(KRON) — With California and Florida’s governors embattled in a “Who does it best?” campaign, some are wondering how the two states match up.
After California Governor Gavin Newsom invited Floridians to “Join us in California,” in July 2022, it was off to the races. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited San Francisco this week before he released a campaign ad bashing the city, “It’s really collapsed because of leftist policies, and these policies have caused people to flee this area,” he said.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed shot back at DeSantis on Wednesday, calling his statements the “oldest trick in the book.”
“People who are running for office, they criticize. and criticizing is easy, but actually doing the work is hard,” Breed told KRON4. “No one has ever denied that we have challenges.”
The 2024 Presidential race is heating up, with DeSantis battling former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Just how well does the Sunshine State do when compared to the Golden State? Let’s take a look at the numbers.
Population
California has a population of 39,029,342 people, according to the United States Census Bureau. Florida only has 22,244,823 people, but that may not necessarily be a bad thing. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Florida has seen the fastest population growth since the 1950s, with the state’s population growing by nearly 2% in 2022, according to Pew Charitable Trusts.
Since the state of Florida has a smaller footprint at 53,652 square miles versus California’s 155,858 square miles, it’s no surprise that Floridians have less space. Florida’s population density sits at 401.4 people per square mile, whereas California’s is at 253.7 per square mile.
Median Income
When it comes to median income, California’s is much higher than Florida’s. The median income for Florida is $61,777 whereas in California it’s $84,097. This may seem like an easy win for California, but the high cost of living across many cities in the state means that higher salary may not go quite as far.
The poverty rates in the two states are comparable, with the Florida poverty rate at 13.1% and California’s rate at 12.3%, according to the USCB.
As of May 2023, California’s unemployment rate was at 4.5% or a total of 883,000 unemployed people. Florida boasts a smaller unemployment rate at 2.6% or 287,000 unemployed people.
Tax rates
The typically conservative-leaning state of Florida charges no income tax to individual workers in the state. Employees in California, however, face a variable tax bracket. Someone who earns the average state wage of $84,097 will pay a tax rate of 9.3%, so the employee will lose over $7,800 in state tax fees each year.
Median home price/rent price
When it comes to housing, people may find more luck in Florida real estate. The median cost of a home in Florida in April 2023 was $410,000, according to Florida Realtors. In California, the median home rate in May was at $836,110, according to the California Association of Realtors.
Though rental prices in the two states are somewhat comparable, most buyers and renters would likely get more bang for their buck in Florida. In the coveted area of Miami Beach, the average rent is $2,943 but the average apartment size is 870 square feet, according to RentCafe.com. In San Francisco, the average rent is $3,313 and the average apartment size is 737 square feet.
Education
When it comes to education, the two states are rather comparable. In Florida, 89% of people over the age of 25 graduated high school, and 31.5% of that group holds a college degree. In California, only 84.3% of people over 25 are high-school graduates, and 35.3% of those over 25 also graduated college.
Homeless population/Available housing
Data from the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows that the state of California has a much larger homeless population than the state of Florida. California has approximately 171,521 people experiencing homelessness, while Florida has 25,959.
California’s homeless population has grown significantly over the past two decades, increasing by 23% since 2007. Florida on the other hand, has seen a 46% decrease in homelessness in the same time period.
How each state responds to homeless populations is also something to note. In a comprehensive study of homeless relocation programs completed by The Guardian in 2017, the news organization determined that Florida and California had both offered homeless individuals bus tickets to leave their respective states.
Violent crime rates
As far as violent crime is concerned, both states have their fair share. In California, the number of violent crimes reported was 183,546 in 2021. Florida recorded a total of 80,823 violent crimes in the state the same year. California’s violent crime rate, which considers the number of violent crimes versus the population size, is at 470.27. In Florida, the violent crime rate sits at 363.33.
Disneyland vs. Disneyworld
If you’re a Disney lover, you probably have a strong feeling about whether Disneyland or Disneyworld is better. When considering the numbers, Walt Disney World boasts a 43-square-mile footprint, whereas Disneyland only has 580 acres. This means about 51 Disneylands could fit inside of Walt Disney World. So when it comes to Disney, if you think bigger is better, Walt Disney World takes the cake.
Though each state’s governor may believe their state is doing it better, you’ll have to decide for yourself. It may be good to keep in mind that what is important to one person may not be important to another, as the old adage says, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”
