Californians with low incomes (households earning <200% federal poverty level) often face greater barriers to care than those with higher incomes (households earning 200%+ FPL). This quick reference guide, which is based on data from the 2024 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), is part of California Health Care Foundation’s California Health Care Almanac, an online clearinghouse for key data and analyses describing the state’s health care landscape.

Findings: 1 in 4 Californians with low incomes reported their health status as "fair" or "poor" (26%), compared with 1 in 10 Californians with higher incomes. Nearly 1 in 4 Californians with low incomes (22%) did not have a usual source of care, almost double that of adults with higher incomes (12%). A higher percentage of Californians with low incomes (28%) reported difficulty finding specialty care compared with those with higher incomes (20%).

Note: The federal poverty level (FPL) in 2024 was $15,060 for an individual and $31,200 for a family of four.