California has a top-ranked economy. It’s also one of the nation’s most unequal
Dan Walters
June 12, 2026
California’s next governor — most likely former Attorney General Xavier Becerra — will inherit a raft of knotty, unresolved issues.
Some, such as the high rate of homelessness and very , predate current Gov. Gavin Newsom. Others, such as the chronic and stubbornly high unemployment rate, arose more recently.
A perennial question about such issues is whether they are unique to or more pronounced in California than other states. Comparisons are difficult because definitions vary and comparable data are difficult to track down.
By coincidence, however, two recent academic studies shed light on how California stands vis-a-vis the nation’s 49 other states.
One is called “State of the States,” an offshoot of a “State of the Nation” research project sponsored by Tulane University’s Murphy Institute that aims to cut through partisan chatter and define the nation’s most cogent issues.
