Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of California, you would:
Health
live 1.3 years longer
In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In Virgin Islands, that number is 80 years (77 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.
Economy
make 45.0% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Virgin Islands, the GDP per capita is $46,200 as of 2021.
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Virgin Islands, that number is 12.1% as of 2023.
Basic Needs
be 30.0% less likely to have internet access
In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In Virgin Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2022.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Virgin Islands: At a glance
How big is Virgin Islands compared to California? See an in-depth size comparison.