Moving to California: Cost of Living, Housing & More
Compare verified statewide housing, income, work, commuting, taxes and price-level data before choosing a city or neighborhood.
Compare California With Your StateCalifornia Quick Takeaways
These are statewide benchmarks. Your actual move depends on the city, household, housing choice, job, taxes and other local costs.
California at a Glance
| Statistic | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,287,377 | 336,806,231 |
| Median household income | $99,122 | $80,610 |
| Per-capita income | $49,513 | $44,321 |
| Median home value | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Homeownership | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Poverty rate | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Unemployment | 5.3% | 4.0% |
| Labor-force participation | 63.8% | 63.3% |
| Bachelor's degree+ | 37.1% | 36.2% |
| Uninsured | 6.6% | 8.0% |
| Mean commute | 30.5 min | 27.2 min |
| BEA overall price level | 110.7 | 100.0 |
| BEA goods price level | 106.1 | 100.0 |
| BEA housing-rent price level | 154.3 | 100.0 |
| BEA utilities price level | 158.9 | 100.0 |
| BEA other-services price level | 102.6 | 100.0 |
Cost of Living in California
BEA's 2024 overall Regional Price Parity is 110.7, where the national price level equals 100.
Housing in California
Median home value is $734,700, median gross rent is $2,036, and homeownership is 55.9%.
Income & Jobs
Median household income is $99,122. The 2024 annual-average unemployment rate is 5.3%.
Education & Health Coverage
Bachelor's degree or higher: 37.1%. Uninsured: 6.6%.
Commute
Statewide mean commute: 30.5 min. Use local commute data for a specific metro or neighborhood.
Use This Guide With Your Move Plan
Compare California with your current state, then use the moving calculators and checklist for a household-specific plan.
Taxes, Climate & New-Resident Tasks in California
2026 State Tax Context
Graduated individual income tax; top marginal rate 13.3%.
State sales tax: 7.25%. Population-weighted average combined state/local sales tax: 9.03%.
Marginal rates are not effective tax rates and do not estimate your personal tax bill. Local income taxes, deductions, credits, filing status and taxable-income definitions can materially change results.
Climate Baseline
OSG uses NOAA/NCEI's 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals as the climate baseline. Climate comparisons will use location/station normals rather than inventing one statewide temperature.
Driver License & Vehicle Registration
Deadlines and requirements differ by destination state. Use the official state motor-vehicle service before relying on a deadline.
Voter Registration After a Move
If you move permanently to another state, update/register in the new state and check its deadline.
Provider status: Tax context: 2026. Climate baseline: NOAA 1991–2020. Regulatory links: official government directories. Last verified 2026-09-21.
Migration & Jobs in California
Bottom line: Migration and career data answer different questions. Census migration estimates show population movement, while BLS OEWS measures employment and wages by occupation; OSG keeps them separate and shows the source period for each.
2025 Migration Trend
| Net domestic migration | -229,077 |
|---|---|
| Domestic migration rate | -5.82 per 1,000 |
| Net international migration | 109,278 |
| Natural change | 109,715 |
Top 2024 Inbound Corridors
- Texas → California: 45,447 ±6,640
- Arizona → California: 28,174 ±4,463
- Washington → California: 26,956 ±4,931
- New York → California: 24,927 ±3,680
- Nevada → California: 21,133 ±4,646
Top 2024 Outbound Corridors
- California → Texas: 77,161 ±9,059
- California → Nevada: 53,289 ±6,970
- California → Arizona: 52,383 ±6,890
- California → Washington: 43,938 ±5,464
- California → Florida: 36,194 ±5,759
Jobs & Salaries
| Occupation | Employment | Mean wage |
|---|---|---|
| Accountants and Auditors | 175,360 | $103,760 |
| Software Developers | 284,390 | $186,770 |
| Electrical Engineers | 24,230 | $151,180 |
| Civil Engineers | 55,180 | $124,540 |
| Mechanical Engineers | 30,530 | $136,660 |
| Registered Nurses | 338,940 | $150,280 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 state-to-state migration flows; Census Vintage 2025 Population Estimates; BLS OEWS May 2025 when occupation records are available.