Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Louisiana instead of California, you would:
Health
live 5.9 years less
In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In Louisiana, that number is 73 years (73 years for men, 79 years for women) as of 2020.
be 43.0% more likely to be obese
In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 40.6% of people as of 2022.
be 23.1% more likely to have diabetes
In California, 10.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 13.3% as of 2022.
Economy
be 23.5% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Louisiana, that number is 3.9% as of 2025.
make 33.8% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Louisiana, the GDP per capita is $55,662 as of 2024.
be 57.3% more likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Louisiana, however, that number is 18.4% as of 2023.
Safety
be 13.1% 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 Louisiana, that number is 2,605 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 70.0% less for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $208,700 in Louisiana as of 2023.
pay 46.9% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in California is $1,956 as of 2023, while in Louisiana, it is $1,038 as of 2023.
be 20.6% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Louisiana, that number is 67.3% as of 2023.
earn 37.7% less money
The median household income in California is $96,334 as of 2023, while in Louisiana, it is $60,023 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 3.2 minutes less
The average one-way commute in California takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023. In Louisiana, it takes 25.8 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 58.0% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Louisiana, that number is 40.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 16.2% more likely to be uninsured
In California, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Louisiana, that number is 7.9% as of 2023.
be 65.5% more likely to smoke
In California, 11.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 19.2% as of 2022.
be 31.7% more likely to be physically inactive
In California, 22.4% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In Louisiana, that number is 29.5% as of 2022.
be 28.4% 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 Louisiana, that number is 17.9% as of 2023.
be 77.0% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Louisiana, that number is 2.8% as of 2023.
be 42.3% more likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Louisiana, that number is 14.8% as of 2021.
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.
