Quality of life comparison
If you lived in California instead of Washington, you would:
Health
be 24.1% more likely to have diabetes
In Washington, 8.7% of adults have diabetes as of 2022. In California, that number is 10.8% as of 2022.
Economy
be 24.5% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Washington, 9.4% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In California, however, that number is 11.7% as of 2023.
Safety
be 18.3% less likely to be a victim of property crime
Washington has a property crime rate of 2,819 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 2,303 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 44.3% more likely to be a victim of violent crime
Washington has a violent crime rate of 349 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In California, that number is 503 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
pay 33.8% more for a home
The median home value in Washington is $519,800 as of 2023, compared to $695,400 in California as of 2023.
pay 16.3% more in rent
The median monthly gross rent in Washington is $1,682 as of 2023, while in California, it is $1,956 as of 2023.
be 12.7% less likely to own your home
In Washington, 63.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In California, that number is 55.8% as of 2023.
Lifestyle
be 60.5% more likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In Washington, 7.6% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In California, that number is 12.2% as of 2023.
commute 2.0 minutes longer
The average one-way commute in Washington takes 27.0 minutes as of 2023. In California, it takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023.
be 11.5% more likely to be uninsured
In Washington, 6.1% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In California, that number is 6.8% as of 2023.
be 30.2% more likely to be physically inactive
In Washington, 17.2% of adults are physically inactive as of 2022. In California, that number is 22.4% as of 2022.
live in an area that is 2.1 times more densely populated
Washington has a population density of 45.6 people per sq km as of 2023. In California, that number is 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 20.9% more likely to be food insecure
In Washington, 8.6% 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), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
