California
#25of 5155C+
Starting up
How many businesses get founded here, and what the state takes in tax.
29-26 vs median
- Business applications per 1,000 residents1.650 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- State tax collected per resident$6,9758 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections
Population health
One comparable public-health read, asked the same way of every state.
88+38 vs median
- Adult obesity, 202429.1%88 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
- Firearm-injury deaths per 100,000 (crude)7.388 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCDC NCIPC, CDC NCIPC 2024
Productive base
Output per worker and how much of the job base is manufacturing.
64+13 vs median
- Output per worker$217,43492 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Manufacturing share of jobs6.6%35 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Labour market
How tight the market is, and which way it moved last month.
15-34 vs median
- Unemployment rate5.1%6 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment change, latest month-0.11%24 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Prosperity
What the average person in the state actually earns.
82+30 vs median
- Per-capita personal income$91,11694 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher38.1%70 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year
Things get built
Housing authorised per worker — a direct read on whether projects clear.
17-41 vs median
- Housing units authorised per 1,000 workers0.420 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsU.S. Census Bureau
- House price index (FHFA)975.014 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsFederal Housing Finance Agency
Fiscal standing
What the bond market thinks of the state as a counterparty.
84-8 vs median
- General-obligation ratingAa2 · Stable84 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsMoody's, indicative 2025
Openness
Whether you can get an answer out of the state without telephoning it.
63+12 vs median
- Open-data portal answers an APIYes · data.ca.gov100 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09
- Incentive, permit & finance datasets1390 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA discovery, 2026-09
- Government or agency newsroom feeds10 percentile among the 51 jurisdictionsCEFA probe, 2026-09