California vs Washington
A $100,000 income in California is worth
$90,334
at national prices · RPP 110.7BEA RPP SARPP. Source: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 19, 2026 · Official API
In Washington, the same income is worth
$93,458
at national prices · RPP 107.0BEA RPP SARPP. Source: BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 vintage · released February 19, 2026 · Official API
$100,000 has $3,124 more purchasing power in Washington.
Decision shortcut
To match $100,000 in California, you would need about $96,658in Washington.
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Where the difference comes from
Price level by component, 100 = US average. Higher means more expensive.
| Component | California | Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 110.7 | 107.0 | −3.3% |
| Housing rents | 154.3 | 126.0 | −18.3% |
| Goods | 106.1 | 104.4 | −1.6% |
| Utilities | 158.9 | 92.9 | −41.5% |
| Other services | 102.6 | 103.9 | +1.3% |
BEA Regional Price Parities · SARPP · 2024 · rel. February 19, 2026 · Official API
Housing reality check
ACS median gross rent, home value, and real estate taxes paid — statewide context beyond the index.
US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates · ACS5 · 2024 · rel. December 2025 · Official API
Tax at a glance
Hand-curated, tax year 2026 · verified 2026-07-20
Top marginal and average combined rates do not estimate a household's total tax liability.
| Tax | California | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax (top rate) | 13.30% | None |
| Sales tax (combined avg) | 8.99% | 9.51% |
Tax Foundation (income & sales) · Tax · 2026 · rel. tax year 2026 · Manually maintained · verified 2026-07-20
California vs Washington: the read
The bottom line
Compare a $100,000 income in California and Washington: its purchasing power is $90,334 and $93,458, respectively, in national-average terms — a gain of $3,124. Washington is the cheaper of the two, running at 107 on the price index versus 110.7.
Where the difference comes from
The widest gap is utilities: California sits at 158.9 and Washington at 92.9 (100 = national). Washington has the edge there, and it's the main reason the two states diverge.
Housing
Median rent runs $2,036 in California against $1,760 in Washington, and the typical home $734,700 versus $564,600. Washington is the more affordable place to buy.
Taxes
On tax, California has 13.30% top income tax and a combined sales tax of 8.99%; Washington has no wage income tax and 9.51%. Those headline rates are useful screening facts, but they do not calculate either household's total liability.
Full profiles: California ·Washington. Every figure here is sourced on the pages linked above.
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