Quality of life comparison
If you lived in North Dakota 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 North Dakota, that number is 9.0% as of 2022.
live 2.1 years less
In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In North Dakota, that number is 77 years (76 years for men, 82 years for women) as of 2020.
be 30.6% more likely to be obese
In California, 28.4% of adults are obese as of 2022. In North Dakota, that number is 37.1% of people as of 2022.
Economy
be 51.0% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% as of 2025.
be 14.5% less likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In North Dakota, however, that number is 10.0% as of 2023.
Safety
be 47.9% 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 North Dakota, that number is 262 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 17.3% 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 North Dakota, that number is 1,904 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 65.3% less for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $241,100 in North Dakota as of 2023.
pay 52.2% less in rent
The median monthly gross rent in California is $1,956 as of 2023, while in North Dakota, it is $934 as of 2023.
be 13.6% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 63.4% as of 2023.
earn 21.2% less money
The median household income in California is $96,334 as of 2023, while in North Dakota, it is $75,949 as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 11.0 minutes less
The average one-way commute in California takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023. In North Dakota, it takes 18.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 95.5% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 4.4 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 49.0% less likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In North Dakota, that number is 5.3% as of 2021.
be 39.7% more likely to smoke
In California, 11.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In North Dakota, that number is 16.2% as of 2022.
live among residents who are 1.9 years older on average
The median age in California is 37.6 years as of 2023. In North Dakota, the median age is 35.7 years as of 2023.
be 17.6% 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 North Dakota, that number is 20.6% as of 2023.
be 79.5% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In North Dakota, that number is 2.5% 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), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
