California wages jumped 6.5% last year, 5th biggest raises in US
The year-end pay increases boosted California's weekly wage to $1,872. That's 24% above the nation's $1,507 and fifth-highest nationally.
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How Walt Disney inspired Banana Ball baseball
The founder of the Disney theme park serves as a major motivation for Jesse Cole's offbeat Banana Ball.
California has two of the nation’s oddest job markets
Inland Empire and San Jose are at two extremes of a national ranking for a curious employment gap.
34% fewer San Diego County homes sold. Is the Fed to blame?
So, what would it take to close the affordability gap? 39% price cuts, 2.4% mortgages, or 63% pay hikes.
Home prices take 1st drop in 26 months, by this math
Case-Shiller index declined 0.3% between February and March, the first monthly dip since January 2023.
California consumer confidence takes biggest jump in 33 months
Conference Board's monthly optimism yardstick to find it up 22% in May from April – the biggest jump since August 2022.
29% fewer California homes sold. Is the Fed to blame?
Close California's affordability gap? Try 36% price cuts, 2.8% mortgages, or 56% pay hikes.
Californians are late paying 18% of their student loans
California has the 10th lowest rate of student-loan delinquency rate among the states.
This Southern California credit union’s CD pays 3%, donates 2% to charity
Rize Credit Union offers a two-year “Impact Certificate” that can help the saver's choice of foster care, wildfire relief or an educational foundation.
Why more construction didn’t fix California’s high housing costs
The population dips by 9,000 in five years as 556,000 housing units are added. Yet no savings for house hunters or apartment seekers.
714 is typical Californian’s credit score. How does that rank?
The nation's highest credit scores were found in Minnesota, at 734. Lowest? Mississippi at 676.
Muchos californianos necesitan ingresos de seis cifras para pagar el alquiler
El alquiler de $2,974 en L.A.-O.C. equivale al 36% de los ingresos, la tercera proporción más alta del país.
Many Californians need six-figure incomes to afford rent
Rent burden for Riverside and San Bernardino counties expanded by 46% in five years, fourth-largest hike in the US..
$218,000 income needed to buy a California home, up 82% since 2019
One challenge: California's median house price jumped 40% in five years to $846,830.
Fix California? It’s cheap housing, good job opportunities
California's population blossoms where the lifestyle appeals to a younger, family-oriented audience.
California is world’s No. 4 economy. How do other states rank?
The world's No. 8 economy is Texas. No. 9 is New York. No. 16 is Florida.
Where are rents still falling in Southern California?
Rents declined from April 2024 in six local markets vs. 14 in the previous 12 months.
U.S. home sales tumble to a 10-year low
In February, 248,233 U.S. residences were bought, down 7% in a year and 9% below the 20-year average for the month.
California jumps to world’s No. 4 economy. Can that last?
California's $4.1 trillion output last year jumped its long-standing No. 5 global ranking to slip past Japan's $4.03 trillion.
California home sales tumble below Great Recession low for 21 months
322,813 residences were sold in the year ending in February, down 40% in three years and 27% less than the two-decade average.
Will California’s low homeownership ever get fixed?
Build fewer apartments? Residential construction is more heavily focused on single-family housing in the states with the highest homeownership rates.
San Diego homebuying history: 21 twists you should know
What we've learned about the past 20 years of local pricing and sales from housing data created by a new provider, Irvine-based Attom.
California consumer confidence falls to lowest since December 2020
California consumer confidence has dropped 31% since October, just before Election Day. That is the largest decline in shopper psyche among the eight states.
California is next-to-last in homeownership
An average 55% of California residents lived in a home they owned in 2022 through 2024. Only New York, at 53%, had less.
California’s hiring rate falls to lowest since 2010
What's truly off in California's job market is how slowly bosses add new workers.
California ranks No. 2 for housing costs in U.S.
The math indicates that housing expenses consume 44% of a typical California household budget.
21 things to know about Southern California’s homebuying history
Record high: $823,000 median sales price in May 2024. Compared to February 2025's $820,000, we're $3,000 off the peak.
California manufacturing jobs, No. 1 in US, face trade war unknowns
Last year, manufacturing employed 1.25 million statewide – 10% of the nation's manufacturing workforce.
Southern California rent inflation grows to 5.2%, I says
Rents are rising faster than the recent low in December 2024 at 3.8%. Still, this is a sharp improvement from the pandemic era's 9.7% high in April 2023.
Southern California inflation runs faster than U.S. cost of living
Los Angeles and Orange counties ran at a 3% annual rate in March. In the Inland Empire, prices rose 2.5%. Nationally, 2.4%.
What’s more volatile: Stocks or California home prices?
Standard deviation math says California home-price twists are 40% smoother than stock market gyrations.
Why stock market turmoil is bad for California home prices
Home prices statewide tend to underperform following stock market downturns.
Want a CD paying 6% or more? Try 3 Southern California credit unions
Special rates are a way for credit unions to draw in new business.
Unions’ share of California construction jobs at record low
Unions controlled 12.5% of all California construction workers last year, the smallest slice on record.
California job creation dropped 81% after pandemic
Bosses statewide added 340,000 jobs in the last 5 years vs. 1.8 million in 2015-2020.
How Californians spend so much more than fellow Americans
Housing is 38% of total expenses in the Bay Area and San Diego and 37% around L.A. Nationally, it's only 33%.
California economic expectations near 13-year low
California's "expectations" index was down 15% from February, off 38% since October, the Conference Board says.
Where in California do renters stay the longest?
Only 5.1% of apartments were empty statewide as 2025 started, compared to 6.7% vacancies nationally.
California union hip hits 18-year low, 114 years after Triangle Fire
I wonder what my Great Aunt Fannie, who died in the historic Triangle Fire, would think about today's challenging spot for U.S. workers
¿Cuál es el condado del sur de California en el que es más difícil encontrar un alquiler?
La tasa de desocupación de febrero del 3,7% de San Bernardino fue la más baja de la región y el quinto mercado más ajustado en los EE. UU.
Los Angeles construction costs jump 5.9%, another fire rebuilding hurdle
The cost of residential building in L.A. surged 44% over the last five years, the fourth-largest jump in California.
Cómo la inflación afectó los aumentos salariales en California
Y los salarios reales en el condado de San Diego sufrieron la peor caída del estado, con una caída del 7,9 % en cuatro años
How Riverside County won California’s pandemic economy
Riverside County's population jumped by 110,000 – California's largest county gain and 14th biggest in U.S.
How inflation battered California pay raises
Golden State declines in real wages ranked in the middle of the pack among the 21 U.S. regions.
Which is the hardest Southern California county to find a rental?
Vacancy rates for 165 big U.S. counties help us answer a fundamental apartment seeker challenge: what's available?
NASDAQ curse? Wall Street troubles might chill California’s economy
Recent market mayhem is a solid reminder that the stock market matters to California paychecks.
Pasadena 2nd-hardest spot to find a rental in US after wildfires
Only 3.7% of Pasadena rental units were empty in February, according to ApartmentList. It was 4.9% before the fires.
California is No. 1 for federal jobs facing Trump cuts
California, the nation's largest job market, also ranks No. 1 for federal employment among the states.
Fire reconstruction a wildcard for homebuilding across Southern California
Trumark Homes' Richard Douglass says rebuilding's impact on new-home construction is "an unprecedented unknown.”
Los precios de las viviendas en el sur de California comienzan a bajar
3 mercados locales estuvieron entre los 10 peores de EE. UU. en cuanto a aumentos de precios en enero
Do Californians need flood insurance? Few homeowners have it
California has 10% of the nation's homes it only has 4% of the 4.7 million flood policies nationally.
California is No. 3 for home-price volatility
Only Hawaii and Vermont had more housing price volatility than California since 1975.
California consumer confidence hits 4-year low
California's optimism fell 5% to its lowest level since January 2021, says Conference Board index.
California bill-paying problems near 9-year high
As 2024 ended, 3.25% of California borrowings had their first late payment – the highest level since 2016's first quarter.
Southern California home prices begin to drop
Only one market – Orange County – had price appreciation in January and local sellers found themselves in the weakest spot since early 2023.
Where in Southern California did it get easier to buy a home?
Four of six counties last year had declines in pay required to get a mortgage for buying the median-priced home, Realtor data says.
House hunters say ‘No!” as buying pace hits 41-year low
Recent sales equal 36 per 1,000 American households. That is the slowest rate since 1983.
Where were California’s biggest pay raises?
California's smallest paychecks averaged 25% growth during the past five years. The largest earners got just 19%.
Southern California’s 3.4% inflation rate is 7-month high
It's up from 3.2% a year earlier and the highest since June 2024.
LA wildfire rebuilding faces construction worker shortage
Southern California's construction workforce is at 98% of peak staffing – high employment that suggests rebuilding wildfire damage faces a skills gap.
California bosses cut hours as wages soared
California workers got paid for 33.8 hours weekly in the past year, the shortest in the last 14 years.
California consumer confidence drops to a 30-month low
A statewide yardstick of optimism dropped 7% in January to 17% below pre-election October.
Where Southern California house rents rose the fastest last year
2024's biggest local rent hikes were concentrated in somewhere more affordable communities, a Rentometer study shows.
Got $5,800 a month? San Diego County house payments soar 112% in 5 years
Buyer spending 40% on income on mortgage needs to earn $174,000 a year.
California’s home insurance prices set to soar
California ranks No. 2 for home hazards but No. 40 for insurance costs.
Will Los Angeles wildfires cost $275 billion to fix?
Weather forecaster AccuWeather's damage cost estimate are more than twice other projections.
Will Los Angeles wildfires dent California incomes, No. 1 in US?
California's personal income of $3.4 trillion is No. 1 among the states and 14% of the nation's $24.7 trillion tally.
Can Newsom improve rebuilding odds in fire-ravaged Los Angeles?
How slow? In 2014-23, L.A. County approved 22 permits a year for every 1,000 residents vs. 27 across the state and 42 nationally.
1 in 10 Los Angeles homes don’t have insurance, says one estimate
In Los Angeles County, 154,100 out of 1.57 million homes were uninsured, LendingTree estimated.
Paradise, Eaton wildfires among California’s 4 most destructive in history
CalFire stats show only two wildfires in its records scorched more structures.
Van moves to California drop to 2nd-lowest share on record
At three van lines, only 41.1% of California moves in 2024 were to the Golden State.
Where did California rents fall the most last year?
Only eight of 15 California markets surveyed by one study had falling rents last year.
‘Normal’ California egg prices months away, analyst says
California egg prices have more than doubled to near $9 a dozen as flu ravages hens nationwide.
Orange County has largest home-price gain in US
Orange County's 7.7% price gain topped 30 big US markets. So were its mid-range gains (10.2%) and luxury gains (8.1%).
Why falling mortgage rates can signal bad news
Cheaper financing may increase affordability but it frequently occurs when economic troubles are brewing.
¿Vale la pena vivir en California considerando los costos y los impuestos?
Por esta matemática, el estado es el lugar más caro para vivir
Carter’s presidency was No. 1 for California home-price gains
During Carter's four years in the Oval Office, California home prices jumped 90%.
Which way will mortgage rates go in 2025?
Mortgage rates averaged 6.72% for 2024, the 31st-highest yearly rate in the past 52 years.
Los compradores de California siguen preocupados por la economía y la llegada de Trump
El índice de "expectativas" del Estado Dorado cayó un 20% en dos meses
The smaller the Southern California paycheck, the bigger the raise
9.9 million workers collectively saw annualized earnings rise 3.6% increase to an average $75,600 annual wage.
California has 15 of 25 priciest places to live in US
No. 1 San Francisco costs 18.2% more than typical US metro. No. 2 LA-OC is 15.5% more expensive.
California shoppers remain antsy about Trump economy
California consumer confidence fell 1% in December after a 10% dive in November following Republican Trump's victory.
California No. 1 for crazy, pretentious residents, poll says
California's overall ranking was the fourth-naughtiest state, according to Clever Real Estate.
Is California living worth the costs and taxes?
California pay, minus the elevated cost of living and taxes, ranks a middling 26th best among the states.
California homebuying jumps 20%, biggest gain in 41 months
November's median sales price of $852,880 was a 3.8% increase in a year.
Where is California’s cheapest place to live?
California's bargain – the Central Valley's Hanford – is still more expensive than 295 metropolitan areas across the US.
¿El sur de California está contratando un 50% más lento de lo que pensábamos?
Las estadísticas de contratación parecían más sólidas que otras señales económicas
California vs. Trump: How will the economic sequel go?
My trusty spreadsheet looked back to 2017, when Trump first entered the White House.
California home-repair costs jump 40% in 5 years
Recent construction price hikes follow a mere 16% jump in the previous five years.
California has 10 of nation’s largest economies by county
The nation's most prolific county for business, by GDP math, was Los Angeles.
Is Southern California hiring 50% slower than we thought?
The freshest figures suggest 45,700 fewer workers were added in the 5-county region during the past year.
California ranks No. 9 for economic ‘balance’ between bosses and workers
Top states for reasonable management of the boss vs. employee battle were Virginia, Washington, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
California rent hikes: Where are the biggest increases in November?
Landlords are upping their ask in eight of the state's 11 largest cities.
Which US industries bet big on noncitizen workers?
There were 14.7 million "noncitizen" US workers in 2022, authorized or not. That's 9% of all people employed.
California consumer confidence tumbles after Trump’s election
Statewide optimism off 12% in a month, by this polling, the biggest tumble since May 2023.
¿Cuanto cuestan las comidas de Acción de Gracias y dónde están las más baratas en California?
El costo promedio de la comida del Día del Pavo en California es de $138.95, es decir, $17.05 por el pavo y $121.90 por las guarniciones.
California affordability fixes: 3.5% loans, 50% raises, or 33% home-price cuts?
Payment burden back at 2018 levels? Rates at 3.5%. Incomes up 50%. Or prices drop 33%. Or some combo of the three.
Where are California’s cheapest Thanksgiving meals?
The average California tab for six is $138.95 vs. $129.78 elsewhere.
Will California food prices, up 27%, ruin the holiday spirit?
California food is 27% costlier in five years, according to my I figures.
1 million Southern California homes are worth $1 million or more
Compared to 2022, region added 97,100 abodes to the seven-figure club – that's 10% growth, double the non-California pace.