Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Colorado, you would:
Health
be 36.7% more likely to have diabetes
In Colorado, 7.9% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 12.6% more money
Colorado has a GDP per capita of $74,650 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 41.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Colorado, 3.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 31.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Colorado, 8.9% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.2% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Colorado has a property crime rate of 2,814 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 38.5% more for a home
The median home value in Colorado is $502,200 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 15.5% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Colorado is $1,693 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 15.8% less likely to own your home
In Colorado, 66.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 2.5 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Colorado, 4.8% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 3.5 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Colorado takes 25.5 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 26.6% more likely to be physically inactive
In Colorado, 17.7% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In California, that number is 22.4% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 4.4 times more densely populated
Colorado has a population density of 22.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 16.7% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Colorado, 30.0% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 16.9% more likely to be food insecure
In Colorado, 8.9% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In California, that number is 10.4% 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.
