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 the labor force is 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.
Sources: US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
