California vs Hawaii
Hawaii comes out ahead of California on 389 of 781 statistics where one end is better, to 377 with 15 ties. California leads on Agriculture and Sports. Hawaii leads on Facts & Trivia, Geography and Infrastructure & Energy and 10 more categories.
781 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 15 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 377
- Avg. percentile
- 54
- Categories led
- 2
- Wins
- 389
- Avg. percentile
- 57
- Categories led
- 13
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | California | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,345,844 1st of 51 | 1,430,688 40th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $99,122 6th of 51 | $100,389 5th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.5% 50th of 51 | 2.4% 2nd of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 12.0% 29th of 51 | 10.0% 11th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 110.7 51st of 51 | 110.0 50th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $63,028 13th of 51 | $52,272 47th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $80,690 5th of 51 | $70,270 17th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $2,036 51st of 51 | $1,971 50th of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 432.7 44th of 51 | 205.1 7th of 51 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- Facts & TriviaHawaii · 18 statistics
- AgricultureCalifornia · 16 statistics
- GeographyHawaii · 22 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyHawaii · 35 statistics
- TravelHawaii · 24 statistics
- Crime & SafetyHawaii · 73 statistics
- Tech & BusinessHawaii · 48 statistics
- SportsCalifornia · 16 statistics
- PopulationHawaii · 125 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentHawaii · 123 statistics
- LawHawaii · 71 statistics
- HealthHawaii · 180 statistics
- EconomicsHawaii · 290 statistics
- CultureHawaii · 77 statistics
- EducationHawaii · 51 statistics
- EnvironmentEven · 33 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | California | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|
| Species Diversity Rank (01-51)Most Biodiverse States | 1st 1st of 51 | 51st 51st of 51 |
| License Cost ResidentsFly Fishing by State | $58.58 50th of 50 | $6.00 1st of 50 |
| Affordability RankBest States for Fishing | 50th 50th of 51 | 1st 1st of 51 |
| Diesel Gas Tax (￠/gallon)Gas Taxes by State | 87.32 ￠/gallon 51st of 51 | 18.5 ￠/gallon 2nd of 51 |
| Diesel Gas Tax ($/gallon)Gas Taxes by State | $0.873/gallon 51st of 51 | $0.185/gallon 2nd of 51 |
| Gas Tax (¢/gallon)Gas Taxes by State | 70.92 ￠/gallon 51st of 51 | 18.5 ￠/gallon 2nd of 51 |
| Gas Tax ($/gallon)Gas Taxes by State | $0.709/gallon 51st of 51 | $0.185/gallon 2nd of 51 |
| Overall Score (Higher is Better)Best State To Be a Police Officer | 61.87 1st of 51 | 30.27 50th of 51 |
| Training Requirements RankBest State To Be a Police Officer | 2nd 2nd of 51 | 51st 51st of 51 |
| Air Quality Rank (US News)Air Quality by State | 49th 49th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| Days with Unhealthy Air Quality (US News)Air Quality by State | 234 49th of 50 | 25 1st of 50 |
| License Cost Non ResidentsFly Fishing by State | $158 50th of 50 | $26.00 2nd of 50 |
| InmatesFederal Prisons by State | 11,235 35th of 36 | 305 1st of 36 |
| Anxiety RateMental Health Statistics by State | 7,857 per 100k 50th of 51 | 7,090 per 100k 2nd of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.5% 50th of 51 | 2.4% 2nd of 51 |
| Annual Cost IncreaseGrocery Prices by State | 3.4% 2nd of 50 | 9.6% 49th of 50 |
| Wasted Instead of ReusedFood Waste by State | 49th 2nd best of 50 | 2nd 2nd worst of 50 |
| Clothing Sales Tax RateSales Tax on Clothing by State | 7.25% 39th of 39 | 4% tied 2nd of 39 |
| Sales TaxTaxes by State | 7.25% 46th of 46 | 4% tied 2nd of 46 |
| State Sales Tax RateInternet Sales Tax by State | 7.25% 46th of 46 | 4% tied 2nd of 46 |
| State Sales TaxCar Registration Fees by State | 7.25% 45th of 45 | 4% tied 2nd of 45 |
| Community RankBest States for Fishing | 4th 4th of 51 | 50th 50th of 51 |
| Crematory FeeAverage Funeral Cost by State | $329 4th of 51 | $846 50th of 51 |
| Opportunity & Competition RankBest States for Teachers | 2nd 2nd of 51 | 48th 48th of 51 |
| Related Groups per Capita RankBest States to Homeschool | 50th 50th of 50 | 5th 5th of 50 |
| Veteran Unemployment RateVeterans Unemployment Benefits by State | 6.75 47th of 50 | 2.41 2nd of 50 |
| Political DiversityLeast Diverse States in the US | 1st 1st of 50 | 45th 45th of 50 |
| Total Forest AreaLumber Production by State | 31.6M acres 1st of 51 | 1.8M acres 45th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate JulyUnemployment Rate by State | 5.1 48th of 51 | 2.7 4th of 51 |
| Black to White Disparity (x to 1)Incarceration Rates by State | 9.2 44th of 50 | 2.4 1st of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, California or Hawaii?
- Hawaii comes out ahead of California on 389 of 781 statistics where one end is better, to 377 with 15 ties. California leads on Agriculture and Sports. Hawaii leads on Facts & Trivia, Geography and Infrastructure & Energy and 10 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, California or Hawaii?
- California has a population of 39,345,844 (1st of 51 US states) and Hawaii has 1,430,688 (40th of 51).
- How do California and Hawaii compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: California $99,122 (6th of 51), Hawaii $100,389 (5th of 51) among US states. Hawaii ranks better.
- How do California and Hawaii compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): California 5.5% (50th of 51), Hawaii 2.4% (2nd of 51) among US states. Hawaii ranks better.
- Where does California beat Hawaii most clearly?
- California ranks far ahead on Species Diversity Rank (01-51) (Most Biodiverse States): 1st vs 51st; Overall Score (Higher is Better) (Best State To Be a Police Officer): 61.87 vs 30.27; Training Requirements Rank (Best State To Be a Police Officer): 2nd vs 51st.
- Where does Hawaii beat California most clearly?
- Hawaii ranks far ahead on License Cost Residents (Fly Fishing by State): $6.00 vs $58.58; Affordability Rank (Best States for Fishing): 1st vs 50th; Diesel Gas Tax (￠/gallon) (Gas Taxes by State): 18.5 ￠/gallon vs 87.32 ￠/gallon.
More matchups
Other comparisons with California or Hawaii.
- Alabama vs California
- Alaska vs California
- Arizona vs California
- Arkansas vs California
- California vs Colorado
- California vs Connecticut
- California vs Delaware
- California vs District of Columbia
- Alabama vs Hawaii
- Alaska vs Hawaii
- Arizona vs Hawaii
- Arkansas vs Hawaii
- Colorado vs Hawaii
- Connecticut vs Hawaii
- Delaware vs Hawaii
- District of Columbia vs Hawaii