Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of District of Columbia, you would:
Health
live 1.0 years longer
In District of Columbia, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2019. In California, that number is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020.
be 12.3% more likely to be obese
In District of Columbia, 25.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
be 22.7% more likely to have diabetes
In District of Columbia, 8.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
be 20.3% less likely to be unemployed
In District of Columbia, 6.4% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 14.0% less likely to live below the poverty line
In District of Columbia, 13.6% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
make 59.8% less money
District of Columbia has a GDP per capita of $209,167 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
Safety
be 55.3% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
District of Columbia has a violent crime rate of 1,126 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 45.4% less likely to be a victim of property crime
District of Columbia has a property crime rate of 4,216 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
be 35.8% more likely to own your home
In District of Columbia, 41.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
live among residents who are 2.7 years older on average
The median age in District of Columbia is 34.9 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 97.8% less densely populated
District of Columbia has a population density of 4,322.8 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 87.7% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In District of Columbia, 6.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
be 2.1 times more likely to be uninsured
In District of Columbia, 3.3% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 44.5% more likely to be physically inactive
In District of Columbia, 15.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In California, that number is 22.4% as of 2022.
be 43.7% less likely to have a bachelor's degree
In District of Columbia, 44.4% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: 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.
