California’s Sky-High Living Costs Afford It the Nation’s Highest Poverty Label — Again

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Last year’s presidential election underscored, particularly to Democrats, that the costs of living were a major factor in the outcome.

Inflation had increased sharply during Joe Biden’s presidency, and voters’ angst about rising prices worked against Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign to succeed him in the White House.

Not surprisingly, therefore, when the California Legislature opened its 2025 session, its dominant Democrats declared that they would focus on taming the state’s notoriously high costs for housing, fuel, utilities and other necessities of modern life.

The session ended last week and as it did, by happenstance, the Census Bureau reported that California once again has the nation’s h