State comparison
California vs New York: which state is better to live in?
California costs a median household about $1,400 a year less in state and local taxes than New York, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $5,609 a year against $6,580 in New York, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 142 against 139).
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 3 categories
New York
High tax burden · COL index 139
Wins 11 categories
Taxes: California vs New York
California has a graduated income tax topping out at 13.3%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,375 a year. New York has a graduated income tax topping out at 10.9%, which works out to 5.2% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,862 a year. California wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.71% of home value a year in California and 1.40% in New York (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,609 against $6,580, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in California and 8.52% in New York; New York is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $10,957 a year in California, $12,349 in New York. California is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
California's cost of living index is 142 and New York's is 139, where 100 is the national average; New York is about 2% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $790K in California and $470K in New York (Zillow, 2024), a $320K gap in New York's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,300 a month in California and $2,200 in New York.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in California and $1,800 in New York, so New York is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in California and 379 in New York (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); New York is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 32% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in California against 1,480 in New York, again favoring New York.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in California and 79.3 in New York (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.1-year edge for New York. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks California's health system 13th of 50 and New York's 15th, so California scores better on care.
6.8% of California residents have no health insurance against 5.4% in New York, which favors New York. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California's K-12 schools 20th in the country and New York's 12th, 8 places apart in New York's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election California went to Harris by 20 points and New York went to Harris by 12 points.
California has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; New York has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour in California and $16.00 in New York.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought) and moderate in New York (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter), so New York is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 62 in California and 38 in New York (under 50 is good), favoring New York.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
3
California
11
New York
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is California or New York better to live in?
New York wins more of the measures that decide a move. California on taxes ($10,957 a year for a median household against $12,349); New York on everyday costs (index 139 against 142); New York on safety (379 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); New York on schools (ranked 12th against 20th).
Which is cheaper, California or New York?
New York is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 139 against 142. The median home is $790K in California and $470K in New York (2024). On state and local taxes California saves a median household about $1,400 a year.
Does California or New York have lower taxes?
California. A household earning $74,580 pays about $10,957 a year in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax) and $12,349 in New York ($3,862 income tax, $6,580 property tax on the median home and $1,906 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, California or New York?
New York, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in California and 379 in New York; property crime is 2,027 against 1,480.
Which has better schools, California or New York?
New York. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California 20th of 50 for K-12 and New York 12th.
Is California or New York better for retirees?
New York is friendlier to retirees on paper. California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax; New York does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,609 a year in California and $6,580 in New York.