Why Costco Is 'Just Better In California,' According To Customers

Whether ranting about discontinued products and food court offerings or raving about their personal favorite stores, Costco fans are always opinionated. The warehouse club's array of products, members-only deals, and iconic food court certainly give shoppers a lot to talk about. One viral Reddit thread is heating up with fervent debate over the claim that Costco is just better in California.

Granted, California is home to three times the amount of Costco locations as any other state, but does simply having more Costco locations make it better? Per Reddit discourse, there are several factors to consider. On the "pro" side, California is on the West coast with typically good weather that allows for outdoor food courts in many stores local to the state. Additionally, it is argued that the selection of products is wider and of higher quality. Despite mixed reviews on its sushi platters, some say California's Costco offerings are superior, while others tout the virtues of their own local Costco sushi.

On the opposite side of this debate, some Reddit users are chiming in with points about the drawbacks of sales tax and overall higher prices in California. Though Costco is known to have lower gas prices, those local to California must admit that the state definitely doesn't have the advantage in comparison to most others in the US. When it comes to Costco, its cult-like following opens up plenty of room for discussion in which there might not be a clearly winning side.

There was previously a selection of Costco food court items you'd only find in certain states until they were discontinued, and California was no exception. Though short-lived, açai bowls were local only to California food courts, providing fresh and fruity flavor perfectly paired to the coastal environment. California certainly has the advantage of both density and size when it comes to Costco locations.

For example, in March of 2025, the East Bay welcomed a new Costco stretching over 150,000 square feet. While a larger store can indicate a more vast variety of goods and services, it's not certain that California has cornered the market on quality for either. The golden state may have more ideal weather than the rest, but it's still up for debate whether this is enough to qualify its local Costcos as "better." Sushi, flip flop sandals, and açai bowls are all well and good, but the answer to this debate seems to lie within a common idiom: "To each their own."