State comparison
California vs Washington: which state is better to live in?
Washington costs a median household about $4,100 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because it has no income tax.
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 3 categories
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 13 categories
Taxes: California vs Washington
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. Washington has no state income tax. Washington wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.71% of home value a year in California and 0.84% in Washington (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,609 against $4,788, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in California and 9.38% in Washington; California 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, $6,887 in Washington. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
California's cost of living index is 142 and Washington's is 117, where 100 is the national average; Washington is about 21% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $790K in California and $570K in Washington (Zillow, 2024), a $220K gap in Washington's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,300 a month in California and $2,000 in Washington.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in California and $900 in Washington, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in California and 347 in Washington (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 44% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in California against 3,187 in Washington, again favoring California.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in California and 79.3 in Washington (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.1-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks California's health system 13th of 50 and Washington's 10th, so Washington scores better on care.
6.8% of California residents have no health insurance against 6.5% in Washington, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California's K-12 schools 20th in the country and Washington's 7th, 13 places apart in Washington'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 Washington went to Harris by 16 points.
California has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Washington has shall-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 $16.28 in Washington.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought) and high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood), so Washington is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 62 in California and 40 in Washington (under 50 is good), favoring Washington.
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
13
Washington
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is California or Washington better to live in?
Washington wins more of the measures that decide a move. Washington on taxes ($6,887 a year for a median household against $10,957); Washington on everyday costs (index 117 against 142); Washington on safety (347 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Washington on schools (ranked 7th against 20th).
Which is cheaper, California or Washington?
Washington is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 117 against 142. The median home is $790K in California and $570K in Washington (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $4,100 a year.
Does California or Washington have lower taxes?
Washington. 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 $6,887 in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, California or Washington?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in California and 347 in Washington; property crime is 2,027 against 3,187.
Which has better schools, California or Washington?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California 20th of 50 for K-12 and Washington 7th.
Is California or Washington better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax; Washington 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 $4,788 in Washington.