California vs West Virginia
California comes out ahead of West Virginia on 482 of 803 statistics where one end is better, to 309 with 12 ties. California leads on Health, Education and Facts & Trivia and 11 more categories. West Virginia leads on Infrastructure & Energy and Travel.
803 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 12 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 482
- Avg. percentile
- 54
- Categories led
- 14
- Wins
- 309
- Avg. percentile
- 39
- Categories led
- 2
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | California | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,345,844 1st of 51 | 1,764,892 39th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $99,122 6th of 51 | $59,608 50th of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 5.5% 50th of 51 | 4.2% tied 30th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 12.0% 29th of 51 | 16.7% 48th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 110.7 51st of 51 | 89.5 9th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $63,028 13th of 51 | $50,051 50th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $80,690 5th of 51 | $56,470 49th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $2,036 51st of 51 | $872 1st of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 432.7 44th of 51 | 241.7 20th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 2,814 9th of 48 | 5,067 22nd of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- HealthCalifornia · 188 statistics
- EducationCalifornia · 51 statistics
- Facts & TriviaCalifornia · 18 statistics
- SportsCalifornia · 16 statistics
- CultureCalifornia · 78 statistics
- PopulationCalifornia · 124 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyWest Virginia · 36 statistics
- Tech & BusinessCalifornia · 48 statistics
- GeographyCalifornia · 25 statistics
- EconomicsCalifornia · 295 statistics
- AgricultureCalifornia · 17 statistics
- TravelWest Virginia · 29 statistics
- Crime & SafetyCalifornia · 71 statistics
- EnvironmentCalifornia · 39 statistics
- LawCalifornia · 68 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentCalifornia · 126 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | California | West Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $2,036 51st of 51 | $872 1st of 51 |
| Affordabillity (WalletHub)Best States to Live In | 50th 50th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| Avg Annual SalaryMedical Billing and Coding Salary by State | $76,695 1st of 50 | $52,556 50th of 50 |
| Avg Hourly WageMedical Billing and Coding Salary by State | $36.87 1st of 50 | $25.27 50th of 50 |
| Costs RankFarming-Friendly States | 50th 50th of 50 | 1st 1st of 50 |
| Cultural DiversityLeast Diverse States in the US | 1st 1st of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Cultural Diversity RankMost Diverse US States | 1st 1st of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Entertainment Rank (WH)Most Boring States | 1st 1st of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Family FunBest States to Raise a Family | 1st 1st of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Linguistic DiversityMost Diverse US States | 1st 1st of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Renewable Energy IncentivesOff-Grid Living Legal States | 158 1st of 50 | 8 50th of 50 |
| ROI Potential RankFarming-Friendly States | 1st 1st of 50 | 50th 50th of 50 |
| Housing CostPension-Friendly States | 14 49th of 49 | 100 1st of 49 |
| Lifestyle Habits & Health Outlook ScoreMost Unhealthy States in the U.S. | 2.13 1st of 49 | 100 49th of 49 |
| Affordability RankDisability Benefits by State | 51st 51st of 51 | 2nd 2nd of 51 |
| Annual Cost Of Comfortable RetirementAverage Retirement Income by State | $100,687 50th of 51 | $58,190 1st of 51 |
| Cigarette Use Past MonthDrug Use by State | 9.96% 2nd of 51 | 26.5% 51st of 51 |
| Female Life Expectancy (HALE)Life Expectancy by State | 67.65 yrs 2nd of 51 | 60.96 yrs 51st of 51 |
| Median Price: All Home TypesMedian Home Price by State | $854,000 51st of 51 | $253,300 2nd of 51 |
| Price Level (Housing Rents)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 154.3 50th of 51 | 54.2 1st of 51 |
| Price To Income RatioHousing Shortage by State | 7.6 50th of 51 | 2.9 1st of 51 |
| Tobacco Use Past MonthDrug Use by State | 12.0% 2nd of 51 | 32.9% 51st of 51 |
| Affordability RankQuality of Life by State | 50th 50th of 50 | 2nd 2nd of 50 |
| Entry LevelHVAC Salary by State | $53,100 1st of 50 | $42,700 49th of 50 |
| Prevalence Of Depression 2021Most Depressed States | 15.2% 2nd of 50 | 27.5% 50th of 50 |
| Senior 4-6 YearsHVAC Salary by State | $71,900 1st of 50 | $57,600 49th of 50 |
| Smoking RateHealthiest States | 7.6% 2nd of 50 | 20.8% 50th of 50 |
| Supervisor 7+ YearsHVAC Salary by State | $96,400 1st of 50 | $76,900 49th of 50 |
| Age-Adjusted Depression RateDepression Rates by State | 15.3% 2nd of 49 | 29.0% 49th of 49 |
| Crude Depression RateDepression Rates by State | 15.2% 2nd of 49 | 27.5% 49th of 49 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, California or West Virginia?
- California comes out ahead of West Virginia on 482 of 803 statistics where one end is better, to 309 with 12 ties. California leads on Health, Education and Facts & Trivia and 11 more categories. West Virginia leads on Infrastructure & Energy and Travel. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, California or West Virginia?
- California has a population of 39,345,844 (1st of 51 US states) and West Virginia has 1,764,892 (39th of 51).
- How do California and West Virginia compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: California $99,122 (6th of 51), West Virginia $59,608 (50th of 51) among US states. California ranks better.
- How do California and West Virginia compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): California 5.5% (50th of 51), West Virginia 4.2% (tied 30th of 51) among US states. West Virginia ranks better.
- Where does California beat West Virginia most clearly?
- California ranks far ahead on Avg Annual Salary (Medical Billing and Coding Salary by State): $76,695 vs $52,556; Avg Hourly Wage (Medical Billing and Coding Salary by State): $36.87 vs $25.27; Cultural Diversity (Least Diverse States in the US): 1st vs 50th.
- Where does West Virginia beat California most clearly?
- West Virginia ranks far ahead on Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501) (Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census)): $872 vs $2,036; Affordabillity (WalletHub) (Best States to Live In): 1st vs 50th; Costs Rank (Farming-Friendly States): 1st vs 50th.
More matchups
Other comparisons with California or West Virginia.
- 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 West Virginia
- Alaska vs West Virginia
- Arizona vs West Virginia
- Arkansas vs West Virginia
- Colorado vs West Virginia
- Connecticut vs West Virginia
- Delaware vs West Virginia
- District of Columbia vs West Virginia