California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) vs Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) (C) and Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 67% and 77% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 72/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.0 percentage points (77.3% vs 67.3%). Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 375,000 participants.
| Metric | California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) | Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 58/100 (C) | 72/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 67.3% | 77.3%* |
| Total Assets | $473.0B | $84.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $703.0B | $108.7B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $230.0B | $24.7B* |
| Participants | 2,050,000 | 375,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.8%* | 5.7% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of California | State of Oregon |
Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 72/100 (B) compared to California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) at 58/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 10.0 percentage points (77.3% vs 67.3%). Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) covers 375,000 participants.