State comparison
Ohio vs California: which state is better to live in?
Ohio costs a median household about $4,800 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $3,220 a year against $5,609 in California.
Ohio
Moderate tax burden · COL index 88
Wins 9 categories
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 5 categories
Taxes: Ohio vs California
Ohio has a graduated income tax topping out at 3.5%, which works out to 1.8% on a median income of $74,580, or $1,335 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. Ohio wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 1.37% of home value a year in Ohio and 0.71% in California (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $3,220 against $5,609, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.22% in Ohio and 8.82% in California; Ohio is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,169 a year in Ohio, $10,957 in California. Ohio is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Ohio's cost of living index is 88 and California's is 142, where 100 is the national average; Ohio is about 61% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $235K in Ohio and $790K in California (Zillow, 2024), a $555K gap in Ohio's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $1,050 a month in Ohio and $2,300 in California.
Home insurance averages $1,200 a year in Ohio and $2,100 in California, so Ohio is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 303 incidents per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 499 in California (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Ohio is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 65% lower. Property crime is 2,081 per 100,000 in Ohio against 2,027 in California, again favoring California.
Health
Life expectancy is 75.4 years in Ohio and 79.2 in California (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 3.8-year edge for California. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Ohio's health system 22nd of 50 and California's 13th, so California scores better on care.
6.9% of Ohio residents have no health insurance against 6.8% in California, which favors California. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio's K-12 schools 28th in the country and California's 20th, 8 places apart in California's favor. Ohio runs a school-choice voucher program; California does not.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Ohio went to Trump by 12 points and California went to Harris by 20 points.
Ohio has shall-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of F; California has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A, so California regulates guns more tightly and Ohio is the friendlier state for gun owners.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $10.45 an hour in Ohio and $16.00 in California.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Ohio (tornado, flood, blizzard) and very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought), so Ohio is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 45 in Ohio and 62 in California (under 50 is good), favoring Ohio.
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
9
Ohio
5
California
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Ohio or California better to live in?
Ohio wins more of the measures that decide a move. Ohio on taxes ($6,169 a year for a median household against $10,957); Ohio on everyday costs (index 88 against 142); Ohio on safety (303 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); California on schools (ranked 20th against 28th).
Which is cheaper, Ohio or California?
Ohio is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 88 against 142. The median home is $235K in Ohio and $790K in California (2024). On state and local taxes Ohio saves a median household about $4,800 a year.
Does Ohio or California have lower taxes?
Ohio. A household earning $74,580 pays about $6,169 a year in Ohio ($1,335 income tax, $3,220 property tax on the median home and $1,615 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, Ohio or California?
Ohio, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 303 per 100,000 residents in Ohio and 499 in California; property crime is 2,081 against 2,027.
Which has better schools, Ohio or California?
California. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Ohio 28th of 50 for K-12 and California 20th. Ohio also offers school-choice vouchers.
Is Ohio or California better for retirees?
Ohio is friendlier to retirees on paper. Ohio does not tax Social Security, partly exempts pensions and has no estate or inheritance 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 $3,220 a year in Ohio and $5,609 in California.