State

California

California has a quality-of-life score of 40 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #31 of 51 US states. It ranks best on comfortable days (high), drought exposure (low) and public EV charging ports (high). It ranks worst on students per teacher (high), high school diploma or higher (low) and days with unhealthy air (high).

40Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #31 of 51 states
Population: 39,355,309 (2025)
Land area: 155,860 mi²
Density: 252.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 06

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 80 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map Federal contracts here

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US states.

Safety44#29/51
Economy56#23/51
Housing2#50/51
Health78#12/51
Healthcare80#11/51
Environment0#49/49
Education14#44/51
Infrastructure78#12/51
Community24#39/51
Leisure & amenities80#11/51

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where California ranks highest and lowest among US states (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Comfortable days · high34.8%
100/100United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low9%
98/100United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA
Public EV charging ports · high17.4 /10k
98/100United States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high93.5%
96/100United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Job growth · high0.9%
95/100United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Injury deaths · low67 /100k
94/100United States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute

Weaknesses

Students per teacher · high21.7×
0/100United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · low84.7%
0/100United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Days with unhealthy air · high12.4%
0/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
High ozone days · high38 days
0/100United States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.4 µg/m³
0/100United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Natural hazard risk · high87.3
2/1002025Federal Emergency Management AgencyAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureImproving
97% (2021) → 9% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−88 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
44.0% (Dec 2021) → 54.7% (Aug 2026)
+11 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Homicide rateImproving
6.4 /100k (2021) → 3.7 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−42%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$57,785 (2019) → $77,883 (2024)
+35%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Voter turnoutWorsening
68.8% (2020) → 61.9% (2024)
−6.9 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
86.7% (2015-2019) → 93.5% (2020-2024)
+6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, California improved on 18 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 3 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among states: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved18

Commute−1.1 min29.8 min → 28.7 min
Suicides−5.7%10.5 /100k → 9.9 /100k
Firearm deaths−23%8.7 /100k → 6.7 /100k
Uninsured−2 points8.9% → 6.9%
Unemployment−4.6 points10.1% → 5.5%

Declined5

Transit use−2.2 points5.1% → 2.9%
Traffic deaths+13%9.5 /100k → 10.7 /100k
Price / income+0.7×6.7× → 7.4×
Pharmacies−7.5%1.6 /10k → 1.5 /10k
Rent burden+0.5 points54.8% → 55.3%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	7.6 /10k2020	8.9 /10k2025	+18%	Improved	64%
Average commute time	29.8 min2015-2019	28.7 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Improved	87%
Average weekly wage	$1,5282020	$1,8652025	+22%	Improved	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	33.9%2015-2019	37.1%2020-2024	+3.2 points	Improved	28%
Broadband subscriptions	86.7%2015-2019	93.5%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Improved	21%
Child poverty rate	15.6%2019	14.6%2024	−1 points	Improved	36%
Distance to an airport	22 mi2020	22 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	51%
Drug overdose deaths	21.5 /100k2020	20.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−6.5%	Improved	30%
Effective property tax rate	0.73%2015-2019	0.70%2020-2024	−0 points	Little change	13%
Firearm deaths	8.7 /100k2020	6.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−23%	Improved	93%
Grocery stores	1.9 /10k2020	2.0 /10k2025	+5%	Improved	85%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.4 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	46%
High school diploma or higher	83.3%2015-2019	84.7%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Improved	52%
Home price to income ratio	6.7×2015-2019	7.4×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	32%
Homicide rate	6.0 /100k2020	3.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−38%	Improved	64%
Income adjusted for local prices	$57,7852019	$77,8832024	+35%	Improved	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4892015-2019	0.4892020-2024	+0.000	Within the margin of error	60%
Median household income	$80,4232019	$100,1302024	+25%	Improved	50%
New business applications	11.1 /1k2020	14.1 /1k2025	+27%	Improved	40%
Pharmacies	1.6 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−7.5%	Declined	54%
Poverty rate	11.8%2019	11.8%2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	41%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	+0.2%	Within the margin of error	89%
Public transit commuters	5.1%2015-2019	2.9%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Declined	19%
Rent as share of income	32.5%2015-2019	32.8%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Little change	71%
Rent-burdened households	54.8%2015-2019	55.3%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Declined	66%
Restaurants and bars	8.5 /10k2020	8.6 /10k2025	+1.8%	Little change	50%
Suicide rate	10.5 /100k2020	9.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−5.7%	Improved	91%
Traffic deaths	9.5 /100k2015-2019	10.7 /100k2020-2024	+13%	Declined	23%
Unemployment rate	10.1%2020	5.5%2025	−4.6 points	Improved	85%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.9%2019	6.9%2024	−2 points	Improved	81%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 51 states that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Small Area Health Insurance Estimates; Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 51 states that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

States like California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, California itself moved −0.2 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

39,287,377 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 men (−0.7 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

39,287,377 residents

California
United States share

White34%13,267,442
Black5.2%2,040,095
Hispanic or Latino40%15,778,963
Asian15%6,007,197
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%102,530
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.3%131,885
Other or two or more races5.0%1,959,265

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−3.4 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

27,073,960 residents (±1,240)

California
United States share

No high school diploma15%4,136,964
High school or GED20%5,541,267
Some college19%5,223,323
Associate degree7.9%2,132,601
Bachelor's degree23%6,133,461
Graduate degree14%3,906,344

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Some college (−1.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

13,548,091 households (±17,724)

California
United States share

Under $25k12%1,687,020
$25k–50k13%1,808,599
$50k–75k13%1,756,653
$75k–100k12%1,573,684
$100k–150k18%2,410,749
$150k–200k11%1,533,999
$200k or more21%2,777,387

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+8.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

13,548,091 households (±17,724)

California
United States share

Own56%7,567,568
Rent44%5,980,523

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.0 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

5,783,331 households (±22,650)

California
United States share

Under $7506.4%370,080
$750–1,0004.5%257,870
$1,000–1,50016%937,200

Home values

7,567,568 homes (±37,334)

California
United States share

Under $150k5.5%418,857
$150k–250k3.5%265,069
$250k–400k9.4%708,312
$400k–750k

Age of homes

14,644,735 homes (±1,665)

California
United States share

2010 or later7.9%1,152,924
2000–200911%1,638,011
1980–199925%3,657,662

Size of homes

14,644,735 homes (±1,665)

California
United States share

Studio5.0%731,748
1 bedroom13%1,927,852
2 bedrooms27%3,937,754
3 bedrooms

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

18,371,933 workers (±23,318)

California
United States share

Drive alone66%12,076,803
Carpool9.5%1,740,292
Public transit2.9%524,948
Walk2.4%434,023
Bike0.7%127,463
Work from home17%3,154,824
Other1.7%313,580

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+11.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

15,217,109 workers (±23,466)

California
United States share

Under 15 min22%3,346,083
15–29 min36%5,544,531
30–44 min22%3,371,629

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in California employ 4,034,590 people. 9 pay a median above the US median and 1 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in California by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides970,150 jobs	970,150	$34,320US $35,800	−4%	1.92×
Fast Food and Counter Workers449,840 jobs	449,840	$42,280US $31,200	+36%	1.0×
Retail Salespersons376,460 jobs	376,460	$38,440US $35,410	+9%	0.82×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand355,500 jobs	355,500	$44,710US $40,240	+11%	1.03×
Registered Nurses338,940 jobs	338,940	$140,270US $97,550	+44%	0.86×
Cashiers336,110 jobs	336,110	$37,100US $32,880	+13%	0.93×
Office Clerks, General311,490 jobs	311,490	$48,460US $45,010	+8%	1.08×
Stockers and Order Fillers310,870 jobs	310,870	$42,870US $37,330	+15%	0.94×
General and Operations Managers300,840 jobs	300,840	$124,390US $105,770	+18%	0.73×
Software Developers284,390 jobs	284,390	$174,410US $135,980	+28%	1.44×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in California.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

California has 1,029,689 employer establishments, 263 for every 10,000 residents (1.06× the US rate of 248), with 16,405,436 paid employees at an average annual pay of $87,119. The Census Bureau also counts 3,686,618 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,029,689; 3,686,618 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 263; US 248
Paid employees: 16,405,436
Average annual pay: $87,119; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of California by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	97,677	24.9	1.20×About typical	1,018,478	$79,574	166,016
Restaurants and other eating places	79,696	20.3	1.11×About typical	1,404,974	$28,689	16,078
Lessors of real estate	58,906	15	1.22×About typical	250,572	$80,192	343,568
Specialty trade contractors	53,834	13.7	0.89×About typical	582,703	$78,552	143,248
Management, scientific and technical consulting	36,725	9.4	1.40×More than typical	202,952	$109,596	153,608
Limited-service restaurants	34,527	8.8	1.10×About typical	604,758	$25,204	6,390
Offices of physicians	31,778	8.1	1.25×More than typical	241,978	$112,080	27,853
Full-service restaurants	31,333	8	1.04×About typical	628,541	$33,101	5,739
Construction of buildings	29,852	7.6	1.01×About typical	207,617	$88,354	100,106
Offices of other health practitioners	24,722	6.3	1.04×About typical	145,628	$46,521	75,513
Legal services	24,177	6.2	1.15×About typical	157,775	$135,529	40,308
Truck transportation	24,075	6.1	1.22×About typical	159,689	$60,270	110,709

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 39,181,667 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $52.7B on contracts performed in California: $1,340 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $52.7B; −15% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,340; US $1,994
Sole-source: 36%; US 30%
Single offer: 15%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$9.2B17%
Department of the Navy$9.2B17%
Department of Energy$6.8B13%
Department of the Army$4.7B9.0%
U.S. Customs and Border Protection$4.6B8.8%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$3.5B6.7%
Defense Logistics Agency$2.5B4.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs$2.1B4.0%

Top recipients

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC$3.7B7.1%
NATIONAL STEEL AND SHIPBUILDING COMPANY$2.8B5.3%
FISHER SAND & GRAVEL CO$2.5B4.7%
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP.$2.1B4.0%
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY$2B3.7%

Spending by fiscal year

54BFY2017
57.6BFY2018
61.1BFY2019
59.5BFY2020
52.1BFY2021
57.5BFY2022
61.5BFY2023
61.7B

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$13.8B26%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$4.6B8.7%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$4.5B8.4%
Ship and boat building · 3366$3.5B6.6%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$3.2B6.0%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413

Largest awards

THIS PERFORMANCE-BASED MANAGEMENT CONTRACT (PBMC) IS FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY (LLNL). THE CONTRACTOR SHALL, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CONTRACT, ACCOMPLISH THE MISSIONS AND PROGRAMS ASSIGNED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) AND MANAGE AND OPERATE THE LABORATORY. THE LABORATORY IS ONE OF DOES OFFICE OF DEFENSE PROGRAM MULTI-PROGRAM LABORATORIES. THE LABORATORY IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTION (ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) PART 35 AND OPERATED UNDER THIS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATING (M&O) CONTRACT, AS DEFINED IN FAR 17.6 AND DEAR 917.6.$41.6B
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC· Alameda County, CA· Research & development· Oct 31, 2016 – Sep 28, 2026· DEAC5207NA27344
OPERATION OF LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY$37B
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA· Alameda County, CA· Facilities & utilities· Nov 3, 2016 – May 11, 2026· DEAC0343SF00048
MANAGED CARE SUPPORT SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF THE TRICARE PROGRAM$23.5B

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Explore contracts in California

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $417.5B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for California: $10,608 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $417.5B; −1.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $10,608; US $12,955
Loan face value: $78.7B; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$124.6B30%
93.778 · Grants to States for Medicaid$111.4B27%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$25.7B6.2%
93.773 · Medicare Hospital Insurance$16.5B3.9%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$15.3B3.7%
10.551 · Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program$11B2.6%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$10.4B2.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$10.1B2.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

HEALTH CARE SERVICES, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF$117.8B28%
SACRAMENTO, CA
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES CALIFORNIA$21.1B5.1%
SACRAMENTO, CA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CALIFORNIA$7.6B1.8%
SACRAMENTO, CA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA$6.5B1.6%
SACRAMENTO, CA
UFCW - NORTHERN CALIFORNIA EMPLOYERS JOINT PENSION PLAN

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$166.7B40%
Department of Health and Human Services
Social Security Administration$152.7B37%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$18.5B4.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Food and Nutrition Service$17.5B4.2%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

423.6BFY2021
367.3BFY2022
364.3BFY2023
384BFY2024
423.7BFY2025
417.5BFY2026

County aggregates

53%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Explore grants in California

Public money & outcomes

Federal money per resident by fiscal year next to how the place changed, and, when its money jumped, how it compares with similar counties. A comparison, not cause and effect.

Federal money per resident in California, and how its outcomes moved, each next to the United States. Counties whose money jumped are compared on their own pages.

Money per resident

By federal fiscal year (October to September, named by the year it ends), obligations per resident. A year with no record counts as $0.

California
United States
partial year

Federal contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2017	$1,373	$1,436
FY2018	$1,460	$1,552
FY2019	$1,548	$1,654
FY2020	$1,506	$1,880
FY2021	$1,331	$1,810
FY2022	$1,471	$1,917
FY2023	$1,568	$2,079
FY2024	$1,568	$2,047
FY2025	$1,576	$2,165
FY2026	$1,340 (partial year)	$1,911

Construction contractsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2017	$71.60	$93.28
FY2018	$91.25	$105
FY2019	$97.79	$128
FY2020	$134	$145
FY2021	$110	$117
FY2022

Contracts and grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2021	$5,747	$5,748
FY2022	$5,377	$5,221
FY2023	$5,116	$5,364
FY2024	$5,589	$5,501
FY2025	$5,943	$5,732
FY2026	$5,530

Transportation grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2021	$304	$298
FY2022	$325	$357
FY2023	$255	$301
FY2024	$302	$319
FY2025	$226	$360
FY2026	$291

Housing assistanceUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2021	$313	$239
FY2022	$236	$185
FY2023	$277	$229
FY2024	$281	$229
FY2025	$316	$249
FY2026	$263 (partial year)

HHS grantsUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2021	$2,786	$2,304
FY2022	$2,821	$2,197
FY2023	$2,645	$2,274
FY2024	$3,010	$2,267
FY2025	$3,292	$2,397
FY2026	$3,438

SBA lending volumeUS dollars per resident

Table view

Money per resident, California and the United States, by fiscal year
Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)	California	United States
FY2021	$1,445	$1,186
FY2022	$708	$465
FY2023	$93.54	$76.52
FY2024	$148	$120
FY2025	$227	$148
FY2026	$136 (partial year)

Fiscal years (FY2024 = October 2023 to September 2024)

How outcomes moved

Calendar years. Charts share the same years as the money above. Levels are shown as percent change since 2016; rates are shown as the rate itself.

California
United States
Years with money loaded

Job growthpercent

Table view

Job growth, California and the United States, by year
Calendar years	California	United States
2014	2.8%	2.0%
2015	3.1%

When its money jumped

A county-year with at least 10,000 residents whose money per resident is at least twice its earlier average counts as a jump. Each is compared with up to five similar counties in the same region whose money did not jump.

Counties of California whose money per resident jumped. Open a county for its comparison with similar counties.

Plumas County, CAContracts and grants · FY2024$12,847 (3.9×)
Imperial County, CAContracts and grants · FY2024$2,859 (2×)
Inyo County, CAConstruction contracts · FY2024$1,874 (2.7×)
Inyo County, CAFederal contracts · FY2024$2,071 (2.3×)
Imperial County, CAConstruction contracts · FY2024$1,201 (3.1×)

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Business Formation Statistics, Building Permits Survey, Cartographic Boundary Files, Gazetteer and metro delineations, Population Estimates Program, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission), Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System), Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordability. JSON · /api/v1/outcomes/places/06

See all comparisons

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

California is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

Counties of California

All 58 counties, best quality-of-life score first.

Neighboring states

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar states

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Health Professional Shortage AreasHealth Resources and Services Administration · release 2026-10-03
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
Common Core of DataNational Center for Education Statistics · release 2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/06

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	−6.3%	−4.2%
2015	−2.0%	−1.3%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.5%	+3.3%
2018	+8.8%	+6.8%
2019	+13.3%	+10.5%
2020	+26.2%	+19.4%
2021	+36.2%	+26.1%
2022	+34.1%	+30.6%
2023	+38.9%	+35.0%
2024	+46.3%	+41.0%
2025	+54.0%	+46.8%

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	−9.4%	−5.5%
2015	−3.7%	−1.9%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+4.2%	+4.1%
2018	+9.2%	+8.9%
2019	+15.0%	+13.5%
2020	+25.5%	+20.8%
2021	+38.1%	+32.1%
2022	+38.2%	+35.4%
2023	+45.4%	+42.9%
2024	+54.4%	+49.5%

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	2.2/1k	3.3/1k
2015	2.5/1k	3.7/1k
2016	2.6/1k	3.7/1k
2017	2.9/1k	3.9/1k
2018	2.9/1k	4.1/1k
2019	2.8/1k	4.2/1k
2020	2.7/1k	4.4/1k
2021	3.1/1k	5.2/1k
2022	3.1/1k	5.0/1k
2023	2.9/1k	4.5/1k
2024	2.6/1k	4.3/1k
2025	2.6/1k	4.2/1k

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	−8.5%	−6.9%
2015	−4.8%	−3.2%
2016	0.0%	0.0%
2017	+6.0%	+4.7%
2018	+11.1%	+7.5%
2019	+18.8%	+14.0%
2020	+22.6%	+16.9%
2021	+25.3%	+21.0%
2022	+35.2%	+29.7%
2023	+41.0%	+34.9%
2024	+47.9%	+41.6%

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	16.4%	15.5%
2015	15.4%	14.7%
2016	14.4%	14.0%
2017	13.3%	13.4%
2018	12.8%	13.1%
2019	11.8%	12.3%
2020	11.5%	11.9%
2021	12.3%	12.8%
2022	12.2%	12.6%
2023	12.0%	12.5%
2024	11.8%	12.1%

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	7.6%	6.2%
2015	6.2%	5.3%
2016	5.5%	4.9%
2017	4.8%	4.4%
2018	4.3%	3.9%
2019	4.1%	3.7%
2020	10.1%	8.1%
2021	7.3%	5.4%
2022	4.3%	3.7%
2023	4.7%	3.6%
2024	5.3%	4.0%
2025	5.5%	4.3%

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	−10.7% (Dec 2014)	−10.8% (Dec 2014)
2015	−6.0% (Dec 2015)	−5.2% (Dec 2015)
2016	0.0% (Dec 2016)	0.0% (Dec 2016)
2017	+10.7% (Dec 2017)	+6.4% (Dec 2017)
2018	+20.4% (Dec 2018)	+12.6% (Dec 2018)
2019	+22.3% (Dec 2019)	+18.1% (Dec 2019)
2020	+33.4% (Dec 2020)	+29.3% (Dec 2020)
2021	+54.6% (Dec 2021)	+49.8% (Dec 2021)
2022	+63.6% (Dec 2022)	+64.7% (Dec 2022)
2023	+69.0% (Dec 2023)	+69.0% (Dec 2023)
2024	+74.3% (Dec 2024)	+73.4% (Dec 2024)
2025	+70.7% (Dec 2025)	+73.7% (Dec 2025)

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	14.1%	13.5%
2015	9.7%	10.9%
2016	8.4%	10.0%
2017	8.2%	10.2%
2018	8.3%	10.4%
2019	8.9%	10.8%
2020	8.2%	10.4%
2021	8.1%	10.2%
2022	7.5%	9.5%
2023	7.5%	9.5%
2024	6.9%	9.8%

Calendar years	California	United States
2014	7.6/1k	8.5/1k
2015	7.8/1k	8.7/1k
2016	8.0/1k	9.1/1k
2017	8.3/1k	9.8/1k
2018	9.3/1k	10.7/1k
2019	9.3/1k	10.6/1k
2020	11.1/1k	13.1/1k
2021	13.3/1k	16.2/1k
2022	12.5/1k	15.1/1k
2023	14.3/1k	16.2/1k
2024	13.1/1k	15.4/1k
2025	14.1/1k	16.6/1k

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved18

Declined5

States like California five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Public money & outcomes

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Representation in Congress

House

Senate

Counties of California

Metro areas in California

Largest cities and towns in California

Neighboring states

Similar states

Data and sources

Improved18

Declined5

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Household income

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

House

Senate

Look up any occupation

Money per resident

How outcomes moved

When its money jumped

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies