Business Insider: 9 Ways California Is Way Better Than Texas

Business Insider ^ | 05/01/2013 | Rob Wile

[SeekAndFind]

We recently did a head-to-head comparison of the benefits of living in California versus those for Texas.

California won by a hair.

The impetus for the piece was the burgeoning rivalry between the two states, which heated up after Texas Gov. Rick Perry ran a series of ads touting his state's friendlier business climate.

But we wanted to narrow in a bit more on all the things California has to offer that Gov. Perry may have ignored. To be clear, we have nothing against Texas — some of us are products of their finest schools.

We just think people need to be reminded that the Golden State still has a lot going for it.

1) California has lower property tax rates.

The average is 0.80%, compared with Texas' 1.74%.

Source: Tax Foundation

2) College graduation rates there are impressive.

California graduates 34.8% of its college students in four years, and 65.1% in six. Compare that with 24.4% and 49.0%, respectively, for Texas.

Source: Chronicle of Higher Education

3) Students get better SAT scores (though slightly fewer take them).

The average California high school student's score is 1513. In Texas it's 1446.

Source: College Board

4)The state is above average in terms of children enrolled in day care.

Just 39% of kids are not enrolled in child care in California. In Texas? 44%.

Source: KidsCount.org

5) If you're a Californian, you're less likely to die.

The 2010 mortality rate for California was 646.8 per 100,000. In Texas it's 772.3.

Source: Governing.com

[basil]

"If you're a Californian, you're less likely to die."

They've got that going for 'em.....Let them stay out there and stay the heck out of Texas. Unless, of course there's a good conservative Californian that wants to come here...............say like JimRob!

[SeekAndFind]

US CENSUS POPULATION AND MIGRATION TRENDS

[SeaHawkFan]

They left out the difference in income tax. That’s right; Texas doesn’t have one. Just a minor difference.

How about those home prices? Prices in California are at least four times higher. Can get a brand new 2500 SF house with upgrades in Texas for about $150,000.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

1. Okay, but Texas has no state income tax.
2. So what? I’m of the opinion that the overemphasis on sending everyone to college has cheapened the value of a degree.
3. Not sure a high SAT score really predicts anything; I got 1340 on mine and struggled mightily to maintain a B- average in college.
4. So what?
5. You’ll eventually die no matter where you live.
6. That’s weightist!!
7. We can thank (or blame) the ARB for this one. They are doing their level best to drive out the productive classes.
8. Texas may have fewer national parks, but I’m willing to bet more Texans are able to visit them.
9. I think the authors of this piece were running out of ways to make California look better than Texas.
Bonus: Now they’re really reaching.
Double Bonus: Gulf of Mexico, anyone?

[SeekAndFind]

[piytar]

What a bunch of junk. Higher graduation rates? Well, you get that if you lower your standards. Slightly higher property taxes? More than offset by California’s insane income taxes. Higher SAT scores? Sure, if less people out of a larger population take the test. Etc.

[Paladin2]

Spin.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

Not sure I’m a “good” conservative, but I’d gladly move to Texas if I could find a job out there.

[Codeflier]

I thought the same thing. Why would anyone think that a higher percentage of children in daycare would be better than a lower percentage?

[piytar]

Bears repeating: This is all true dear Liberals. Please stay in your lovely state of California.

[smokingfrog]

State income tax is way lower in TX (zero).

[Thunder90]

It’s just like the “new New York” commercials... Pure rubbish.

[Bob]

Comparing income tax rates as well as property tax rates might provide a clearer picture. Texas doesn’t even have a personal income tax, does it?

[Jane Long]

Your graphic says what I was just about to post...

Why are SO many Kalifornians moving to Texas, DAILY??!!

PLEASE STAY IN KA....IT'S SOOOO MUCH BETTER. /s

[Marathoner]

This is such BS. What’s next, an article trumpeting the wonderful benefits of living in the People’s Democratic Socialist Republic of Illinois?

[Lurker]

By itself the property tax number is useless. The only number that matters in that regard is the total tax burden, State, county, and local.

L

[crz]

And how much state debt has California compared to Texas?

[smokingfrog]

You can find a job in Texas. Maybe not exactly what you want to start out, but there are plenty of jobs for people not afraid of work.

[thackney]

Are you kidding? They talk about ~1% difference in property tax and ignore the income tax?

California Withholding Tax Rate - Table 5: Effective January 1, 2013 (Revised due to CA Prop. 30)

Biweekly Payroll Period					Monthly Payroll Period
Single Persons, Dual Income Married, or Married with Multiple Employers					Single Persons, Dual Income Married, or Married with Multiple Employers
If Taxable Income Is...		Computed Tax Is...			If Taxable Income Is...		Computed Tax Is...
Over	But Not Over	The % in this column times »	Amount Over (Taxable income less amount in this column)	The total of this column plus »	Over	But Not Over	The % in this column times »	Amount Over (Taxable income less amount in this column)	The total of this column plus »
0	286	1.10%	0	0	0	622	1.10%	0	0
286	680	2.20%	286	3.15	622	1,474	2.20%	622	6.84
680	1,072	4.40%	680	11.82	1,474	2,324	4.40%	1,474	25.58
1,072	1,490	6.60%	1,072	29.07	2,324	3,228	6.60%	2,324	62.98
1,490	1,882	8.80%	1,490	56.66	3,228	4,078	8.80%	3,228	122.64
1,882	9,616	10.23%	1,882	91.16	4,078	20,834	10.23%	4,078	197.44
9,616	11,538	11.33%	9,616	882.35	20,834	25,000	11.33%	20,834	1,911.58
11,538	19,230	12.43%	11,538	1,100.11	25,000	41,666	12.43%	25,000	2,389.59
19,230	38,462	13.53%	19,230	2,056.23	41,666	83,334	13.53%	41,666	4,455.17
38,462	Over	14.63%	38,462	4,658.32	83,334	Over	14.63%	83,334	10,092.85
Married Persons					Married Persons
If Taxable Income Is...		Computed Tax Is...			If Taxable Income Is...		Computed Tax Is...
Over	But Not Over	The % in this column times »	Amount Over (Taxable income less amount in this column)	The total of this column plus »	Over	But Not Over	The % in this column times »	Amount Over (Taxable income less amount in this column)	The total of this column plus »
0	572	1.10%	0	0	0	1,244	1.10%	0	0
572	1,360	2.20%	572	6.29	1,224	2,948	2.20%	1,244	13.68
1,360	2,144	4.40%	1,360	23.63	2,948	4,648	4.40%	2,948	51.17
2,144	2,980	6.60%	2,144	58.13	4,648	6,456	6.60%	4,648	125.97
2,980	3,764	8.80%	2,980	113.31	6,456	8,156	8.80%	6,456	245.30
3,764	19,232	10.23%	3,764	182.30	8,156	41,668	10.23%	8,156	394.90
19,232	23,076	11.33%	19,232	1,764.68	41,668	50,000	11.33%	41,668	3,823.18
23,076	38,462	12.43%	23,076	2,200.21	50,000	83,334	12.43%	50,000	4,767.20
38,462	Over	14.63%	38,462	4,112.69	83,334	Over	14.63%	83,334	8,910.62
Unmarried Heads of Households					Unmarried Heads of Households
If Taxable Income Is...		Computed Tax Is...			If Taxable Income Is...		Computed Tax Is...
Over	But Not Over	The % in this column times »	Amount Over (Taxable income less amount in this column)	The total of this column plus »	Over	But Not Over	The % in this column times »	Amount Over (Taxable income less amount in this column)	The total of this column plus »
0	574	1.10%	0	0	0	1,244	1.10%	0	0
574	1,360	2.20%	574	6.31	1,244	2,946	2.20%	1,244	13.68
1,360	1,752	4.40%	1,360	23.60	2,946	3,798	4.40%	2,946	51.12
1,752	2,170	6.60%	1,752	40.85	3,798	4,700	6.60%	3,798	88.61
2,170	2,562	8.80%	2,562	68.44	4,700	5,552	8.80%	4,700	148.14
2,562	13,076	10.23%	2,562	102.94	5,552	28,334	10.23%	5,552	223.12
13,076	15,692	11.33%	13,076	1,178.52	28,334	34,000	11.33%	28,334	2,553.72
15,692	26,154	12.43%	15,692	1,474.91	34,000	56,666	12.43%	34,000	3,195.68
26,154	38,462	13.53%	26,154	2,775.34	56,666	83,334	13.53%	56,666	6,013.06
38,462	Over	14.63%	38,462	4,440.61	83,334	Over	14.63%	83,334	9,621.24

 

[chimera]

Nos. 2 and 3 don’t mean much if there isn’t decent work to be had. All it means is that you’ll have a lot of smart people flipping burgers or collecting welfare.