Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Minnesota, you would:
Health
be 16.2% less likely to be obese
In Minnesota, 33.9% 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 Minnesota, 8.8% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 22.7% more money
Minnesota has a GDP per capita of $68,478 as of 2024, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.
be 18.6% more likely to be unemployed
In Minnesota, 4.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 33.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Minnesota, 8.8% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 95.8% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Minnesota has a violent crime rate of 257 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 37.4% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Minnesota has a property crime rate of 1,675 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
earn 10.0% more money
The median household income in Minnesota is $87,556 as of 2023, while in California, it is $96,334 as of 2023.
pay 2.3 times more for a home
The median home value in Minnesota is $305,500 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 58.4% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Minnesota is $1,235 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 22.9% less likely to own your home
In Minnesota, 72.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 16.5% less likely to smoke
In Minnesota, 13.9% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 3.5 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Minnesota, 3.5% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 5.9 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Minnesota takes 23.1 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 51.1% more likely to be uninsured
In Minnesota, 4.5% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 14.9% more likely to be physically inactive
In Minnesota, 19.5% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In California, that number is 22.4% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 3.5 times more densely populated
Minnesota has a population density of 27.9 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 55.2% more likely to be food insecure
In Minnesota, 6.7% 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), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (2023), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), OECD Regional Demography (2023), Feeding America (2021). How we calculate this
