California households are staring at a new bill burden that tops the nation, according to a fresh state-by-state report.
The doxoINSIGHTS study, released in May 2026, put California, 47, at $2,892 a month in recurring household bills, or $34,704 a year, in California, while the national median came in at $2,095 a month.
That leaves the Golden State $797 above the U.S. benchmark every month, and about $9,564 more over a year.
The report said the state’s bills-to-income ratio was 33%, the highest in the country, with West Virginia the cheapest at $1,116 a month and 22% of income.
The study tracked 13 common household bills, including mortgage or rent, auto loans, auto insurance, utilities, health insurance, mobile phone service, and cable or satellite bills.
Steve Shivers, doxo’s co-founder and CEO, said the point was to show the squeeze on everyday households.
“Providing transparency into the bill pay economy is essential for helping Americans navigate their everyday financial lives,” he said.
Shivers added that “Household expenses are growing, and many households are straining to cover their most essential services.”
The same report also showed that the gap between the priciest and least expensive states has widened sharply.
California’s monthly total was nearly 2.5 times West Virginia’s, and the top-cost states all clustered well above the national median.
In another industry write-up on the same trend, UtilityRates.com CEO Karl Trollinger said the pressure goes beyond one line item.
“Household bills are one of the biggest pressures on monthly budgets,” he said in a statement.
“Instead, it is the combined weight of housing costs, utilities, insurance, internet, and transport expenses that creates the biggest pressure.”
The report’s California math was driven mostly by shelter costs, with mortgage payments the biggest single category in the state.
Among the ten most expensive states, California ranked first, followed by Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland.
West Virginia remained at the bottom of the list, where the monthly total was far lower and the income share was the smallest in the study.
In the viral moment that helped fuel the wider conversation, a chart from the report spread online showing California at the top and West Virginia at the bottom.
The chart also showed how a household in California could face a monthly bill stack far above the national norm.
California households continue to face the nation’s highest recurring bill burden, according to the report, even as the state’s income levels remain above many peers.
doxo said the next update to its bill-pay rankings will be part of its broader 2026 Cost of Bills Index rollout.