← All States

Kansas

Moderate tax burden · COL index 86

Wins 8 categories

VS

California

High tax burden · COL index 142

Wins 4 categories

California's top income tax rate is 13.3% vs Kansas's 5.7%. Cost of living in California (index 142) runs 65% higher than Kansas (index 86). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Kansas averages 1.24% annually vs California's 0.71%. The median home in California costs $790K vs $220K in Kansas.

Kansas
California

Taxes

5.7%
Income Tax (top rate)
13.3%
1.24%/yr
Property Tax Rate
0.71%/yr
8.68%
Sales Tax (avg)
8.82%
No
Social Security Tax
Yes
Yes
Estate Tax
Yes
As income
Capital Gains Tax
As income

Housing & Cost of Living

86
COL Index (100=avg)
142
$220K
Median Home Price
$790K
$1,050/mo
Median Rent (2BR/mo)
$2,300/mo
$5K/yr
Home Insurance (avg/yr)
$2K/yr

Crime & Safety

410
Violent Crime / 100K
499
2,225
Property Crime / 100K
2,027

Healthcare

#29 of 50
Healthcare Quality Rank
#13 of 50
77.2 yrs
Life Expectancy
79.2 yrs
9.6%
Uninsured Rate
6.8%
No
Medicaid Expansion
Yes

Education

#26 of 50
K-12 Quality Rank
#20 of 50
No
School Choice / Vouchers
No

Childcare

$1,050/mo
Avg Infant Care / mo
$2,200/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

$130/mo
Avg Energy Bill / mo
$175/mo
$440/mo
Avg Groceries / mo
$620/mo
#3 of 50
Road Quality Rank
#49 of 50

Social Policy

F
Gun Laws Grade
A
R+20.0
2024 Presidential Margin
D+20.0

Category wins

8

Kansas

4

California

Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.

Score For My Profile →

People Also Ask

Is it cheaper to live in Kansas or California?

Overall cost of living in Los Angeles, CA is 71.3% higher than in Kansas City, KS. The average listing price for a home in Los Angeles, CA is $1,350,980, which is 211.1% higher than Kansas City, KS. The average cost of groceries in Los Angeles, CA is 12.1% higher than Kansas City, KS.

Is $70,000 enough to live in California?

Why is Kansas the best state to live in?

Is 75k a good salary in Kansas?

$80.3K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers. The median wage is $99K / yr.

Full Kansas Profile →Full California Profile →

Your Priorities

Adjust and every page updates live

Quick Profiles

Dial in your priorities

Annual Income

$150K
$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0
None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None
None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K
Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K
Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care
Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care
Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care
Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city
Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care
Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care
Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral
LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral
Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral
Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None
AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care
Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral
Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral
Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral
Singles sceneFamily community