Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Idaho instead of California, you would:
Health
be 16.7% less likely to have diabetes
In California, 10.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 9.0% as of 2022.
be 18.0% more likely to be obese
In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 33.5% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 31.4% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Idaho, that number is 3.5% as of 2025.
be 17.1% less likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Idaho, however, that number is 9.7% as of 2023.
make 41.6% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Idaho, the GDP per capita is $49,054 as of 2024.
Safety
be 55.0% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
California has a violent crime rate of 503 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 226 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 66.0% less 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 Idaho, that number is 784 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 45.9% less for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $376,000 in Idaho as of 2023.
pay 41.2% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in California is $1,956 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $1,150 as of 2023.
be 29.7% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 72.4% as of 2023.
earn 22.5% less money
The median household income in California is $96,334 as of 2023, while in Idaho, it is $74,636 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 7.4 minutes less
The average one-way commute in California takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023. In Idaho, it takes 21.6 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 90.5% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 9.2 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 26.0% less likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Idaho, that number is 7.7% as of 2021.
be 25.0% more likely to be uninsured
In California, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 8.5% as of 2023.
be 17.2% more likely to smoke
In California, 11.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Idaho, that number is 13.6% as of 2022.
be 23.6% less 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 Idaho, that number is 19.1% as of 2023.
be 76.2% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Idaho, that number is 2.9% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
