Pennsylvania
Moderate tax burden · COL index 97
Wins 10 categories
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 4 categories
California's top income tax rate is 13.3% vs Pennsylvania's 3.07%. Cost of living in California (index 142) runs 46% higher than Pennsylvania (index 97). Property taxes are meaningfully different: Pennsylvania averages 1.43% annually vs California's 0.71%. The median home in California costs $790K vs $270K in Pennsylvania.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
10
Pennsylvania
4
California
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →People Also Ask
Is $50,000 enough to live in California?
What are the biggest issues in Pennsylvania?
Where do most people from PA move to?
How many people from Pennsylvania moved to another state in the past year? In 2024, 32.5% of the 254,000 people who left Pennsylvania for another state moved to just three destinations: Florida (33,500), New Jersey (25,900), and New York (23,200).
Is moving to Pennsylvania a good idea?