What is the California inflation rate in 2026?

The California inflation rate is +3.0% year-over-year as of 2026-03-01, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The trend is currently rising.

Is inflation going down in California?

Inflation in California is currently rising at +3.0% year-over-year. The 30-day forecast suggests continued upward pressure.

What is the cost of living increase in California?

The overall cost of living in California is rising by +3.0% year-over-year in 2026, driven by groceries (+2.4%), rent ($2,537/mo), gas ($197.38/gal).

What is grocery price inflation in California?

Grocery price inflation in California is +2.4% year-over-year in 2026 and is currently rising.

What is rent inflation in California in 2026?

Rent in California averages $2,537 per month in 2026 (Zillow ZORI market-rate). Rent is rising year-over-year at +5.4%.

What is the inflation forecast for California?

The California inflation forecast shows +0.9% expected change over 30 days and +1.1% over 90 days. Confidence: high.

What does electricity cost in California?

The residential electricity rate in California is 30.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh) and is falling.

US Inflation Estimator

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What This Means For You

Select a state above to see a plain-English interpretation of your inflation data.

Methodology & Data Sources

Data is sourced from official US government agencies and updated automatically:

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): Consumer Price Index (CPI) by region and metro area, Producer Price Index (PPI). Updated monthly, typically released 2 weeks after month end.
Federal Reserve (FRED): Federal funds rate, inflation breakeven rates, Michigan consumer inflation expectations. Updated daily for rates, monthly for surveys.
Energy Information Administration (EIA): State-level gasoline prices (weekly) and residential electricity prices (monthly). Monthly kWh consumption averages per state used to convert rates into estimated bills.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA): Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index. Updated monthly.
Zillow Research: Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI) by state, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. Reflects rental market only. Updated monthly.

Forecasts use a momentum-based approach: 3-month annualized trend rates from relevant CPI subcategories, adjusted by leading indicators specific to each category. Confidence is rated high (consistent 4-month trend), moderate (mixed signals), or low (insufficient data).

States without metro-level CPI data use BLS regional averages (Northeast, Midwest, South, West). Gas, electricity, and rent data is available at the state level for all states.

Household size scaling in the budget calculator adjusts grocery, electricity, and medical spending defaults proportionally to the BLS consumer unit reference (2.5 people). Rent and gas are not scaled as they are per-unit and per-vehicle respectively.

A Note for Homeowners

The Housing card reflects the Zillow Observed Rent Index (ZORI), which tracks the rental market. Approximately 65% of US households are owner-occupied, and homeowners experience housing cost inflation differently:

Mortgage rates: Fixed-rate owners are insulated; adjustable-rate and new buyers face significant changes. The 30-year fixed rate has fluctuated substantially since 2022.
Homeowners insurance: Premiums have risen 20–40% in some states (particularly FL, CA, TX, LA) driven by climate risk repricing.
Property taxes: Often reset at sale and vary widely by state and county. Rising assessments have increased tax burdens in hot real estate markets.
Maintenance & repair costs: Tracked by the BLS as part of the broader housing CPI, reflecting labor and materials inflation.

A full homeowner cost-of-living calculator is on our roadmap. In the meantime, the Overall CPI card provides the broadest inflation gauge applicable to both renters and owners.

Browse Inflation Data by State

Track current inflation across six household categories (gas, groceries, electricity, rent, medical, and overall CPI) for every US state and DC. Data is pulled daily and monthly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve (FRED), Energy Information Administration, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and Zillow Research. Select your state below for current figures and 30/90-day directional forecasts.

See all states ranked by inflation rate →