Updated May 2026 · Public Plans Database
California Public Pension Plans
12 pension systems covering 3,799,000 participants
California operates 12 pension systems — a moderately diversified state pension footprint covering 3,799,000 active and retired public workers. Aggregate funding stands at 72.1% — approaching benchmark, within reach of the 80% actuarial benchmark but with meaningful work still required. 8 of 12 plans (67%) report below the 80% actuarial benchmark — a majority of the state's pension footprint, signaling systemic funding pressure across multiple systems.
California has 12 pension plans in our dataset, covering 3,799,000 participants with $1088.1B in plan assets against $1508.8B in liabilities. Average funding ratio is 72% — typical for the U.S. pension landscape — with 8 plans classified as underfunded.
California's pension funding is in the typical-state band. Individual plans vary widely around the state average — large state-level plans usually drive the headline number, while smaller municipal and special-district plans show wider funding-ratio dispersion. Each plan below links to its full Form 5500 (private) or actuarial valuation (public) profile, with funding-history charts, participant demographics, and the LakeQuality pension-health grade.
What the Funding Ratio Means in California
California's aggregate pension funding ratio of 72.1% translates into $1088.1B in plan assets against $1508.8B in accrued benefit obligations across 12 systems. The aggregate unfunded gap of $420.7B represents the dollar amount that would have to be contributed today, on top of expected investment returns at the assumed discount rate, to fully fund every promised benefit.
That ratio is 3.1 percentage points below the national public-plan average of 75.2% — meaningfully more stressed than the typical state's combined public pension footprint. State-level averages mask important variation between systems within a state: a heavily-funded teachers' retirement system can offset a critically underfunded police-and-fire plan, even though the participants in those plans face very different actuarial realities.
Public pensions in California are not insured by the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Instead, accrued benefits are protected primarily through state constitutional or statutory clauses and the sponsor's taxing authority. Most state supreme courts have held public pension benefits to be contractually protected once accrued, though the legal framework and bargaining context vary significantly by state.
Plans in California
| Plan Name | Participants | Funding Ratio | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) | 2,050,000 | 67.3% | C |
| California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) | 985,000 | 72.9% | B |
| University of California Retirement Plan | 305,000 | 83.5% | B |
| Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) | 186,000 | 75.2% | B |
| San Francisco Employees Retirement System | 68,000 | 87.3% | A |
| Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System (LACERS) | 49,000 | 75.8% | B |
| Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) | 46,000 | 76.2% | B |
| Los Angeles Fire & Police Pensions (LAFPP) | 27,500 | 89.5% | A |
| Sacramento County Employees Retirement System (SCERS) | 27,000 | 80.2% | B |
| Contra Costa County Employees Retirement Association | 23,000 | 78.3% | B |
| San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS) | 20,500 | 73.3% | B |
| San Jose Federated City Employees Retirement System | 12,000 | 74.2% | B |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Each plan's funding ratio comes from its annual actuarial valuation, compiled by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research Public Plans Database from each system's ACFR. The Pension Health Score combines funding ratio (50% of the composite), 3-year funding trend (30%), and PBGC risk level (20%, set to low for public plans not subject to PBGC). State-level averages are dollar-weighted across all plans in the state. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How well-funded are California public pensions?
California's public pensions are on average 72.1% funded across 12 systems. That puts the state below the national public-plan average of 75.2%. California aggregate assets stand at $1088.1B against $1508.8B in accrued obligations, leaving an unfunded gap of $420.7B.
Are California public pensions PBGC-insured?
No. PBGC insurance covers only ERISA-regulated private-sector defined-benefit plans. Public plans like those sponsored by California state agencies, counties, and municipalities rely instead on state constitutional or statutory benefit protections, the taxing authority of the sponsor, and in some states explicit pension protection clauses. Most state supreme courts have held accrued benefits to be contractually protected, but the legal framework varies by state.
What does the funding ratio actually tell me about my California pension?
A funding ratio compares plan assets to the present value of accrued benefits at the plan's assumed discount rate (typically 6.5%–7.5% for U.S. public plans). At 72.1%, the state's pensions hold within reach of the 80% actuarial benchmark but with meaningful work still required. The funding ratio is the most-cited single measure of plan health, but it is sensitive to discount-rate assumptions and asset-smoothing methods. Two states with identical real-dollar gaps can post different ratios depending on the methodology they use.
How many California pensions are underfunded?
8 of 12 plans (67%) report below the 80% actuarial benchmark — a majority of the state's pension footprint, signaling systemic funding pressure across multiple systems.
Where does this state pension data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research Public Plans Database — the standard academic compilation of annual valuation reports filed by U.S. state and municipal pension systems. The current dataset reflects valuations available as of May 2026. Public plans are not subject to ERISA reporting; PPD compiles data directly from each system's published Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (now ACFR) and actuarial valuation.
California operates 12 pension systems — a moderately diversified state pension footprint covering 3,799,000 active and retired public workers. Aggregate funding stands at 72.1% — approaching benchmark, within reach of the 80% actuarial benchmark but with meaningful work still required. 8 of 12 plans (67%) report below the 80% actuarial benchmark — a majority of the state's pension footprint, signaling systemic funding pressure across multiple systems.