Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colorado instead of California, you would:
Health
be 26.9% less likely to have diabetes
In California, 10.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Colorado, that number is 7.9% as of 2022.
Economy
be 29.4% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colorado, that number is 3.6% as of 2025.
be 23.9% less likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Colorado, however, that number is 8.9% as of 2023.
make 11.2% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Colorado, the GDP per capita is $74,650 as of 2024.
Safety
be 22.2% more likely to be a victim of property crime
California has a property crime rate of 2,303 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 2,814 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 27.8% less for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $502,200 in Colorado as of 2023.
pay 13.4% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in California is $1,956 as of 2023, while in Colorado, it is $1,693 as of 2023.
be 18.8% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 66.3% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.5 minutes less
The average one-way commute in California takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023. In Colorado, it takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023.
be 21.0% less likely to be physically inactive
In California, 22.4% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Colorado, that number is 17.7% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 77.3% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 22.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 20.0% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In California, 25.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 30.0% as of 2023.
be 14.4% less likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Colorado, that number is 8.9% as of 2021.
be 60.7% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Colorado, that number is 4.8% as of 2023.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
