Census ACS 2023 · 18 metrics compared
New York vs California
New York and California compared across 18 demographic and economic metrics. California leads in 8 of the comparable categories.
5
New York wins
8
California wins
| Metric | New York | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 19,872,319 | 39,242,785 |
| Median Age | 39.6 | 37.6 |
| Median Household Income | $84,578 | $96,334 |
| Per Capita Income | $49,520 | $47,977 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.8% | 8.4% |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.9% | 4.1% |
| Median Home Value | $403,000 | $695,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,576 | $1,956 |
| Homeownership Rate | 54.3% | 55.8% |
| Bachelor's Degree+ | 39.6% | 36.5% |
| High School+ | 87.9% | 84.6% |
| Work From Home | 13.3% | 15.5% |
| Avg Commute (min) | 32.8 | 29.0 |
| White | 57.1% | 44.0% |
| Hispanic | 1.4% | 2.8% |
| Black | 14.7% | 5.5% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Foreign Born | 12.2% | 15.2% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
New York has a population of 19,872,319 compared to California's 39,242,785.
Across the metrics compared, New York leads in 5 categories while California leads in 8. 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.