USA Cost of Living Compare US cities and states with official data

Arkansas vs California: cost of living compared

Statewide price levels and incomes from BEA (2024); gas prices from EIA (weekly).

Is it cheaper to live in Arkansas or California?

  • Overall, California is 27.4% more expensive than Arkansas (BEA, 2024).
  • To keep the same standard of living, $75,000 in Arkansas works out to about $95,500 in California, before taxes.
  • Most of the difference is housing, which costs 165.2% more in California. Goods are 13.4% higher and other services 7.6% higher.
  • Utility prices (electricity, gas, water) are 112.6% higher in California.
  • After adjusting for local prices, personal income per person is $63,028 in California and $55,219 in Arkansas (14.1% higher in California; BEA, 2024, in 2017 dollars).
  • Inside each state, metro price levels run from 95.2 in El Centro, CA to 115.6 in San Francisco, CA (California) and from 85.7 in Hot Springs, AR to 91.4 in Fayetteville, AR (Arkansas), US = 100.
  • The gap is about where it was in 2019 (26.7%).

derived Calculated from BEA Regional Price Parities and real personal income by state. Statewide averages mix cities and rural areas; taxes are not included. How we calculate.

Try your own salary

18% matches BEA's average basket. Set your own share if housing takes more or less of your budget.

Category by category

Both states against the US average (100).

Housing drives the gap: 165.2% higher in California than in Arkansas

Price level by category, 2024. US average = 100.

  • Arkansas
  • California
All items
86.9 110.7
Goods
93.6 106.1
Housing (rents)
58.2 154.3
Utilities
74.7 158.9
Other services
95.3 102.6

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
ArkansasCalifornia
All items86.9110.7
Goods93.6106.1
Housing (rents)58.2154.3
Utilities74.7158.9
Other services95.3102.6
CategoryArkansasCaliforniaCalifornia vs Arkansas
All items86.9110.7+27.4%
Goods93.6106.1+13.4%
Housing (rents)58.2154.3+165.2%
Utilities74.7158.9+112.6%
Other services95.3102.6+7.6%
Income per person, adjusted for prices $55,219 $63,028 +14.1%
Regular gas, week of October 19, 2026* $3.78 $6.03 +59.4%
Salary to match $75,000 in Arkansas $75,000 $95,500 +27.4%

Index values: BEA, 2024, US = 100. Income: BEA real personal income per person, 2017 dollars. Gas: EIA weekly retail prices. *Gulf Coast region average (EIA has no separate Arkansas figure).

Cheapest and most expensive places in each state

Arkansas

  1. Texarkana, TX 84.0
  2. Hot Springs, AR 85.7
  3. Jonesboro, AR 85.9
  4. Fort Smith, AR 85.9
  5. Little Rock, AR 89.4
  6. Fayetteville, AR 91.4
  7. Memphis, TN 92.2

California

  1. El Centro, CA 95.2
  2. Merced, CA 98.3
  3. Visalia, CA 99.8
  4. Redding, CA 100.7
  5. Bakersfield, CA 100.9
  6. Chico, CA 101.2
  7. Hanford, CA 101.6
  8. Fresno, CA 102.2
  9. Modesto, CA 104.1
  10. Yuba City, CA 104.2
  11. Stockton, CA 105.1
  12. Riverside, CA 106.4
  13. Sacramento, CA 106.7
  14. Santa Rosa, CA 107.8
  15. Vallejo, CA 108.5
  16. San Luis Obispo, CA 108.6
  17. Santa Maria, CA 108.8
  18. Salinas, CA 109.0
  19. Santa Cruz, CA 109.9
  20. San Jose, CA 110.4
  21. Oxnard, CA 110.5
  22. San Diego, CA 111.9
  23. Napa, CA 112.6
  24. Los Angeles, CA 113.6
  25. San Francisco, CA 115.6

Metro areas ordered from cheapest to most expensive. BEA, 2024, US = 100.

How the gap has changed since 2008

The price gap between Arkansas and California has been fairly stable since 2008

Overall price level each year, 2008–2024. US average = 100.

  • Arkansas
  • California
US average = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
ArkansasCalifornia
200888.1111.2
200986.4110.7
201088.6109.7
201189.4109.5
201289.4109.7
201389.5109.7
201489.4109.9
201589.0110.7
201689.3110.0
201788.6111.0
201887.1111.9
201987.7111.1
202088.2111.9
202188.9111.9
202286.9112.6
202386.8112.2
202486.9110.7

Goods

  • Arkansas
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
ArkansasCalifornia
200895.9107.4
200993.8104.7
201096.6103.0
201196.0103.6
201294.5104.1
201395.4104.3
201494.8104.3
201594.0105.5
201694.9104.4
201794.5104.5
201893.1105.5
201994.8106.2
202094.3106.7
202195.6108.1
202293.1108.4
202393.1106.8
202493.6106.1

Housing (rents)

  • Arkansas
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
ArkansasCalifornia
200858.7161.4
200957.4160.4
201059.8158.0
201161.0157.1
201260.3156.2
201359.9155.7
201460.2157.9
201559.4158.0
201659.3160.1
201757.6162.5
201856.2163.8
201956.8164.6
202056.9166.3
202159.4165.0
202255.7160.1
202356.7157.8
202458.2154.3

Utilities

  • Arkansas
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
ArkansasCalifornia
200881.2111.4
200979.5112.8
201078.9117.2
201179.1115.3
201281.8117.1
201381.5121.4
201481.3128.3
201584.5129.3
201683.7129.5
201783.1130.7
201879.3125.1
201978.4131.0
202081.6133.5
202182.6144.2
202282.6152.3
202381.9147.3
202474.7158.9

Other services

  • Arkansas
  • California
US = 100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (US = 100).

Show the numbers
ArkansasCalifornia
200897.1101.9
200995.8102.0
201097.4101.7
201198.9101.6
2012100.1101.9
201399.8101.8
201499.9101.9
201599.5102.8
201699.5101.9
201798.1103.3
201897.9104.3
201997.2102.4
202099.4101.9
202197.2102.1
202296.0103.9
202395.7104.4
202495.3102.6

What incomes buy in each state

Income per person after adjusting for prices: $63,028 in California, $55,219 in Arkansas

Real personal income per person, constant 2017 dollars (adjusted for each state's price level and for inflation).

  • Arkansas
  • California
  • United States

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, real personal income by state (SARPI), 2008–2024.

Show the numbers
ArkansasCaliforniaUnited States
2008$40,969$43,788$45,816
2009$40,953$42,377$44,204
2010$40,248$43,503$44,808
2011$41,264$44,844$45,957
2012$42,999$46,162$46,796
2013$42,386$45,826$46,358
2014$44,078$47,472$47,661
2015$45,415$50,054$49,396
2016$45,881$51,802$49,828
2017$46,861$52,569$51,006
2018$48,487$53,523$52,242
2019$48,246$55,931$53,683
2020$51,212$59,993$56,514
2021$55,184$63,373$59,365
2022$53,291$59,126$57,104
2023$54,094$60,100$58,088
2024$55,219$63,028$59,195

More

Related state comparisons

What this comparison leaves out

  • Taxes. State income, sales and property taxes differ a lot between states and are not included.
  • Where you live inside the state. Statewide figures average cities and rural areas; the metro lists above show the spread.
  • Your own spending mix. The default uses an average household. Use the housing slider if housing is a bigger share of your budget.
  • Timing. BEA price levels and incomes are for 2024; gas prices are weekly.

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