We all know that California is a pricey place to live.

However, what drives those higher expenses is not just housing, although putting a California roof over your head is the largest expense.

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To gain insight into California costs, my trusty spreadsheet reviewed detailed consumer spending statistics from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. These numbers allow us to track key components of household expenses in 2024 for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It’s calculated per resident, so much like an average, the biggest and smallest spenders can influence the results.

California’s overall consumer spending in 2024 equaled $65,340 per resident, the fourth-highest among states. That was $8,640 more than $56,700 spent nationally.

Most of California’s extra spending

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