Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Utah, you would:
Health
be 12.1% less likely to be obese
In Utah, 32.3% of adults are obese as of 2022. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.
be 16.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Utah, 9.3% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
make 26.9% more money
Utah has a GDP per capita of $66,207 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 Utah, 3.5% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.
be 48.1% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Utah, 7.9% 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
Utah has a violent crime rate of 224 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 46.2% more likely to be a victim of property crime
Utah has a property crime rate of 1,576 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 52.8% more for a home
The median home value in Utah is $455,000 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 39.2% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Utah is $1,405 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 21.0% less likely to own your home
In Utah, 70.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 16.0% less likely to be uninsured
In Utah, 8.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 5.9 years older on average
The median age in Utah is 31.7 years as of 2023. In California, the median age is 37.6 years as of 2023.
be 19.6% more likely to have a bachelor's degree
In Utah, 20.9% of the population holds a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2023. In California, that number is 25.0% as of 2023.
be 2.7 times more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Utah, 4.6% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 7.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Utah takes 22.0 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 38.1% more likely to smoke
In Utah, 8.4% of adults smoke as of 2022. In California, that number is 11.6% as of 2022.
be 23.1% more likely to be physically inactive
In Utah, 18.2% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In California, that number is 22.4% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 6.0 times more densely populated
Utah has a population density of 16.2 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 15.6% more likely to be food insecure
In Utah, 9.0% 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.
