State comparison
California vs North Dakota: which state is better to live in?
North Dakota costs a median household about $6,600 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,244 a year against $5,609 in California.
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 5 categories
North Dakota
Low tax burden · COL index 98
Wins 9 categories
Taxes: California vs North Dakota
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. North Dakota has a graduated income tax topping out at 2.5%, which works out to 0.7% on a median income of $74,580, or $509 a year. North Dakota wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.71% of home value a year in California and 0.88% in North Dakota (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,609 against $2,244, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in California and 6.97% in North Dakota; North Dakota 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, $4,313 in North Dakota. North Dakota is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
California's cost of living index is 142 and North Dakota's is 98, where 100 is the national average; North Dakota is about 45% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $790K in California and $255K in North Dakota (Zillow, 2024), a $535K gap in North Dakota's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,300 a month in California and $1,100 in North Dakota.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in California and $2,200 in North Dakota, so California is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in California and 285 in North Dakota (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); North Dakota is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 75% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in California against 1,779 in North Dakota, again favoring North Dakota.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in California and 78.8 in North Dakota (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.4-year edge for California. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks California's health system 13th of 50 and North Dakota's 27th, so California scores better on care.
6.8% of California residents have no health insurance against 7.5% in North Dakota, which favors California. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California's K-12 schools 20th in the country and North Dakota's 17th, 3 places apart in North Dakota'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 North Dakota went to Trump by 33 points.
California has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; North Dakota has permitless carry and a grade of F, so California regulates guns more tightly and North Dakota is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in California and banned with narrow exceptions in North Dakota, and marijuana is legal for adults in California and medical only in North Dakota as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour in California and $7.25 in North Dakota.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought) and moderate in North Dakota (blizzard, tornado, flood), so North Dakota is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 62 in California and 25 in North Dakota (under 50 is good), favoring North Dakota.
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
5
California
9
North Dakota
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is California or North Dakota better to live in?
North Dakota wins more of the measures that decide a move. North Dakota on taxes ($4,313 a year for a median household against $10,957); North Dakota on everyday costs (index 98 against 142); North Dakota on safety (285 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); North Dakota on schools (ranked 17th against 20th).
Which is cheaper, California or North Dakota?
North Dakota is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 98 against 142. The median home is $790K in California and $255K in North Dakota (2024). On state and local taxes North Dakota saves a median household about $6,600 a year.
Does California or North Dakota have lower taxes?
North Dakota. 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 $4,313 in North Dakota ($509 income tax, $2,244 property tax on the median home and $1,559 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, California or North Dakota?
North Dakota, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in California and 285 in North Dakota; property crime is 2,027 against 1,779.
Which has better schools, California or North Dakota?
North Dakota. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California 20th of 50 for K-12 and North Dakota 17th.
Is California or North Dakota better for retirees?
North Dakota is friendlier to retirees on paper. California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax; North Dakota does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,609 a year in California and $2,244 in North Dakota.