How California compares with all 50 states and DC on the figures Alto tracks.
68¢/gal
the highest of 51
Approximate total state gasoline tax in cents per gallon — excise plus other state taxes and fees on fuel, excluding the 18.4¢ federal tax that every state pays on top. Rounded to the nearest cent.
American Petroleum Institute motor fuel tax reports and state revenue departments (2025)
9.03%
the 7th highest of 51
State sales tax plus the population-weighted average local rate — what shoppers actually pay at the register.
Tax Foundation (July 2026)
$16.90/hr
the 4th highest of 51
What a worker covered by federal labor law is actually paid at minimum — the state rate, or the $7.25 federal floor where that is higher.
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (July 2026)
$95,521
the 8th highest of 50
Median annual income for a household in the state — half of households earn more, half earn less.
U.S. Census Bureau (2023)
5.2%
tied for the 2nd highest of 51
Share of the labor force that is out of work and actively looking, seasonally adjusted. People who have stopped looking are not counted.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (June 2026)
| Rank | State | Gas tax |
|---|---|---|
| #49 | Pennsylvania | 59¢/gal |
| #50 | Illinois | 66¢/gal |
| #51 | California | 68¢/gal |
| Rank | State | Minimum wage |
|---|---|---|
| #2 | Washington | $17.13/hr |
| #3 | Connecticut | $16.94/hr |
| #4 | California | $16.90/hr |
| #5 | Hawaii | $16.00/hr |
| #5 | New York | $16.00/hr |
| Rank | State | Household income |
|---|---|---|
| #6 | Washington | $96,003 |
| #7 | Utah | $95,800 |
| #8 | California | $95,521 |
| #9 | Connecticut | $93,760 |
| #10 | Colorado | $92,911 |
| Rank | State | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| #45 | Illinois | 5.1% |
| #45 | Nevada | 5.1% |
| #47 | California | 5.2% |
| #47 | Connecticut | 5.2% |
| #47 | Oregon | 5.2% |
In California, the gas tax is the highest in the country and the minimum wage is the 4th highest. Here is how California compares with every other state on the published figures Alto tracks, with a link to the source behind each one.
Rankings are a starting point, not a verdict. None of these figures are adjusted for cost of living, which varies enough between states to change what a given income or wage actually buys.
Drivers in California pay 68¢/gal in state gasoline tax, the highest of the 51, before the 18.4¢ federal tax that applies everywhere.
California charges a 7.25% state sales tax, and local rates average a further 1.78%, for about 9.03% at the register. That is the 7th highest of the 51. Rate is not the whole story though — states differ in what they tax, and most exempt groceries.
The minimum wage in California is $16.90/hr, the 4th highest of the 51 states and DC, as of July 2026. Adjusted annually by formula; many cities set higher local rates.
A typical California household earns $95,521 a year, the 8th highest of the 50. That is a raw Census figure with no adjustment for how far a dollar goes locally.
Cost of living is the big absent variable, and it moves enough between states to reverse some of these comparisons outright. Property and income taxes are not counted here either, so a state can look cheap on sales and fuel tax while taking more overall. Treat these as specific, well-sourced data points rather than a summary of what living in California costs.