CALIFORNIA
US News & World Report names California’s best places to live. See top 10
Daniella SeguraUSA TODAY NETWORK
Aug. 6, 2026, 1:01 p.m. PT
U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026-27 rankings of the best places to live in California, with Bay Area cities claiming seven of the top 10 spots
Outside the Bay Area, Folsom, Encinitas and Redondo Beach rounded out the top 10
To create the rankings, U.S. News evaluated 161 California cities across factors Americans say matter most when choosing where to live, including affordability, quality of life, desirability and job opportunities
The cities that landed in the top 10 share several characteristics, including highly rated schools, relatively low crime rates, high household incomes and access to major employment hubs
Here’s a look at the 10 best places to live in California
With an overall score of 6.2 out of 10, Dublin claimed the top spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list
Here’s a breakdown of some factors that helped make Dublin the best place to live in the state:
- Population: About 71,419 people
- Median age: 37
- Median household income: $211,868
- Average commute time: 31.2 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 3.42%
- Median home value: $1,283,390
- Median rent: $2,681
No. 2: Cupertino
Cupertino ranked No.2 on U.S. News & World Report’s list, with an overall score of 6.1 out of 10
Here’s a breakdown of some factors that helped Cupertino rank high on the list of best places to live in California:
- Population: About 59,107 people
- Median age: 41
- Median household income: $239,490
- Average commute time: 23.45 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 3.58%
- Median home value: $2,530,923
- Median rent: $3,259
No. 3: Palo Alto
Palo Alto earned an overall score of 6.1, placing it No. 3 on U.S. News & World Report’s list
Here are some factors that helped place Palo Alto among the top 10 places to live in the Golden State:
- Population: About 70,261 people
- Median age: 42.9
- Median household income: $226,407
- Average commute time: 20.39 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.08%
- Median home value: $2,667,033
- Median rent: $3,016
No. 4: Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale had a 5.9 overall score and placed No. 4 on U.S. News & World Report’s list
Here are some of the factors that went into Sunnyvale’s placement on the list:
- Population: About 160,298 people
- Median age: 34.8
- Median household income: $191,443
- Average commute time: 20.72 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.44%
- Median home value: $1,757,390
- Median rent: $2,828
No. 5: Folsom
Folsom captured the fifth spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list with an overall score of 5.8
Here are some of the factors that went into making Sunnyvale a top place to live in California:
- Population: About 87,780 people
- Median age: 40.1
- Median household income: $142,930
- Average commute time: 21.91 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.44%
- Median home value: $664,940
- Median rent: $2,040
No. 6: Encinitas
With an overall score of 5.8, Encinitas ranked No. 6 on U.S. News & World Report’s list
Here are some metrics that helped the city crack the top 10 best places to live in California
- Population: About 63,739 people
- Median age: 42.9
- Median household income: $158,376
- Average commute time: 21.21 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.01%
- Median home value: $1,531,696
- Median rent: $2,503
No. 7: San Ramon
U.S. News & World Report derived an overall score of 5.8 for San Ramon, ranking the city as No. 7
Some of the factors that helped the city make the top 10 places to live in California include:
- Population: About 85,755 people
- Median age: 39.8
- Median household income: $204,458
- Average commute time: 29.75 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.44%
- Median home value: $1,380,229
- Median rent: $2,583
No. 8: Santa Clara
Santa Clara had an overall score of 5.8 and placed No. 8 in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings
Some metrics factored into Santa Clara’s score include:
- Population: About 137,260 people
- Median age: 34.3
- Median household income: $187,316
- Average commute time: 20.59 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.62%
- Median home value: $1,571,084
- Median rent: $2,813
No. 9: Fremont
Fremont ranked No.9 on U.S. News & World Report’s list with an overall score of 5.7
Here are some factors that helped the city land in the top 10 best places to live in the Golden State:
- Population: About 230,565 people
- Median age: 38.4.
- Median household income: $183,013
- Average commute time: 28.4 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.33%
- Median home value: $1,355,911
- Median rent: $2,533
No. 10: Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach just made the top 10 best places to live in U.S. News & World Report’s list with an overall score of 5.7
Here are some factors considered in the city’s ranking:
- Population: About 70,382 people
- Median age: 41
- Median household income: $147,512
- Average commute time: 22.26 minutes
- Unemployment rate: 4.9%
- Median home value: $1,231,527
- Median rent: $2,300
Report’s methodologyÂ
To determine the best places to live, U.S. News & World Report ranked cities using data from government agencies and research groups. The rankings were derived using four main categories — value, quality of life, desirability and job market — meant to reflect what Americans deem matter most when deciding where to live.Â
For value, the publication considered factors such as housing costs, cost of living, and more. Quality of life included access to highly rated hospitals/health care, air quality, economic performance and more. Desirability included factors such as crime rates, access to restaurants and cultural attractions. The job market assessment included unemployment rate and median household income.Â
As the factors had different metrics, such as dollars and percentages, the publican converted the factors to a standard scoring system. Then, the four categories were weighted and combined for overall score on a 10-point scale, with 10 being the highest possible rating.Â
A full list of U.S. News & World Report’s 161 best places to live in California can be found here
