placestats

California

Population39.2m
Counties58county-level areas on the 2024 Census map
Density97.2people per km² of land
Median household income$96,33490th percentile of states

How it has changed

The state’s own figures from 2010 to 2024. A measure published for only one year shows as a single point instead of a line.

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The state figure, and the range across its counties

The state figure is the one its own agency publishes. It is never an average of the counties. You cannot average medians (middle values) to get a new median, and a rate has to be worked out again from the added-up counts. The county range next to it shows what a single state number has to hide.

Sometimes fewer counties report than the state has. The missing ones were held back because their counts were too small to publish — mostly deaths. A range from only part of the state is not the state’s full range. It can even sit entirely above or below the state figure. So the number of counties reporting is shown next to it.

You can sort by any column. 47 of these 185 measures have a clear better end, and those are ranked best first. For example, the lowest infant death rate is first place, and so is the highest life expectancy. The rest have no better end, so they are ranked highest first, and the cell says “highest” instead of “best”. A state is not winning or losing by how much of its tax comes from severance taxes (taxes on oil, gas and minerals taken from the ground).

Alcohol-involved share of driving deaths0.256%19th best of 510.0838%0.302%0.545%54
Always wears a seatbelt96.33rd best of 49————
Arrivals per 100 people staying1.3551st highest of 512.424.9310.758
Arrivals per 100 staying, $200,000 or more1.1251st highest of 51————
Arthritis21.43rd best of 46————
Binge drinking1510th best of 49————
Births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 5048.441st highest of 5232.35198.149
Black Protestant adherents1.2528th highest of 5100.34.6758
Black-white residential segregation59.234th highest of 5136.855.884.852
Business closing rate10.38th highest of 517.179.7319.258
Business opening rate11.412th highest of 51010.714.658
Catholic adherents26.28th highest of 51021.175.458
Checkup in the past year73.537th highest of 49————
Child mortality38.28th best of 5125.242.715947
Child poverty rate, ages 0-1715%27th best of 516.1%15.7%29.5%58
Children in single-parent households0.225%31st highest of 510.147%0.221%0.311%55
Congregations per 10,000 people5.9650th highest of 5107.0130.958
Current asthma8.716th best of 47————
Current smoking9.242nd best of 49————
Departures per 100 people staying2.0446th highest of 513.065.3111.858
Departures per 100 staying, $200,000 or more1.9242nd highest of 51————
Depression175th best of 49————
Diabetes14.430th best of 45————
Difficulty concentrating or deciding13.418th best of 49————
Difficulty running errands alone7.5924th best of 46————
Difficulty walking or climbing stairs14.923rd best of 47————
Disability-free score-0.02921st highest of 47-1.310.2381.5758
Drug overdose deaths26.118th best of 5116.727.886.452
Effective general sales tax rate2.3728th highest of 51————
Effective individual income tax rate3.0311th highest of 51————
Effective property tax rate0.70835th highest of 520.5390.7040.91257
Effective property tax rate on income2.9121st highest of 51————
Evangelical Protestant adherents8.9741st highest of 5108.1624.458
Fair or poor health21.141st best of 49————
Fine particulate matter12.651st best of 517.912.639.158
Firearm fatalities8.387th best of 513.859.8930.551
Firearm share of suicides, standardised77.444th highest of 5137.284.811553
Firearm suicide rate4.1144th highest of 511.665.2920.153
Flu vaccination among Medicare enrollees0.44%39th best of 510.16%0.405%0.56%58
Gini index of income inequality0.48947th best of 520.40.4640.52858
Has health insurance92.321st highest of 49————
Health score0.5511th highest of 49-0.6210.3381.4758
High blood pressure31.713th best of 49————
High cholesterol36.838th best of 49————
High school graduation0.868%22nd best of 480.486%0.877%0.949%56
Homeownership rate55.8%50th highest of 5238.5%63.1%84.4%58
Homicide rate5.3223rd best of 511.665.741248
Homicide rate, annual5.0630th highest of 512.365.259.8626
How much faster the top bracket arrives than everyone else-0.11426th highest of 51————
Income gap between arrivals and departures$-7,52241st highest of 51$-56,520$3,599$68,18058
Infant mortality4.125th best of 511.574.357.7744
Injury deaths62.92nd best of 5143.973.631258
Life expectancy79.4 years3rd best of 5173.1 years78.2 years93.5 years57
Mainline Protestant adherents1.449th highest of 5101.333.4258
Material security score0.068333rd highest of 51-0.890.1581.0958
Mean adjusted gross income per return$110,9706th best of 51$54,350$79,380$237,00058
Mean income of arriving households$95,7145th highest of 51$44,660$72,650$234,80058
Mean income of departing households$103,2407th highest of 51$45,080$71,960$197,20058
Mean travel time to work29 min47th best of 5215.8 min26.6 min36.1 min58
Median age37.6 years41st highest of 5231.8 years39.5 years56 years58
Median gross rent$1,9561st highest of 52$818$1,560$2,89356
Median home value$695,4003rd highest of 52$212,000$454,000$1,494,00058
Median household income$96,3346th best of 52$53,500$80,700$159,70058
Median household income (model-based)$95,4737th best of 51$52,000$81,170$154,60058
Median property tax bill4,9268th highest of 521,4453,17210,00058
Meets aerobic guidelines61.920th best of 49————
Membership organisations6.1748th best of 5106.111.458
Millionaire returns as a share of all returns0.7185th highest of 52————
Millionaires' share of all income19.59th highest of 52————
Motor vehicle crash deaths10.919th best of 514.5616.248.855
Net business formation rate1.1522nd highest of 51-10.61.045.3258
Net domestic migration rate-8.7950th highest of 51————
Net migration per 100 people staying-0.69248th highest of 51-7.35-0.4651.6658
Net migration per 100 staying, $200,000 or more-0.80347th highest of 51————
Obesity285th best of 49————
Orthodox Christian adherents0.557th highest of 5100.11.1758
Other religion adherents6.4114th highest of 5105.7815.458
People per tax return219th highest of 5122258
Per capita income$47,97711th best of 52$22,700$40,590$90,41058
Per capita personal income$81,1967th best of 51$38,480$60,990$180,70058
Poverty rate12%27th best of 526.49%12.6%20.3%57
Poverty rate (model-based)12%28th best of 516.5%12.8%20.8%58
Premature mortality3349th best of 511954021,05358
Preventable hospital stays2,25715th best of 519682,1024,03258
Private job growth0.13852nd highest of 52-4.70.50529.958
Religious adherents44.834th highest of 51038.686.358
Republican share of the two-party vote, 202439.646th highest of 5116.250.977.758
Returns claiming charitable contributions11.8%3rd highest of 512.7%7.84%22.6%58
Returns claiming the earned income credit13.8%22nd highest of 515.42%14.2%31.7%58
Returns reporting capital gains20.5%15th highest of 513.72%17.7%43.9%58
Returns reporting unemployment compensation5.75%4th highest of 513.76%5.64%19.8%58
Safety score0.684th highest of 51-2.490.3191.1653
Share aged 65 and over15.3%46th highest of 5210.6%16.9%34.5%58
Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic0.274%25th highest of 510%0.311%24.6%53
Share Asian, not Hispanic15.1%2nd highest of 520%4.95%39.3%54
Share Black, not Hispanic5.29%30th highest of 520%1.93%12.6%51
Share divorced9%48th highest of 526.81%10.2%27.3%58
Share foreign-born26.7%1st highest of 523.56%19.6%41%56
Share Hispanic or Latino, any race39.8%3rd highest of 525.89%27.1%85.6%58
Share in the same house a year ago87.9%10th highest of 5180.5%87.4%92.8%58
Share Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, not Hispanic0.339%8th highest of 490%0.278%1.09%43
Share never married37.8%4th highest of 5221.7%34.6%45.6%58
Share now married48.4%42nd highest of 5237.9%49.6%59.2%58
Share of births to unmarried women30.1%27th highest of 520%31.5%100%44
Share of some other race, not Hispanic0.535%15th highest of 520%0.494%1.09%36
Share of suicides by firearm37.6%44th highest of 5117.4%45.2%65.4%53
Share of taxes from alcohol0.12144th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from corporate income8.6114th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from corporation licences0.02442nd highest of 51————
Share of taxes from death and gift0.000123rd highest of 51————
Share of taxes from gambling051st highest of 51————
Share of taxes from general sales and gross receipts21.732nd highest of 51————
Share of taxes from individual income27.714th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from insurance premiums1.0636th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from licences5.812th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from motor fuel2.4928th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from motor vehicle licences2.359th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from occupation and business licences2.337th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from other taxes1.6324th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from property26.628th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from property transfer0.35223rd highest of 51————
Share of taxes from public utilities1.5312th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from selective sales7.9442nd highest of 51————
Share of taxes from severance0.040526th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from sports betting and pari-mutuels0.0055935th highest of 51————
Share of taxes from tobacco0.4741st highest of 51————
Share of two or more races, not Hispanic4.09%19th highest of 520.797%4.42%7.83%56
Share separated1.83%14th highest of 521.12%1.76%3.63%51
Share White, not Hispanic34.6%50th highest of 529.42%49%88.8%58
Share widowed4.74%47th highest of 523.59%5.13%8.54%56
Share with a bachelor's degree or higher36.5%16th best of 5213.2%25%60.5%58
State income tax as a share of income3.038th highest of 50————
State taxes as a share of income6.8417th highest of 50————
Suicide rate10.48th best of 515.712.131.152
Top state income tax rate13.3%1st highest of 50————
Total tax burden10.913th highest of 51————
Two weeks of poor mental health15.110th best of 49————
Two weeks of poor physical health12.422nd best of 47————
Unemployment rate4.72%49th best of 523.1%5.1%17.6%58
Vacancy rate7.55%49th highest of 523.5%10%70.2%58
Went without care over cost11.325th best of 49————
Years of potential life lost6,74410th best of 514,0068,05713,49056
Aggregate travel time to work449,200,000 min1st highest of 5217,940 min1,612,000 min122,900,000 min58
Business establishments903,3601st highest of 51294,090257,40058
Business establishments closed92,1251st highest of 51334128,20058
Business establishments opened102,4001st highest of 51037531,14058
Employed18,594,0001st highest of 5237879,7104,808,00058
Foreign-born population10,480,0001st highest of 5256931,1103,285,00056
Gross domestic product$3,827,000,000k1st highest of 51$113,900k$12,010,000k$956,200,000k58
Housing units14,533,0001st highest of 521,58780,6503,624,00058
Labour force19,515,0001st highest of 5241283,4305,065,00058
Millionaire tax returns132,7201st highest of 52————
Net domestic migration-344,03051st highest of 51————
Occupied housing units13,435,0001st highest of 5247373,6003,390,00058
Owner-occupied housing units7,494,8001st highest of 5238343,0701,562,00058
People covered by a tax return34,456,0001st highest of 51810170,7008,296,00058
People in households earning $200,000 or more who did not move4,705,5001st highest of 51————
People who did not move30,215,0001st highest of 51694148,7007,351,00058
Personal income$3,182,800,000k1st highest of 51$88,360k$12,330,000k$766,300,000k58
Population39,199,0001st highest of 511,126186,5009,732,00058
Population38,965,0001st highest of 511,141186,3009,663,00058
Population (firearm measures)37,105,0001st highest of 5115,210206,1009,449,00053
Population (WONDER)38,965,0001st highest of 51134,000805,0009,663,00026
Population aged 15 and over32,065,0001st highest of 521,395155,4008,158,00058
Population aged 25 and over26,941,0001st highest of 521,178129,6006,912,00058
Population aged 65 and over5,994,5001st highest of 5236931,3301,449,00058
Population below the poverty line4,610,6001st highest of 5220927,4201,322,00057
Population below the poverty line4,597,7001st highest of 5117725,5201,300,00058
Population for whom poverty status is determined38,529,0001st highest of 521,695184,6009,693,00058
Population for whom poverty status is determined38,314,0001st highest of 511,135185,1009,489,00058
Population in the same house one year ago34,505,0001st highest of 511,404164,8008,838,00058
Population with a bachelor's degree or higher9,834,4001st highest of 5249634,4702,452,00058
Population, decennial census39,538,0001st highest of 511,204186,70010,010,00058
Presidential votes cast, 202415,865,0001st highest of 5173887,6503,728,00058
Private jobs15,460,0001st highest of 5227259,3203,897,00058
State and local tax collections$347,530,000k1st highest of 51————
State individual income tax collected$96,379,000k1st highest of 50————
State tax collected, all taxes$217,710,000k1st highest of 50————
Tax returns filed18,482,0001st highest of 5148088,4604,664,00058
Total population39,243,0001st highest of 521,695186,9009,848,00058
Unemployed921,0001st highest of 52344,748256,50058
Vacant housing units1,097,8003rd highest of 526918,467233,80058
Women aged 15 to 509,463,9001st highest of 5234439,6802,461,00058
Women who gave birth in the past year458,4301st highest of 521622,707105,20049
Workers aged 16 and over who commute15,498,0001st highest of 5257568,7303,991,00058

Links inside California

These are the site’s strongest pairs nationwide, worked out again using only this state’s counties. The r column shows how closely two measures rise and fall together, from −1 (opposite) to +1 (in step); 0 means no link. A link that shows up nationally but disappears inside every state is really about differences between states. A link that also holds here is not.

These figures are before adjusting for anything. Unlike the national figures, they do not take out population density, income or education.

Pairr within CAcounties
Median age × Share aged 65 and overInside California, where Median age is higher, Share aged 65 and over tends to be higher: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.+0.9758
Self-care disability × Material security scoreInside California, where Self-care disability is higher, Material security score tends to be lower: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.-0.8958
Stroke × Material security scoreInside California, where Stroke is higher, Material security score tends to be lower: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.-0.9058
Food insecurity × Returns claiming the earned income creditInside California, where Food insecurity is higher, Returns claiming the earned income credit tends to be higher: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.+0.9158
Lack of reliable transportation × Returns claiming the earned income creditInside California, where Lack of reliable transportation is higher, Returns claiming the earned income credit tends to be higher: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.+0.9358
Vision disability × Material security scoreInside California, where Vision disability is higher, Material security score tends to be lower: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.-0.8458
Housing insecurity × Returns claiming the earned income creditInside California, where Housing insecurity is higher, Returns claiming the earned income credit tends to be higher: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.+0.9058
Received food stamps × Material security scoreInside California, where Received food stamps is higher, Material security score tends to be lower: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.-0.9158
Self-care disability × Returns claiming the earned income creditInside California, where Self-care disability is higher, Returns claiming the earned income credit tends to be higher: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.+0.9458
Vision disability × Returns claiming the earned income creditInside California, where Vision disability is higher, Returns claiming the earned income credit tends to be higher: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.+0.9258
Fair or poor self-rated health × Material security scoreInside California, where Fair or poor self-rated health is higher, Material security score tends to be lower: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.-0.8558
Independent-living disability × Material security scoreInside California, where Independent-living disability is higher, Material security score tends to be lower: a strong link across 58 counties, before adjusting for anything.-0.8858

What this state is divided into

58 county-level areas, largest first. Each one is compared with its peers — the counties across the country most like it — not with the rest of this state.

Los Angeles County · San Diego County · Orange County · Riverside County · San Bernardino County · Santa Clara County · Alameda County · Sacramento County · Contra Costa County · Fresno County · Kern County · Ventura County · San Francisco County · San Joaquin County · San Mateo County · Stanislaus County · Sonoma County · Tulare County · Solano County · Santa Barbara County · Monterey County · Placer County · Merced County · San Luis Obispo County · Santa Cruz County · Marin County · Yolo County · Butte County · El Dorado County · Shasta County · Imperial County · Madera County · Kings County · Napa County · Humboldt County · Nevada County · Sutter County · Mendocino County · Yuba County · Lake County · San Benito County · Tehama County · Tuolumne County · Calaveras County · Siskiyou County · Amador County · Lassen County · Glenn County · Del Norte County · Colusa County · Plumas County · Inyo County · Mariposa County · Trinity County · Mono County · Modoc County · Sierra County · Alpine County