State comparison
Washington vs California: 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.
Washington
Moderate tax burden · COL index 117
Wins 13 categories
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 3 categories
Taxes: Washington vs California
Washington has no state income tax. 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 wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.84% of home value a year in Washington and 0.71% in California (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $4,788 against $5,609, so California has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 9.38% in Washington and 8.82% in California; California is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $6,887 a year in Washington, $10,957 in California. Washington is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Washington's cost of living index is 117 and California's is 142, where 100 is the national average; Washington is about 21% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $570K in Washington and $790K in California (Zillow, 2024), a $220K gap in Washington's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,000 a month in Washington and $2,300 in California.
Home insurance averages $900 a year in Washington and $2,100 in California, so Washington is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 347 incidents per 100,000 residents in Washington and 499 in California (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Washington is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 44% lower. Property crime is 3,187 per 100,000 in Washington against 2,027 in California, again favoring California.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.3 years in Washington and 79.2 in California (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 0.1-year edge for Washington. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Washington's health system 10th of 50 and California's 13th, so Washington scores better on care.
6.5% of Washington residents have no health insurance against 6.8% in California, which favors Washington. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Washington's K-12 schools 7th in the country and California's 20th, 13 places apart in Washington's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Washington went to Harris by 16 points and California went to Harris by 20 points.
Washington has shall-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 $16.28 an hour in Washington and $16.00 in California.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is high in Washington (wildfire, earthquake, flood) and very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought), so Washington is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 40 in Washington and 62 in California (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
13
Washington
3
California
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Washington or California 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, Washington or California?
Washington is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 117 against 142. The median home is $570K in Washington and $790K in California (2024). On state and local taxes Washington saves a median household about $4,100 a year.
Does Washington or California have lower taxes?
Washington. A household earning $74,580 pays about $6,887 a year in Washington ($0 income tax, $4,788 property tax on the median home and $2,099 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, Washington or California?
Washington, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 347 per 100,000 residents in Washington and 499 in California; property crime is 3,187 against 2,027.
Which has better schools, Washington or California?
Washington. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Washington 7th of 50 for K-12 and California 20th.
Is Washington or California better for retirees?
Washington is friendlier to retirees on paper. Washington does not tax Social Security, 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 $4,788 a year in Washington and $5,609 in California.