2025

    39,355,309

    U.S.
    341,784,857; California is 11.5% of the U.S. total.
    Rank
    1 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • Population growth

    July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025

    -0.02%

    U.S.
    +0.52%; California is 0.54 points lower than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    47 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • Median age

    July 1, 2025

    38.7 years

    U.S.
    39.4 years; California is 0.7 years lower than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    38 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

Income and output

  • Median household income

    2024

    $100,149

    plus or minus $381

    U.S.
    $81,604; California is $18,545 higher than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    6 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, Hawaii, or from the next lower state, New Hampshire.
    Price-adjusted
    $90,452, plus or minus $344: income divided by California’s 2024 regional price parity (110.7, U.S. = 100). Computed by this site, not published by Census or BEA, and not ranked.

  • Per capita personal income

    2025

    $90,957

    U.S.
    $77,028; California is $13,929 higher than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    6 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • Real per capita personal income

    2024

    $63,028

    U.S.
    $59,195; California is $3,833 higher than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    13 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • GDP per capita

    2025

    $109,196

    U.S.
    $90,294; California is $18,902 higher than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    6 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • Poverty rate

    2024

    11.80%

    plus or minus 0.18%

    U.S.
    12.15%; California is 0.35 points lower than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    22 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, Florida, or from the next lower state, Oregon.

Prices and housing

  • Price level (RPP)

    2024

    110.7

    U.S.
    100.0; California is 10.7 points higher than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    1 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • Median home value

    2024

    $759,500

    plus or minus $3,644

    U.S.
    $360,600; California is $398,900 higher than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    2 of 51. Statistically different from the states ranked just above and below.

  • Median gross rent

    2024

    $2,104

    plus or minus $9

    U.S.
    $1,487; California is $617 higher than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    1 of 51. Statistically different from the next lower state.

  • Rent burden

    2024

    55.81%

    plus or minus 0.58%

    U.S.
    51.77%; California is 4.04 points higher than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    3 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, Nevada, or from the next lower state, Hawaii.

  • Homeownership rate

    2024

    55.82%

    plus or minus 0.24%

    U.S.
    65.27%; California is 9.45 points lower than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    49 of 51. Statistically different from the states ranked just above and below.

  • Residential electricity price

    January to July 2026

    33.25 cents

    U.S.
    18.19 cents; California is 15.06 cents higher than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    2 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.
    July 2026
    33.61 cents in that month alone (U.S. 18.31 cents)

Average residential electricity price, cents per kilowatthour, California and the United States, 1990 to 2024

Cents per kilowatthour, nominal (not adjusted for inflation), all residential customers. From EIA’s annual survey of utilities.

5 cents10 cents15 cents20 cents25 cents30 cents1990200020102020
Data table
YearCaliforniaUnited States
19909.987.83
199110.798.04
199211.078.21
199311.308.32
199411.438.38
199511.618.40
199611.338.36
199711.508.43
199810.608.26
199910.648.16
200010.898.24
200112.098.58
200212.648.44
200312.238.72
200412.208.95
200512.519.45
200614.3310.40
200714.4210.65
200813.8111.26
200914.7411.51
201014.7511.54
201114.7811.72
201215.3411.88
201316.2312.13
201416.2512.52
201516.9912.65
201617.3912.55
201718.3112.89
201818.8412.87
201919.1513.01
202020.4513.15
202122.8213.66
202225.8415.04
202329.5116.00
202431.9716.48

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 historical state data (HS861). HS861 1990-2009.xlsx and HS861 2010-.xlsx, sheet Total Electric Industry, RESIDENTIAL Price · retrieved Oct. 2, 2026 · 35 rows · as of 2024 · annual. The CSV has every state since 1990. Download CSV

Work

  • Unemployment rate

    August 2026

    5.1%

    U.S.
    4.1%; California is 1.0 point higher than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    2 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

  • Labor force participation

    August 2026

    61.5%

    U.S.
    61.6%; California is 0.1 points lower than the U.S. value (not tested).
    Rank
    29 of 51. No margin of error is published, so the rank carries no test.

Unemployment rate, California and the United States, Sept. 2016 to Aug. 2026

Percent, seasonally adjusted. California: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (model-based). United States: the national rate from BLS’s Current Population Survey. BLS published no figure for Oct. 2025 (the 2025 lapse in appropriations); that month is shaded, the line joins the months on either side, and the table shows the gap.

0%5%10%15%20182020202220242026
  • Months with no BLS figure
Data table
MonthCaliforniaUnited States
Sept. 20165.55.0
Oct. 20165.54.9
Nov. 20165.44.7
Dec. 20165.44.7
Jan. 20175.34.7
Feb. 20175.14.6
March 20175.04.4
April 20175.04.4
May 20174.94.4
June 20174.84.3
July 20174.84.3
Aug. 20174.84.4
Sept. 20174.74.3
Oct. 20174.64.2
Nov. 20174.54.2
Dec. 20174.54.1
Jan. 20184.44.0
Feb. 20184.34.1
March 20184.34.0
April 20184.24.0
May 20184.23.8
June 20184.24.0
July 20184.23.8
Aug. 20184.23.8
Sept. 20184.23.7
Oct. 20184.33.8
Nov. 20184.33.8
Dec. 20184.33.9
Jan. 20194.34.0
Feb. 20194.33.8
March 20194.23.8
April 20194.13.7
May 20194.03.6
June 20194.03.6
July 20194.03.7
Aug. 20194.03.6
Sept. 20194.03.5
Oct. 20194.03.6
Nov. 20194.13.6
Dec. 20194.13.6
Jan. 20204.33.6
Feb. 20204.43.5
March 20205.54.4
April 202016.114.8
May 202015.813.2
June 202013.811.0
July 202013.110.2
Aug. 202011.88.4
Sept. 20209.97.8
Oct. 20209.36.9
Nov. 20209.06.7
Dec. 20209.06.7
Jan. 20218.76.4
Feb. 20218.66.2
March 20218.56.1
April 20218.46.1
May 20218.05.8
June 20217.95.9
July 20217.45.4
Aug. 20217.05.1
Sept. 20216.54.7
Oct. 20216.14.5
Nov. 20215.74.1
Dec. 20215.43.9
Jan. 20225.24.0
Feb. 20224.83.9
March 20224.53.7
April 20224.33.7
May 20224.13.6
June 20224.03.6
July 20223.93.5
Aug. 20223.83.6
Sept. 20224.03.5
Oct. 20224.13.6
Nov. 20224.33.6
Dec. 20224.43.5
Jan. 20234.43.5
Feb. 20234.53.6
March 20234.53.5
April 20234.53.4
May 20234.63.6
June 20234.63.6
July 20234.73.5
Aug. 20234.83.7
Sept. 20234.93.7
Oct. 20235.03.9
Nov. 20235.03.7
Dec. 20235.13.8
Jan. 20245.13.7
Feb. 20245.13.9
March 20245.23.9
April 20245.23.9
May 20245.23.9
June 20245.34.1
July 20245.44.2
Aug. 20245.44.2
Sept. 20245.44.1
Oct. 20245.44.1
Nov. 20245.44.2
Dec. 20245.44.1
Jan. 20255.44.0
Feb. 20255.44.2
March 20255.44.2
April 20255.44.2
May 20255.54.3
June 20255.54.1
July 20255.54.3
Aug. 20255.54.3
Sept. 20255.54.4
Oct. 2025no datano data
Nov. 20255.54.5
Dec. 20255.54.4
Jan. 20265.44.3
Feb. 20265.44.4
March 20265.34.3
April 20265.34.3
May 20265.34.3
June 20265.24.2
July 20265.14.1
Aug. 20265.14.1

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS); national column from the CPS via FRED. LASST<FIPS>0000000000003 for each state (column = USPS code); US = FRED UNRATE · retrieved Oct. 2, 2026 · 608 rows · as of August 2026 · monthly. The CSV has every state since January 1976. Download CSV

Labor force participation rate, California and the United States, Sept. 2016 to Aug. 2026

Percent, seasonally adjusted. California: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (model-based). United States: the national rate from BLS’s Current Population Survey. BLS published no figure for Oct. 2025 (the 2025 lapse in appropriations); that month is shaded, the line joins the months on either side, and the table shows the gap.

59%60%61%62%63%20182020202220242026
  • Months with no BLS figure
Data table
MonthCaliforniaUnited States
Sept. 201662.362.9
Oct. 201662.362.8
Nov. 201662.262.7
Dec. 201662.262.7
Jan. 201762.262.8
Feb. 201762.362.9
March 201762.362.9
April 201762.363.0
May 201762.362.8
June 201762.462.8
July 201762.462.9
Aug. 201762.362.9
Sept. 201762.363.1
Oct. 201762.262.7
Nov. 201762.262.7
Dec. 201762.162.7
Jan. 201862.162.7
Feb. 201862.263.0
March 201862.362.9
April 201862.362.9
May 201862.362.9
June 201862.363.0
July 201862.363.0
Aug. 201862.362.6
Sept. 201862.362.8
Oct. 201862.362.9
Nov. 201862.362.9
Dec. 201862.463.0
Jan. 201962.463.1
Feb. 201962.463.1
March 201962.363.0
April 201962.362.8
May 201962.362.9
June 201962.363.0
July 201962.363.1
Aug. 201962.463.1
Sept. 201962.563.2
Oct. 201962.663.3
Nov. 201962.763.3
Dec. 201962.863.3
Jan. 202062.963.3
Feb. 202063.063.3
March 202062.062.6
April 202060.060.1
May 202059.660.8
June 202061.161.5
July 202061.261.5
Aug. 202060.761.7
Sept. 202059.961.4
Oct. 202059.861.7
Nov. 202059.961.5
Dec. 202060.161.5
Jan. 202160.261.4
Feb. 202160.361.4
March 202160.661.5
April 202160.961.6
May 202161.061.6
June 202161.361.7
July 202161.361.8
Aug. 202161.461.7
Sept. 202161.361.7
Oct. 202161.461.8
Nov. 202161.561.9
Dec. 202161.762.0
Jan. 202261.862.2
Feb. 202261.862.3
March 202261.862.4
April 202261.862.2
May 202261.862.3
June 202261.762.2
July 202261.762.1
Aug. 202261.562.3
Sept. 202261.662.2
Oct. 202261.762.2
Nov. 202261.862.1
Dec. 202261.962.3
Jan. 202362.062.4
Feb. 202362.062.5
March 202362.162.6
April 202362.162.6
May 202362.262.6
June 202362.262.6
July 202362.262.6
Aug. 202362.262.8
Sept. 202362.262.7
Oct. 202362.262.6
Nov. 202362.262.8
Dec. 202362.262.5
Jan. 202462.262.5
Feb. 202462.162.6
March 202462.162.7
April 202462.162.6
May 202462.262.6
June 202462.362.6
July 202462.362.7
Aug. 202462.362.7
Sept. 202462.362.7
Oct. 202462.362.5
Nov. 202462.362.4
Dec. 202462.362.5
Jan. 202562.362.6
Feb. 202562.362.5
March 202562.362.5
April 202562.362.6
May 202562.462.4
June 202562.462.3
July 202562.462.2
Aug. 202562.562.3
Sept. 202562.562.5
Oct. 2025no datano data
Nov. 202562.662.5
Dec. 202562.662.4
Jan. 202662.562.1
Feb. 202662.462.0
March 202662.361.9
April 202662.161.8
May 202662.061.8
June 202661.861.5
July 202661.661.4
Aug. 202661.561.6

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS); national column from the CPS via FRED. LASST<FIPS>0000000000008 for each state (column = USPS code); US = FRED CIVPART · retrieved Oct. 2, 2026 · 608 rows · as of August 2026 · monthly. The CSV has every state since January 1976. Download CSV

Health and education

  • Life expectancy

    2022

    79.3 years

    plus or minus 0.04 years

    U.S.
    77.5 years; California is 1.8 years higher than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    6 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, Connecticut, or from the next lower state, Minnesota.

  • Uninsured rate

    2024

    5.94%

    plus or minus 0.08%

    U.S.
    8.20%; California is 2.26 points lower than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    35 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, North Dakota, or from the next lower state, Pennsylvania.

  • Bachelor's degree or higher

    2024

    38.12%

    plus or minus 0.21%

    U.S.
    36.85%; California is 1.27 points higher than the U.S. value.
    Rank
    16 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, Rhode Island, or from the next lower state, Oregon.

Civic participation

  • Voter turnout (self-reported)

    Nov. 5, 2024 general election

    64.7%

    plus or minus 1.6%

    U.S.
    65.3%; California is not statistically different from the U.S. value (its estimate is 0.6 points lower).
    Rank
    34 of 51. Not statistically different from the next higher state, Tennessee, or from the next lower state, North Carolina.

Sources and data

Every figure on this page, with its source, period and the CSV behind it (all 50 states and DC, with ranks and the test). Retrieved Oct. 2, 2026.

  1. Population, July 1, 2025: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. CSV
  2. Population growth, July 1, 2024 to July 1, 2025: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025. CSV
  3. Median age, July 1, 2025: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025 (SC-EST2025-AGESEX). CSV
  4. Median household income, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  5. Median home value, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  6. Median gross rent, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  7. Poverty rate, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  8. Rent burden, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  9. Homeownership rate, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  10. Uninsured rate, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  11. Bachelor's degree or higher, 2024: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, table-based Summary File. CSV
  12. Price level (RPP), 2024: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by State (SARPP). CSV
  13. Real per capita personal income, 2024: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Real Personal Income by State (SARPI). CSV
  14. Per capita personal income, 2025: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, State Annual Personal Income (SAINC1). CSV
  15. GDP per capita, 2025: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP by State (SAGDP1), and U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population. CSV
  16. Unemployment rate, August 2026: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). CSV
  17. Labor force participation, August 2026: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). CSV
  18. Life expectancy, 2022: National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. State Life Tables, 2022 (National Vital Statistics Reports Vol. 74, No. 12). CSV
  19. Residential electricity price, January to July 2026: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Tables 5.6.B and 5.6.A. CSV
  20. Voter turnout (self-reported), Nov. 5, 2024 general election: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, November 2024 Voting and Registration Supplement, Table 4a. CSV
  21. Unemployment rate by state, monthly, January 1976 to August 2026: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS); national column from the CPS via FRED. CSV
  22. Labor force participation rate by state, monthly, January 1976 to August 2026: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS); national column from the CPS via FRED. CSV
  23. Average residential electricity price by state, annual, 1990 to 2024: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 historical state data (HS861). CSV