The purchasing power of the dollar in California is 84 cents based on the regional cost of items such as housing, groceries and utilities in 2019, according to a new analysis of the 24/7 Wall St. California is tied with New York and New Jersey for worst value in the US
Goods and services in states where household incomes are below the U.S. average tend to be cheaper than in states where household incomes are above the national median of $ 59,729, the study concludes.
Each state’s dollar value was estimated by dividing 100 (the base dollar value) by regional price parity estimates, based on 2019 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the most recent figures available.
California has a per capita personal income of $ 71,480 in 2020. This figure was compared to the state dollar value and the price parity number to calculate the effective personal income of residents on average – $ 59,757 .
The median home value in the state, $ 568,500, reflects the 2019 U.S. Census Bureau Consumer Survey.
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The purchasing power of the dollar, state by state
| State | Dollar value | Personal income per capita | Income adjusted for cost of living | Median house value |
| Alabama | $ 1.14 | $ 46,908 | $ 53,569 | $ 154,000 |
| Alaska | $ 0.95 | $ 64,780 | $ 61,476 | $ 281,200 |
| Arizona | $ 1.04 | $ 48,950 | $ 50,761 | $ 255,900 |
| Arkansas | $ 1.15 | $ 47,109 | $ 54,317 | $ 136,200 |
| California | $ 0.84 | $ 71,480 | $ 59,757 | $ 568,500 |
| Colorado | $ 0.98 | $ 58,500 | $ 53,315 | $ 373,300 |
| Connecticut | $ 0.95 | $ 79,771 | $ 75,782 | $ 280,700 |
| Delaware | $ 1.01 | $ 56,768 | $ 57,109 | $ 261,700 |
| Florida | $ 0.99 | $ 55,337 | $ 54,784 | $ 245,100 |
| Georgia | $ 1.07 | $ 51,165 | $ 54,644 | $ 202,500 |
| Hawaii | $ 0.81 | $ 60,729 | $ 49,008 | $ 669,200 |
| Idaho | $ 1.08 | $ 48,616 | $ 52,408 | $ 255,200 |
| Illinois | $ 1.03 | $ 62,977 | $ 64,614 | $ 209,100 |
| Indiana | $ 1.11 | $ 51,340 | $ 57,141 | $ 156,000 |
| Iowa | $ 1.11 | $ 55,218 | $ 61,292 | $ 158,900 |
| Kansas | $ 1.11 | $ 56,073 | $ 62,129 | $ 163,200 |
| Kentucky | $ 1.13 | $ 46,507 | $ 52,367 | $ 151,700 |
| Louisiana | $ 1.12 | $ 50,037 | $ 56,091 | $ 172,100 |
| Maine | $ 1.01 | $ 54,225 | $ 54,605 | $ 200,500 |
| Maryland | $ 0.92 | $ 68,258 | $ 63,002 | $ 332,500 |
| Massachusetts | $ 0.90 | $ 79,721 | $ 71,430 | $ 418,600 |
| Michigan | $ 1.08 | $ 52,987 | $ 57,067 | $ 169,600 |
| Minnesota | $ 1.02 | $ 61,540 | $ 62,771 | $ 246,700 |
| Mississippi | $ 1.16 | $ 41,745 | $ 48,257 | $ 128,200 |
| Missouri | $ 1.11 | $ 51,177 | $ 56,960 | $ 168,000 |
| Montana | $ 1.07 | $ 53,329 | $ 56,795 | $ 253,600 |
| Nebraska | $ 1.11 | $ 57,942 | $ 64,026 | $ 172,700 |
| Nevada | $ 1.03 | $ 53,635 | $ 55,030 | $ 317,800 |
| New Hampshire | $ 0.94 | $ 66,418 | $ 62,101 | $ 281,400 |
| New Jersey | $ 0.84 | $ 75,245 | $ 63,206 | $ 348,800 |
| New Mexico | $ 1.09 | $ 45,803 | $ 49,879 | $ 180,900 |
| new York | $ 0.84 | $ 75,548 | $ 63,234 | $ 338,700 |
| North Carolina | $ 1.08 | $ 50,086 | $ 54,243 | $ 193,200 |
| North Dakota | $ 1.11 | $ 59,388 | $ 65,743 | $ 205,400 |
| Ohio | $ 1.12 | $ 53,296 | $ 59,478 | $ 157,200 |
| Oklahoma | $ 1.13 | $ 49,249 | $ 55,553 | $ 147,000 |
| Oregon | $ 0.98 | $ 56,765 | $ 55,516 | $ 354,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $ 1.03 | $ 62,198 | $ 64,064 | $ 192,600 |
| Rhode Island | $ 0.99 | $ 60,837 | $ 60,046 | $ 283,000 |
| Caroline from the south | $ 1.09 | $ 47,502 | $ 51,540 | $ 179,800 |
| South Dakota | $ 1.12 | $ 57,273 | $ 64,260 | $ 185,000 |
| Tennessee | $ 1.10 | $ 50,547 | $ 55,753 | $ 191,900 |
| Texas | $ 1.04 | $ 54,841 | $ 56,760 | $ 200,400 |
| Utah | $ 1.04 | $ 52,251 | $ 54,080 | $ 330,300 |
| Vermont | $ 0.97 | $ 58,650 | $ 56,832 | $ 233,200 |
| Virginia | $ 0.99 | $ 62,362 | $ 61,551 | $ 288,800 |
| Washington | $ 0.92 | $ 68,322 | $ 62,583 | $ 387,600 |
| West Virginia | $ 1.13 | $ 45,109 | $ 50,928 | $ 124,600 |
| Wisconsin | $ 1.08 | $ 55,487 | $ 59,981 | $ 197,200 |
| Wyoming | $ 1.07 | $ 63,263 | $ 67,818 | $ 235,200 |
Source: 24/7 Wall Street.
