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Population Review

Census ACS 2023 · 18 metrics compared

California vs Alaska

California and Alaska compared across 18 demographic and economic metrics. Alaska leads in 7 of the comparable categories.

7

Alaska wins

MetricCaliforniaAlaska
Population39,242,785733,971
Median Age37.635.6
Median Household Income$96,334$89,336
Per Capita Income$47,977$44,928
Poverty Rate8.4%6.8%
Unemployment Rate4.1%3.6%
Median Home Value$695,400$333,300
Median Rent$1,956$1,388
Homeownership Rate55.8%66.6%
Bachelor's Degree+36.5%31.2%
High School+84.6%93.5%
Work From Home15.5%8.8%
Avg Commute (min)29.019.5
White44.0%60.7%
Hispanic2.8%20.2%
Black5.5%3.1%
Asian0.0%0.0%
Foreign Born15.2%46.9%

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Frequently Asked Questions

California has a population of 39,242,785 compared to Alaska's 733,971.

Across the metrics compared, California leads in 6 categories while Alaska leads in 7. However, "better" depends on what matters most to you, income, cost of living, education, climate, and personal preferences all play a role.

All data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates by the US Census Bureau.

Comparison based on American Community Survey 2023 5-Year estimates. Green highlighting indicates the "better" value where applicable (higher income is better, lower poverty is better, etc.). Race and ethnicity metrics are not highlighted as there is no "better" value.