Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Idaho, you would:
Health
be 15.2% less likely to be obese
In Idaho, 33.5% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
be 20.0% more likely to have diabetes
In Idaho, 9.0% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 71.3% more money
Idaho has a GDP per capita of $49,054 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 45.7% more likely to be unemployed
In Idaho, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 20.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Idaho, 9.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Idaho has a violent crime rate of 226 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 2.9 times more likely to be a victim of property crime
Idaho has a property crime rate of 784 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 29.1% more money
The median household income in Idaho is $74,636 as of 2023, while in California, it is $96,334 as of 2023.
pay 84.9% more for a home
The median home value in Idaho is $376,000 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 70.1% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Idaho is $1,150 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 22.9% less likely to own your home
In Idaho, 72.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 20.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Idaho, 8.5% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 14.7% less likely to smoke
In Idaho, 13.6% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 30.9% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Idaho, 19.1% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 4.2 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Idaho, 2.9% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 7.4 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Idaho takes 21.6 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
live in an area that is 10.5 times more densely populated
Idaho has a population density of 9.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 35.1% more likely to be food insecure
In Idaho, 7.7% 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.
