Skip to main content
Population Review

Census ACS 2023 · 18 metrics compared

California vs Texas

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

6

Texas wins

MetricCaliforniaTexas
Population39,242,78529,640,343
Median Age37.635.5
Median Household Income$96,334$76,292
Per Capita Income$47,977$39,446
Poverty Rate8.4%10.5%
Unemployment Rate4.1%3.3%
Median Home Value$695,400$260,400
Median Rent$1,956$1,339
Homeownership Rate55.8%62.6%
Bachelor's Degree+36.5%33.1%
High School+84.6%85.7%
Work From Home15.5%12.8%
Avg Commute (min)29.026.7
White44.0%53.9%
Hispanic2.8%2.0%
Black5.5%12.2%
Asian0.0%0.0%
Foreign Born15.2%22.4%

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

California has a population of 39,242,785 compared to Texas's 29,640,343.

Across the metrics compared, California leads in 7 categories while Texas leads in 6. 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.