Real Dollar Value
Utah stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $103.60 of local goods and services in Utah, compared with $92.31 in California.
Purchasing Power of $100 Comparison
Income
California vs Utah: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in Utah: about $103.60 in local buying power versus $92.31 in California, a $11.29 gap.
California
CA • West
$92.31
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Utah
UT • West
$103.60
Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
Visual Comparison
California
$92.31
Utah
$103.60
Difference: $11 — Utah leads.
Safety Context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Safety
BEA Price Index
Utah has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in Utah (95.6) than in California (113.4), which is why the same cash buys more there.
View detailed comparisonIncome Check
California has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. California has a median household income of $84,097, versus $79,133 in Utah.
View detailed comparisonLiving Costs
Utah also looks cheaper on the cost index
Utah's cost-of-living index is 107.2, compared with 138.5 in the other state.
View detailed comparisonRelated Pages
What This Means
California vs Utah: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
Utah has a purchasing power of $100 of $103.60, compared with $92.31 in California, a gap of 12.2%. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
California
$92.31
Utah
$103.60
Difference
$11
People Also Ask
California vs Utah Purchasing Power of $100 — Common Questions
Q What is California's purchasing power of $100?
California's purchasing power of $100 is $92.31.
Q What is Utah's purchasing power of $100?
Utah's purchasing power of $100 is $103.60.
Q Which state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — California or Utah?
$100 goes further in Utah: about $103.60 in local buying power versus $92.31 in California, a $11.29 gap.
More Comparisons: California vs Utah
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.