Comparison of New Hampshire to California: [ - Pick a different state - ]

Author: Sugi Sorensen
Last Updated: 30-Sep-2005

Select a Category Heading to see the data for that heading:
  • Geography
  • Education
  • Weather
  • Health
  • Demographics
  • Taxes
  • Economy
  • Crime
  • Housing
  • Government
  •  
    Notes:
    • State rankings include District of Columbia (i.e. rankings are from 1 to 51.)
    • State rankings are all normalized so that lower numbers are better. For example, 1 means best among all states in the US. 51 means worst among all states and the District of Columbia.
    • State rankings are color-coded to show relative quality:
      Best (1-10) Above Avg (11-20 Average (21-30) Below Avg (31-40) Worst (41-51)

    Geography NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Land area (2000)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    8,968
    (sq. miles)
    44 155,959
    (sq. miles)
    3 3,537,438
    (sq. miles)
    Persons per square mile (2000)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    138 31 217 39 80
     
    Weather NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Avg Temp in January
    [Source: NH - WeatherBase.com, Weather.com. ]
    32.0° Hi
    20.6° Mean
    5.0° Lo 1
      68° Hi
    56° Mean
    44° Lo 2
      41° Hi
    23° Lo
    Avg Temp in July
    [Source: NH - WeatherBase.com, CA - Weather.com. ]
    82.0° Hi
    70.0° Mean
    55.0° Lo 1
      89° Hi
    75° Mean
    61° Lo 2
       
    Heating Degree Days (1971 - 2000)
    One degree accumulates for each day the temp. is below 65°F. A high number means it will require more energy to heat the house.
    [Source: NH - National Climatic Data Center, CA - VirtualRelocation.com. ]
    7,587   1,453 2    
    Cooling Degree Days (1971 - 2000)
    One degree accumulates for each day the temp. is above 65°F. A high number means it will require more energy to cool the house.
    [Source: NH - National Climatic Data Center, CA - VirtualRelocation.com. ]
    304   1,394 2    
    Annual Rainfall (1971 - 2000)
    [Source: NH - National Climatic Data Center, Weather.com. ]
    37.6 3   19.6
    (inches) 2
      38.8
    (inches)
    Annual Snowfall (1971 - 2000)
    [Source: NH - National Climatic Data Center, Weather.com. ]
    63.9 3   0.0
    (inches) 2
      24.4
    (inches)
    Number of days mostly sunny per year (1971 - 2000)
    [Source: NH - National Climatic Data Center, Sperling's BestPlaces.net. ]
    197 3   291 2   205
    Number of days of precipitation per year (1971 - 2000)
    [Source: NH - National Climatic Data Center, Sperling's BestPlaces.net. ]
    127 3   35 2   112
    Air Quality Index (2003 - 2004)
    Median Air Quality Index (AQI) over the given period. The AQI is a measure of the air quality and comprises a weighted index of the levels of five air pollutants: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Scale is from 0 to 500. Lower numbers are better.
    [Source: NH - EPA Air Quality Index Report, CA - EPA Air Quality Index Summary Report. ]
    44   72 4   48
    Notes:
    1. - NH data for Manchester, NH.
    2. - CA data for La Canada-Flintridge, CA.
    3. - NH data for Concord, NH.
    4. - CA data for Los Angeles County, CA.
     
    Demographics NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Population (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    1,287,687 41 35,484,453 1 290,809,777
    % White (2000)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    95.1% 3 46.7% 48 69.1%
    % Black (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Data. ]
    0.9% 42 6.9% 25 12.7%
    % Hispanic (2000)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    1.7% 43 32.4% 2 12.5%
    % Asian (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    1.5% 29 11.6% 2 4.0%
    % American Indian/Alaskan Native (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    0.2% 46 1.2% 15 1.0%
    % Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    <0.05% 34 0.4% 5 0.2%
    % Mixed (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    0.9% 39 2.3% 5 1.4%
    % under 18 yrs of age (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    24.2% 35 26.9% 7 25.3%
    % 65 yrs of age or older (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    12.0% 35 10.6% 45 12.3%
     
    Economy NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Livability ranking (2004)
    Livability rating and ranking. From Morgan Quitno's Most Livable State Awards. Rating is calculated based on 44 factors such as crime rate, cost of living, state & local taxes, gross state product, and weather. Scale is from 1 to 50. Higher numbers are better.
    [Source: MorganQuitno.com. ]
    34.50 1 21.82 36  
    Cost of living (2004)
    Cost of living index calculated from a mix of categories weighted as follows: housing (30%), food and groceries (15%), transportation (10%), utilities (6%), health care (7%), and miscellaneous expenses such as clothing, services and entertainment (32%). State and local taxes not included. Index is normalized to 100 for the U.S. average. Higher than 100 means the cost of living is higher than the national average. Lower than 100 means the cost of living is lower than the national average.
    [Source: Sperling's BestPlaces.net. ]
    118 1   163 2   100
    Median Household Income (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    $53,910 4 $50,200 11 $43,564
    Median Family Income (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    $63,439 5 $56,530 14 $52,273
    Per Capita Income (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    $26,467 6 $24,420 15 $23,111
    Gross State Product - Per Capita (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Dept of Commerce - Bureau of Economic Analysis. ]
    $38,089 17 $40,762 12 $37,520
    Poverty Rate - 3 yr Avg (2001 - 2003)
    Percentage of people in poverty averaged over three years.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    6.0% 1 12.9% 35 12.1%
    Unemployment Rate (2003)
    % of civilian labor force unemployed (Annual Average).
    [Source: U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics. ]
    4.3% 5 6.3% 43 6.0%
    Notes:
    1. - NH data for Concord, NH.
    2. - CA data for Sacramento, CA.
     
    Housing NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Households (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    492,948   11,856,538   108,419,506
    Avg persons per household (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    2.54   2.92   2.61
    Total Housing Units (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    569,016   12,656,882   12,656,882
    Median sale price of single-family home (2004)
    Median sale price of existing single-family home by Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
    [Source: NH - New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, National Association of Realtors. ]
    $220,000   $468,620   $188,500
    % Increase in median sale price of single-family home (2004)
    % Increase in median sale price of single-family home
    [Source: Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. ]
    13.03% 18 27.18% 3 12.97%
    Avg yearly increase in median sale price of single-family home (1999 - 2004)
    [Source: Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. ]
    14.81% 6 19.97% 2 9.69%
    Home ownership rate (2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    69.5% 31 58.0% 48 67.9%
    Renter Occupied Housing (2003)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    27.1%   41.9%   33.2%
     
    Education NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    High School Graduates (2003)
    % of adult population over 25 with high school diploma.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    89.4% 8 80.2% 43 83.6%
    College Graduates (2003)
    % of adult population over 25 with a bachelor's degree or higher.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau - American Community Survey. ]
    30.3% 10 29.1% 13 26.5%
    Revenue Per Student in Fall Enrollment (Public K-12) (2003)
    [Source: National Education Association. ]
    $9,378 20 $8,627 26 $9,014
    Expenditures Per Student in Fall Enrollment (Public K-12) (2004)
    [Source: National Education Association. ]
    $8,632 18 $7,722 27 $8,156
    Student-Teacher Ratio (Public K-12) (2003)
    [Source: National Education Association. ]
    13.9 13 20.2 48 15.3
    Average Teacher Salary (Public K-12) (2003)
    [Source: National Education Association. ]
    $41,909 25 $56,283 1 $45,891
    NAEP Grade 4 - Mathematics State Avg Score (2003)
    The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), administered by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is chartered with assessing what America's students, both public and private, know in subjects such as mathematics, reading, and science. The NAEP tests students nationwide every year. The Mathematics test is administered to students in Grades 4 and 8. The test score scale is from 0 to 500.
    [Source: National Center for Education Statistics. ]
    243 1 227 45 234
    NAEP Grade 4 - Reading State Avg Score (2003)
    Test score scale is from 0 to 500.
    [Source: National Center for Education Statistics. ]
    228 1 206 46 216
    NAEP Grade 8 - Mathematics State Avg Score (2003)
    Test score scale is from 0 to 500.
    [Source: National Center for Education Statistics. ]
    286 5 267 44 276
    NAEP Grade 8 - Reading State Avg Score (2003)
    Test score scale is from 0 to 500.
    [Source: National Center for Education Statistics. ]
    271 2 251 49 261
    SAT I Mean Verbal Scores (2004)
    The College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) I, renamed to the SAT Reasoning Test in 2004, is a standarized test given nationally to measure college preparedness. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. The SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 for each section.
    [Source: College Board. ]
    522 29 501 39 508
    SAT I Mean Math Scores (2004)
    [Source: College Board. ]
    521 29 519 30 518
    High School Graduation Rate (2001)
    [Source: Education Week. ]
    72.0% 27 67.0% 36 70.0%
    English Language Learners (2002)
    [Source: Education Week. ]
    1.6% 11 24.6% 47  
    % of K-12 Students Below Poverty Level (2000)
    [Source: Education Week. ]
    8% 1 20% 39 17%
     
    Health NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Healthiest State Ranking (2004)
    Healthiest state rating and ranking from Morgan Quitno's annual Healthiest State Award. The rating is based on 21 factors such as various disease and death rates, access to health care, health care expenditures, and health insurance coverage. The rating takes into account both positive and negative health factors. The resulting scores are normalized so that the national average is zero. States having a positive rating are better than the national average. States having a negative rating are below the national average. Rating is from -20 to +20.
    [Source: MorganQuitno.com. ]
    19.86 1 8.45 14 0.00
    Per Capita Personal Health Care Expenditures (1998)
    Total of all private and government expenditures on personal health care, which includes hospital care, physician services, dentist services, other professional medical services, home health care, nursing home care, and health care products purchased in retail outlets such as prescription or over-the-counter drugs. The estimates do NOT include spending for public health programs, administration, research, or health facility construction.
    [Source: U.S. Dept of HHS - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ]
    $3,931 14 $3,369 39 $3,760
    Doctors per 100,000 Resident Population (2001)
    [Source: US.Census Bureau. ]
    245 17 248 14 253
    Hospital Beds per 1,000 Resident Population (2002)
    [Source: American Hospital Association. ]
    2.3 39 2.1 42 2.8
    Death Rate (2002)
    Deaths by all causes per 100,000 population.
    [Source: National Center for Health Statistics. ]
    772.8 11 668.0 4 847.3
    Infant Mortality Rate (2002)
    Deaths per 1,000 live births.
    [Source: National Center for Health Statistics. ]
    5.0 4 5.5 7 7.0
    Traffic Fatalities per 100 Million Miles Driven (2002)
    [Source: National Center for Health Statistics. ]
    1.0 4 1.3 16 1.6
    Estimated Rate of New Cancer Cases (2004)
    New cases per 100,000 population. Excludes basal and squamous cell skin cancers and in situ carcinomas except urinary bladder.
    [Source: American Cancer Society. ]
    488.5 25 378.5 4 470.4
    New AIDS Cases Reported per 100,000 (2003)
    [Source: National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. ]
    2.9 8 16.6 40 15.5
    Percent of Population Lacking Access to Primary Care (2003)
    [Source: HHS - Health Resources and Services Administration. ]
    5.9% 6 9.3% 20 11.5%
    Percentage of Population Without Health Insurance Coverage for the Entire Year (2001 - 2002)
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    9.7% 7 18.8% 48 14.9%
     
    Taxes NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    State Income Tax Rate (2003)
    State income tax rate. If there is more than one rate, then the tax rate range is shown. See notes for specific tax rates and brackets.
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    None 1 1 1.0-9.3% 2 47  
    State Sales Tax Rate (2004 - 2005)
    [Source: BankRate.com. ]
    None 1 7.25% 51  
    State + Local Sales Tax Rate (Range) (2004 - 2005)
    The state component of the sales tax is fixed in all states. The city and county component, however, varies. Thus the sales tax can vary widely within a single state, such as in Oklahoma where the sales tax ranges from 4.5% to 11.5% in some cities. The range is shown for the state.
    [Source: BankRate.com. ]
    None 3 1 7.25%-8.75% 4 49 0%-11.5%
    State + Local Tax Burden (2004)
    Combined state and local taxes of all types as a percentage of income.
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    7.5% 2 9.8% 23 10.0%
    State + Local Tax Burden - Per Capita (2004)
    Combined state and local taxes of all types owed by each person for the year measured.
    [Source: RetirementLiving.com. ]
    $2,906 14 $3,676 38 $3,490
    Federal Tax Burden (2004)
    The total burden from all types of federal taxes (i.e. individual income tax, corporate income tax, social insurance taxes, excise tax, estate and gift tax) as a percentage of income.
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    19.2% 45 18.5% 41 17.9%
    State, Local + Federal Tax Burden (2004)
    Combined state, local and federal taxes of all types as a percentage of income.
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    26.7% 23 28.4% 41 27.8%
    Cigarette Tax (2004)
    Tax per pack of cigarettes.
    [Source: Federation of Tax Administrators. ]
    $0.52 18 $0.87 33 $0.74
    Gasoline Tax (2004)
    State tax per gallon of gasoline. There is an additional federal excise tax of 18.4¢ per gallon of gasoline. State tax shown here does not include local option taxes. Some states charge different rates for Diesel Fuel and Gasohol.
    [Source: Federation of Tax Administrators. ]
    $0.195 19 $0.18 12 $0.207
    Local Property Tax Rate          
    Avg Annual Property Tax          
    Max Assessment Increase Per Year          
    Real Estate Transfer Tax          
    State Corporate Income Tax Rate (2004)
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    0%-9.25% 5 42 8.84%-10.84% 6 50  
    State Business Tax Climate Index (2004)
    The index is an estimate of a state's business "tax friendliness" as determined by the Tax Foundation. The index is a composite of more than 100 different variables within a state grouped into five major areas: corporate income tax, individual income tax, sales and gross receipts tax, unemployment insurance tax, and the state's fiscal tax. The index scale is a relative scale from to 0 (worst possible) to 10 (best possible). The higher the score the more favorable is the state's tax climate for business.
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    6.629 5 4.607 38 5.000
    Tax Freedom Day (2004)
    Tax Freedom Day is "the day when Americans will finally have earned enough money to pay off their total tax bill for the year. Every dollar that is officially called income by the government is counted, and every payment to the government that is officially considered a tax is counted. Taxes at all levels of government are included, whether levied by Uncle Sam or state and local governments."
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    April 7 24 April 13 41 April 11
    Notes:
    1. - NH - 5.0% tax on interest and dividend income only.
    2. - CA - State income tax rates and brackets:
    1% : $0 - $5,961
    2% : $5,962 - $14,132
    4% : $14,133 - $22,305
    6% : $22,306 - $30,964
    8% : $30,965 - $39,132
    9.3% : $39,133 +
    3. - NH - No additional city or county sales tax.
    4. - CA - Counties and local municipal tax districts assess additional sales tax of btwn 0 and 1.5%. Combined sales tax rate ranges from btwn 7.25% in most rural counties to 8.75% in Alameda County. The state average is 7.95%.
    5. - NH - Has two business taxes -- the Business Profit Tax of 8.5% on gross income over $50K, and the Business Enterprise Tax of 0.75% on gross income over $150K.
    6. - CA - The state corporate income tax rate is 10.84% on financial institutions and 8.84% on all other businesses.
     
    Crime NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Safest State Ranking (2004)
    Awarded annually by Morgan-Quitno, the Most Dangerous/Safest State Awards are calculated based on the average of six crime rates: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft.
    [Source: Morgan Quitno Press. ]
    4th 4 41st 41 NA
    Index Offense Total (2002)
    Total number of selected crimes reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI for the given year. Crimes counted include: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor-vehicle theft, and arson.
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    28,306 6 1,384,872 51 11,877,218
    Offenses per 100,000 (2002)
    The Index Offense Total per 100,000 population.
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    2,198.2 1 3,902.8 24 4,084.2
    Violent Crimes - Total (2002)
    Total number of violent crimes (i.e. murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI for the given year.
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    2,056 6 208,388 51 1,426,325
    Violent Crime per 100,000 (2002)
    The Violent Crimes per 100,000 population.
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    161.2 4 593.4 41 494.6
    Property Crimes - Total (2002)
    Total number of property crimes (i.e. burglary, larcenty-theft, motor-vehicle theft, and arson) reported by local law enforcement agencies to the FBI for the given year.
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    26,250 6 1,176,484 51 10,450,893
    Property Crimes per 100,000 (2002)
    The Property Crimes per 100,000 population.
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    2,058.7 1 3,350.3 23 3,624.1
    Murders - Total (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    12 3 2,395 51 16,204
    Murders per 100,000 (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    0.9 2 6.8 39 5.6
    Rapes - Total (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    446 12 10,198 51 95,136
    Rapes per 100,000 (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    35.0 28 29.0 19 33.0
    Robberies - Total (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    413 8 64,968 51 420,637
    Robberies per 100,000 (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    32.4 8 185.0 45 145.9
    Aggravated Assaults - Total (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    1,185 6 130,827 51 894,348
    Aggravated Assaults per 100,000 (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    92.9 4 372.6 40 310.1
    Motor Vehicle Thefts - Total (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    1,944 7 222,364 51 1,246,096
    Motor Vehicle Thefts per 100,000 (2002)
    [Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports. ]
    152.5 5 633.2 46 432.1
     
    Government NH (rank) CA (rank) US avg
    Governor (2005)
    [Source: National Governors Association. ]
    John Lynch (D)
    Took office: Jan. 2005
      Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)
    Took office: Nov. 2004
       
    U.S. Senators (2005)
    [Source: U.S. Senate. ]
    Judd Gregg (R)
    [Took office: 1993]
    John Sununu (R)
    [Took office: 2003]
      Barbara Boxer (D)
    [Took office: 1993]
    Dianne Feinstein (D)
    [Took office: 1992]
       
    U.S. House of Representatives (2005)
    [Source: U.S. House of Representatives - Office of the Clerk. ]
    2 Republicans
    0 Democrats
    0 Independent
      32 Democrats
    20 Republican
    0 Independent
    1 Open
       
    State Government Employees (2003)
    Total Full Tme Equivalent (FTE) employees employed by the state government.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    20,359 7 389,345 50 83,813
    State Government Employees per 10,000 (2003)
    State government employees (in Full Time Equivalents) per 10,000 population.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    158.00 20 109.80 2 144.10
    State Tax Revenue Per Capita (2002)
    Revenue from all state tax sources per capita.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    $1,489.03 7 $2,221.46 43 $1,862.32
    State Total Revenue Per Capita (2002)
    State revenue from all sources (e.g. taxes, fees, intergovernmental revenue) per capita.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    $3,639.23 17 $4,321.05 36 $3,819.80
    State Expenditures per Capita (2002)
    Total state government expenditures for the given year divided by the population of state.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    $3,785.50 12 $5,283.34 40 $4,454.66
    In State Federal Expenditures per Dollar Received (2003)
    The amount the federal government spends in the state for every dollar it receives from the state in federal tax revenue. Amounts greater than $1.00 mean that the state receives more back from the federal government than it sends in the way of federal tax receipts. Amounts less than $1.00 mean the state is a "donor state" -- giving more to Washington DC than it receives back in the form of federal spending within the state.
    [Source: Tax Foundation. ]
    $0.64 50 $0.78 44 $1.18
    State Budget Surplus or Deficit (2002)
    The state budget surplus or deficit for the given year in dollars.
    [Source: U.S. Census Bureau. ]
    -$186 million 4 -$33,682 million 50 -$3,649 million
    % of Land Owned by State Government (1995)
    Percent of land in the state owned by the state government.
    [Source: National Wilderness Institute. ]
    2.9% 26 2.2% 23 8.7%
    % of Land Owned by Federal Government (1995)
    Percent of land in the state owned by the federal government (e.g. Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Military facilities.)
    [Source: National Wilderness Institute. ]
    15.1% 33 49.9% 45 31.1%
    % of Land Owned by State and Federal Governments (1995)
    Total percentage of all land in the state owned by the state and federal governments.
    [Source: National Wilderness Institute. ]
    18.0% 32 52.1% 43 39.8%
     


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    This compilation - © Copyright 2010 - Sugi Sorensen.