Best places to live in California
Cities and suburbs in California with 25,000+ people, scored against each other: affordability on a $75k salary after taxes and rent (35%), violent crime (30%), schools (20%) and job growth (15%).
| # | City | Score | Rent | Home | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arcadia, CA | 74/100 | $2,191/mo | $1.44M | 9.9/10 |
| 2 | Rocklin, CA | 72/100 | $2,258/mo | $703k | 9/10 |
| 3 | Poway, CA | 72/100 | $2,301/mo | $1.03M | 9.4/10 |
| 4 | Lincoln, CA | 71/100 | $2,090/mo | $651k | 4/10 |
| 5 | Davis, CA | 70/100 | $2,187/mo | $866k | 9.2/10 |
| 6 | Diamond Bar, CA | 69/100 | $2,521/mo | $902k | 9.7/10 |
| 7 | Roseville, CA | 66/100 | $2,142/mo | $661k | 7.3/10 |
| 8 | Woodland, CA | 66/100 | $1,583/mo | $548k | 2/10 |
| 9 | South Pasadena, CA | 66/100 | $2,284/mo | $1.64M | 9.9/10 |
| 10 | Glendale, CA | 65/100 | $2,182/mo | $1.1M | 7.4/10 |
| 11 | San Marcos, CA | 65/100 | $2,348/mo | $868k | 7.6/10 |
| 12 | Carmichael, CA | 65/100 | $1,702/mo | $580k | 3/10 |
| 13 | Los Altos, CA | 65/100 | $3,500+/mo | $2M+ | 10/10 |
| 14 | Cupertino, CA | 64/100 | $3,500+/mo | $2M+ | 10/10 |
| 15 | Saratoga, CA | 64/100 | $3,500+/mo | $2M+ | 10/10 |
| 16 | La Mirada, CA | 63/100 | $2,217/mo | $826k | 2.4/10 |
| 17 | Fair Oaks, CA | 63/100 | $1,910/mo | $683k | 3/10 |
| 18 | Elk Grove, CA | 61/100 | $2,262/mo | $630k | 4.4/10 |
| 19 | Folsom, CA | 61/100 | $2,352/mo | $755k | 6.5/10 |
| 20 | Santee, CA | 61/100 | $2,250/mo | $727k | 5.7/10 |
| 21 | Los Gatos, CA | 61/100 | $3,247/mo | $2M+ | 9.7/10 |
| 22 | Lafayette, CA | 60/100 | $2,892/mo | $2M+ | 9.8/10 |
| 23 | Santa Clarita, CA | 59/100 | $2,544/mo | $785k | 7.3/10 |
| 24 | Torrance, CA | 59/100 | $2,280/mo | $1.07M | 8.2/10 |
| 25 | Encinitas, CA | 59/100 | $2,886/mo | $1.65M | 9.7/10 |
Rent, income and home values: U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Taxes: 2026 federal and state rates for a single filer.
Compare the top 4