Add The California Post on Google Californians are paying more than anyone else in America just to keep a roof over their heads.
The Golden State now boasts the nation’s highest median gross rent at a staggering $2,104 a month, according to a new Investopedia report released Friday.
The price tag highlights the mounting financial squeeze facing millions of residents, many of whom are shelling out an ever-growing chunk of their paychecks just to afford a place to live.
Those sky-high housing costs helped make California the third-most expensive state in the country this year, according to the data.
The report gave California a composite index of 143.1 — meaning the overall cost of living is more than 43% higher than the national average.
California’s housing subindex reached 199.4, nearly double the US average, reflecting decades of failing to build enough homes to keep up with demand.
The shortage has driven up prices for both renters and buyers, leaving many households struggling to keep pace.
The financial squeeze is also changing where people choose to live. California ranked as the nation’s top outbound migration state in 2025, according to North American Van Lines, with housing costs and the broader cost of living cited as the biggest reasons residents are leaving.
California’s affordability problems stand in sharp contrast to much of the South and Midwest.
Oklahoma ranked as the nation’s most affordable state with a MERIC composite index of 84.7, followed by Mississippi, West Virginia, Alabama and Kansas.
Oklahoma also posted a housing subindex of 68.8, about 31% below the national average. Its median home value is $222,100, according to ACS data, putting a typical 10% down payment at about $22,000.
At the other end of the spectrum, only Massachusetts ranked ahead of California among the states, with a composite index of 148.5.
Hawaii topped the list overall with an index of 183.9.
The island state’s housing subindex reached 299.0, its median home value climbed to $875,900, and its median monthly rent of $1,942 was the second highest in the Census data.
The latest figures also show that a bigger paycheck does not always go further.
After adjusting for each state’s cost of living, Oklahoma’s median household income of $66,148 translates to roughly $78,100 in purchasing power.Massachusetts households earn a much higher median income of $104,828, but that falls to about $70,600 after accounting for the state’s much higher living costs.
