State relocation profile · Federal data
California
California sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 110.7
- Cost index (US=100)
- $2,053
- 2BR rent / mo
- $83,172
- Median salary
- 40.2
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, California ranks #44 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (40.2/100, F), with its strongest marks in wages and schools.
- #44 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 40.2
- Life Score · F
- 110.7
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $83,172
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: cost of living (0/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), California ranks #44 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 110.7 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $2,053/mo, median salary $83,172; Life Score 40.2/100 (F), strongest in wages and schools.
Signature: BEA RPP 110.7 ranks #51 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 110.7 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $2,053/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $83,172.
Composite Life Score 40.2/100 (F) puts California in the bottom third (#44 of 51).
Metro book is dense (25 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet CA · California 40.2/100 · F · #44 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #44/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.1 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 110.7
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Montana ( -0.1 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around California
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest California on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
California childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for California (infant $17,920/yr leads the book).
California Life Score breakdown
California composites to 40.2/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #44 of 51.
California - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
98 /100
- Schools
Schools
96 /100
- Environment
Environment
78 /100
- Safety 10
Safety
10 /100
- Rent 8
Rent
8 /100
- Childcare 5
Childcare
5 /100
- Cost of living 0
Cost of living
0 /100
What this shows California's strongest dimensions are wages and schools; its weakest among scored dims is cost of living at 0/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near California on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to California on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in California
Explore detailed relocation data for 25 metropolitan areas in California. California contains 25 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Bakersfield-Delano, Chico, El Centro and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Bakersfield-Delano metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
California cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; California wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.