Financial Health

Measuring the financial health of Californians

California is one of our country’s least affordable states and, as a result, one in three Californians live in or near poverty. Yet California is also tremendously prosperous with one of the nation’s highest average incomes. These twin realities play out for households around the state as they sit down to balance their accounts at the kitchen table. Can we cover the next rent payment? Can we start a family? Can we save for a down payment? Can we afford college or a new car? Can we save for retirement?

The California Policy Lab is uniquely equipped to measure how Californians are faring financially. We have access to several data sources measuring the incomes, debts, and assets of California’s households. With one such dataset, we built the California Credit Dashboard, which provides quarterly updates on the financial health of California’s households, broken out by regions, age groups, and creditworthiness. In addition, we produce research focused on California’s labor markets, safety-net benefit programs, and anti-poverty tax credits.

Many of the publications listed below are CPL Hosted Projects, in which non-CPL researchers use the University of California Consumer Credit Panel (which CPL manages) to do their research. Hosted projects magnify CPL’s mission or producing policy-relevant research, but we do not guarantee the quality or accuracy of their results.

Focus Areas