California vs New Hampshire
New Hampshire comes out ahead of California on 401 of 787 statistics where one end is better, to 373 with 13 ties. California leads on Agriculture, Sports and Health and 2 more categories. New Hampshire leads on Infrastructure & Energy, Environment and Population and 7 more categories.
787 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 13 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 373
- Avg. percentile
- 54
- Categories led
- 5
- Wins
- 401
- Avg. percentile
- 57
- Categories led
- 10
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | California | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,345,844 1st of 51 | 1,422,166 41st of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $99,122 6th of 51 | $99,031 7th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.5% 50th of 51 | 3.2% tied 7th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 12.0% 29th of 51 | 7.25% 1st of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 110.7 51st of 51 | 104.2 43rd of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $63,028 13th of 51 | $64,632 9th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $80,690 5th of 51 | $71,360 14th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $2,036 51st of 51 | $1,491 36th of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 432.7 44th of 51 | 117.6 3rd of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 2,814 9th of 48 | 7,449 40th of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureCalifornia · 17 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyNew Hampshire · 33 statistics
- EnvironmentNew Hampshire · 39 statistics
- PopulationNew Hampshire · 125 statistics
- GeographyNew Hampshire · 25 statistics
- Crime & SafetyNew Hampshire · 72 statistics
- Facts & TriviaNew Hampshire · 18 statistics
- SportsCalifornia · 16 statistics
- HealthCalifornia · 187 statistics
- Tech & BusinessCalifornia · 47 statistics
- CultureNew Hampshire · 78 statistics
- LawCalifornia · 58 statistics
- TravelNew Hampshire · 29 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentNew Hampshire · 117 statistics
- EducationNew Hampshire · 51 statistics
- EconomicsEven · 288 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | California | New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|
| % of Pop. with Less Than High School DiplomaMost Educated U.S. States | 15.1% 51st of 51 | 5% 1st of 51 |
| Billionaires' Net WorthMost Billionaires by State | $532.4B 1st of 42 | $1B 42nd of 42 |
| Opportunity & Competition RankBest States for Teachers | 2nd 2nd of 51 | 51st 51st of 51 |
| Higher Education QualityPublic School Rankings by State | 2nd 2nd of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Freedom RankMost Free States | 48th 48th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| Overall Freedom RankMost Libertarian States | 48th 48th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| Overall Freedom ScoreMost Libertarian States | -0.58 48th of 50 | 0.71 1st of 50 |
| State Freedom ScoreState Powers | -0.474 48th of 50 | 0.592 1st of 50 |
| Aluminum Can PriceAluminum Can Prices by State | $1.67 per lb 43rd of 43 | $0.13 per lb 3rd of 43 |
| Sales Tax RankBest State To Incorporate In | 47th 48th of 51 | 1st 1st of 51 |
| Theft RateStolen Cars by State | 511 per 100k 49th of 51 | 62 per 100k 2nd of 51 |
| Average New Car Price With Tax And FeesCar Registration Fees by State | $53,936 47th of 50 | $50,166 1st of 50 |
| Cultural DiversityLeast Diverse States in the US | 1st 1st of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Cultural Diversity RankMost Diverse US States | 1st 1st of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| Road QualityRoad Quality by State | 47th 47th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| Average IQ ScoreAverage IQ by State | 95.5 48th of 50 | 104.2 2nd of 50 |
| Fiscal Freedom RankMost Libertarian States | 48th 48th of 50 | 2nd 2nd of 50 |
| Bad Driving IndexWorst Drivers by State | 90.58 47th of 49 | 18.84 2nd of 49 |
| U-6 Unemployment Rate Q3 2022U6 Employment Rate | 9.2% 50th of 51 | 4.5% 4th of 51 |
| Air Quality Rank (US News)Air Quality by State | 49th 49th of 50 | 4th 4th of 50 |
| Climate RankFarming-Friendly States | 4th 4th of 50 | 49th 49th of 50 |
| Days with Unhealthy Air Quality (US News)Air Quality by State | 234 49th of 50 | 66 4th of 50 |
| Opportunity RankWorst States to Live in | 1st worst of 50 | 45th 5th best of 50 |
| Personal & Residential Safety Rank WalletHubSafest States in the US | 47th 47th of 50 | 2nd 2nd of 50 |
| Racial & Ethnic DiversityMost Diverse US States | 2nd 2nd of 50 | 47th 47th of 50 |
| InmatesFederal Prisons by State | 11,235 35th of 36 | 587 3rd of 36 |
| US HighwayAccidents 2018-2022Jaywalking Laws By State | 3.72% 4th of 44 | 75.0% 43rd of 44 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 316.7 48th of 51 | 53.3 3rd of 51 |
| Kuhl Crime Rate ScoreOff-Grid Living Legal States | 510 45th of 50 | 102 1st of 50 |
| Local Effective Tax RateHighest Taxed States | 11.0% 47th of 50 | 5.94% 3rd of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, California or New Hampshire?
- New Hampshire comes out ahead of California on 401 of 787 statistics where one end is better, to 373 with 13 ties. California leads on Agriculture, Sports and Health and 2 more categories. New Hampshire leads on Infrastructure & Energy, Environment and Population and 7 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, California or New Hampshire?
- California has a population of 39,345,844 (1st of 51 US states) and New Hampshire has 1,422,166 (41st of 51).
- How do California and New Hampshire compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: California $99,122 (6th of 51), New Hampshire $99,031 (7th of 51) among US states. California ranks better.
- How do California and New Hampshire compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): California 5.5% (50th of 51), New Hampshire 3.2% (tied 7th of 51) among US states. New Hampshire ranks better.
- Where does California beat New Hampshire most clearly?
- California ranks far ahead on Billionaires' Net Worth (Most Billionaires by State): $532.4B vs $1B; Opportunity & Competition Rank (Best States for Teachers): 2nd vs 51st; Higher Education Quality (Public School Rankings by State): 2nd vs 50th.
- Where does New Hampshire beat California most clearly?
- New Hampshire ranks far ahead on % of Pop. with Less Than High School Diploma (Most Educated U.S. States): 5% vs 15.1%; Freedom Rank (Most Free States): 1st vs 48th; Overall Freedom Rank (Most Libertarian States): 1st vs 48th.
More matchups
Other comparisons with California or New Hampshire.
- 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 New Hampshire
- Alaska vs New Hampshire
- Arizona vs New Hampshire
- Arkansas vs New Hampshire
- Colorado vs New Hampshire
- Connecticut vs New Hampshire
- Delaware vs New Hampshire
- District of Columbia vs New Hampshire