State comparison
Massachusetts vs California: which state is better to live in?
Massachusetts and California cost a median household almost the same in state and local taxes, $11,159 a year against $10,957, so the choice comes down to housing, safety and schools.
Massachusetts
High tax burden · COL index 148
Wins 10 categories
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Massachusetts vs California
Massachusetts has a graduated income tax topping out at 9%, which works out to 5.0% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,729 a year. 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. California wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.04% of home value a year in Massachusetts and 0.71% in California (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $6,032 against $5,609, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 6.25% in Massachusetts and 8.82% in California; Massachusetts is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $11,159 a year in Massachusetts, $10,957 in California. California is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Massachusetts's cost of living index is 148 and California's is 142, where 100 is the national average; California is about 4% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $580K in Massachusetts and $790K in California (Zillow, 2024), a $210K gap in Massachusetts's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,400 a month in Massachusetts and $2,300 in California.
Home insurance averages $1,500 a year in Massachusetts and $2,100 in California, so Massachusetts is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 338 incidents per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts and 499 in California (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Massachusetts is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 48% lower. Property crime is 1,283 per 100,000 in Massachusetts against 2,027 in California, again favoring Massachusetts.
Health
Life expectancy is 80 years in Massachusetts and 79.2 in California (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.8-year edge for Massachusetts. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Massachusetts's health system 1st of 50 and California's 13th, so Massachusetts scores better on care.
3.1% of Massachusetts residents have no health insurance against 6.8% in California, which favors Massachusetts. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Massachusetts's K-12 schools 1st in the country and California's 20th, 19 places apart in Massachusetts's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Massachusetts went to Harris by 28 points and California went to Harris by 20 points.
Massachusetts has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; California 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 $15.00 an hour in Massachusetts and $16.00 in California.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Massachusetts (hurricane, blizzard, nor-easter) and very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought), so Massachusetts is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 30 in Massachusetts and 62 in California (under 50 is good), favoring Massachusetts.
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
10
Massachusetts
6
California
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Massachusetts or California better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. California on taxes ($10,957 a year for a median household against $11,159); California on everyday costs (index 142 against 148); Massachusetts on safety (338 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); Massachusetts on schools (ranked 1st against 20th).
Which is cheaper, Massachusetts or California?
California is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 142 against 148. The median home is $580K in Massachusetts and $790K in California (2024). On state and local taxes California saves a median household about $200 a year.
Does Massachusetts or California have lower taxes?
California. A household earning $74,580 pays about $11,159 a year in Massachusetts ($3,729 income tax, $6,032 property tax on the median home and $1,398 in sales tax) and $10,957 in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Massachusetts or California?
Massachusetts, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 338 per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts and 499 in California; property crime is 1,283 against 2,027.
Which has better schools, Massachusetts or California?
Massachusetts. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Massachusetts 1st of 50 for K-12 and California 20th.
Is Massachusetts or California better for retirees?
Both treat retirement income about the same. Massachusetts does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has an estate tax; California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $6,032 a year in Massachusetts and $5,609 in California.