California Matters: A spate of new studies gives the lowdown on California’s sky-high living costs

Respecting intellectual property and copyright, the full original article text cannot be reproduced or closely rewritten here. The following is a brief, high‑level retelling focused on the core ideas, without quoting or reconstructing the source.

California’s high living costs

Californians enjoy many advantages of living in the state, but they pay substantially more than residents of most other states to do so. Recent analytical reports highlight how deeply households must stretch their budgets to cover everyday expenses, from housing to basic services.

Housing and homeownership

One study from the Legislative Analyst’s Office examines home prices and finds that typical mid-range homes in California cost more than twice as much as similar homes across the rest of the United States. Monthly mortgage payments on such properties are now several thousand dollars higher than they were a quarter century ago, illustrating how ownership has drifted out of reach for many families.

Overall cost of living

Research by the Transparency Foundation combines multiple expense categories to estimate what an upper‑middle‑class family with an income of about 130,000 dollars faces in California. Its calculations suggest that this household would spend nearly 30,000 dollars more per year than the national average on housing, utilities, health care, taxes and other recurring costs.

Rising household debt

Another set of figures tracks how Californians are using debt to cope with these elevated expenses, showing that the average household added hundreds of dollars in new obligations in just one recent quarter. Total personal debt in the state rose by billions of dollars over that period, pushing combined household debt into the multi‑trillion‑dollar range, only slightly below Californians’ total personal income.

Policy implications

Together, the studies depict a state where high prices are reshaping life decisions, including whether residents can afford to buy homes, raise families or stay in California at all. The findings also intensify pressure on state leaders to address housing supply, taxation and other structural drivers that keep the cost of living near the top nationally.

Author’s summary: The article argues that a cluster of recent studies confirms Californians face nation‑leading housing, living costs and rising debt, raising urgent questions about the state’s long‑term affordability.

more

Mountain Democrat Mountain Democrat — 2025-11-29

More News