California

State in West · ranked on 2,373 metrics

Rank among US states

California is a state in the West with a population of 39,345,844 (1st of 51). It ranks best for Infant Mortality Rate (1st of 49), Avg Salary (1st of 51), Mean Hourly Wage (1st of 51). It ranks lowest for Avg. Internet Speed (51st of 51), Income Tax Maximum Rate (43rd of 43), U-6 Unemployment Rate Q3 2022 (50th of 51).

Population
39.3M
Highest of 51
Density
252.6
12th highest of 51
Growth rate
-0.02%
47th highest of 51
Region
West

Strengths and weak spotsPercentileWhere a place sits among all places, from 0 to 100. 100 is the best, 50 is the middle, 0 is the worst.More in the glossary →

Percentile on 873 metrics that rank at least half of all US states, given whether higher or lower is better.

Totals that track populationCounts like “number of burglaries” that mostly reflect how many people live somewhere, so big places rank high or low regardless.More in the glossary →

Best at

Highest percentiles, given whether higher or lower is better

  1. LPN Annual Median$164,050
    Nurses Pay by State · 2023
    1st of 51
  2. Annual Mean Wage$133,340
    Nurse Salary by State
    1st of 51
  3. Avg Salary$89,220
    Correctional Officer Salary by State · 2022
    1st of 51
  4. Maximum Annual Salary$182,500
    IBEW Pay Scale by State · 2026
    1st of 51
  5. Hourly Mean Wage$55.04
    Sonographer Salary by State
    1st of 51
  6. HealthCare - Hourly$44.81
    Social Worker Salary by State · 2023
    1st of 51
  7. Mean Hourly Wage$52.51
    OT Salary by State
    1st of 51
  8. Average Teacher Salary$101,084
    Teacher Pay by State · 2024
    1st of 51
  9. Average Teacher Salary$103,552
    Best States for Teachers · 2025
    1st of 51
  10. % Sheltered33.7%
    Homeless Population by State · 2024
    1st of 51

Worst at

Lowest percentiles, given whether higher or lower is better

  1. Chronically Homeless66,548
    Homeless Population by State · 2024
    51st of 51
  2. % of Pop. with Less Than High School Diploma15.1%
    Most Educated U.S. States · 2024
    51st of 51
  3. Diesel Gas Tax (￠/gallon)87.32 ￠/gallon
    Gas Taxes by State · 2026
    51st of 51
  4. Avg Diesel Price$7.49 per gallon
    Diesel Fuel Prices by State · 2026
    51st of 51
  5. Median Price: All Home Types$854,000
    Median Home Price by State · 2026
    51st of 51
  6. Mid-Grade Gas, Avg Price per Gallon$6.09
    Gas Price by State · 2026
    51st of 51
  7. COLI Transportation Costs Index136.7
    Least Expensive States · 2024
    51st of 51
  8. Median Rent (Monthly; $3,501 Means $3,500 or More)$2,036
    Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) · 2024
    51st of 51
  9. Avg. Internet Speed93
    Average Internet Speed by State
    51st of 51
  10. Price Level (All Items)110.7
    Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) · 2024
    51st of 51

Profile by category

Average percentile per category, from the median line. Select a category to list its metrics.

Strongest category Health (67), weakest Infrastructure & Energy (40). Select a category to list its metrics.

Notable facts

Where it ranks first or last among US states

Where it is

Shaded by population; select a place to open it

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Similar places

Closest percentiles on 60 widely reported measures from 12 categories, leaving out size and totals

  1. Washington67% similar
  2. New York67% similar
  3. Texas65% similar
  4. Colorado64% similar
  5. Oregon63% similar

Cities in California

78 cities with a report card, largest first

Counties in California

58 counties with a report card, largest first

Quick answers

What is the population of California?
California has a population of 39,345,844, 1st among 51 US states.
What does California rank best at?
Among US states, California ranks best for Infant Mortality Rate (1st of 49); Avg Salary (1st of 51); Mean Hourly Wage (1st of 51).
Where does California rank worst?
California ranks lowest for Avg. Internet Speed (51st of 51); Income Tax Maximum Rate (43rd of 43); U-6 Unemployment Rate Q3 2022 (50th of 51).
How many statistics does Rankodex have for California?
Rankodex ranks California on 2,373 statistics compared with other US states, compiled from World Population Review and the sources it cites.

Every metric

2,373 metrics with a value for this place, in 694 topics