California is famous for the Golden Gate Bridge, Hollywood, Disneyland, and that distinct, laid-back California vibe. Other unique attractions in the Golden State include Coachella, wine country, Silicone Valley, the Great Redwoods, and the Big Sur.
California is well-known for it’s fabulous beaches, rich culture, biodiversity, and pleasant climate. Being the size of many countries, it’s also one of the most ethnically and economimaclly diverse as well as densely populated states in America. Not surprisingly, California has some of the best cities and regions to live in, largely because of how much it has to offer.
Whether you’re a city slicker who prefers massive metropolises, a mountain lover who’s in search of a laid-back suburban neighborhood near the woods, or a surfer who’s seeking a chill beach town far and removed from the hustle and bustle, California has you covered.
If you’re considering a move to California, however, you might be scratching your head and looking at a map bewildered, trying to figure out where you should begin your search. Finding the best place in California to live that coincides with your interests and preferences might sound like a daunting task, but it really shouldn’t be. After watching this video, you should have a pretty good idea of which Californian cities, towns, and villages mesh nicely with your lifestyle.
Viewcation Presents: The Best Places In California To Live
Vallejo
If you live in the Vallejo-Fairfield metropolitan area, you get to live on the outskirts of the San Francisco Bay Area without paying those San Francisco prices (We’ll cover that topic in just a couple minutes, so make sure you stick around).
Vallejo is also very close to California’s wine country, with locations like Napa and Sonoma being within close proximity.
The major employment sectors in Vallejo include the aerospace, healthcare, and manufacturing industries. The city also has a revitalized downtown shopping, entertainment, and dining district that features several art studios. Plus, not far away, you’ll find opportunities to enjoy the water in the San Pablo Bay.
Crime rates are lower than other cities in the state, and the median home price is right around $622,500. If that’s not within your budget, one-bedroom apartments can be rented for about $1,500.
San Diego
Located in SoCal, only about twenty minutes away from the Mexican border, is this picturesque city. San Diego is just about as far south as you can get in California, so you can expect the weather to be consistently warm and dry.
San Diego is a coastal city that is famous for it’s mild climate, fantastic beaches, and stellar views. The city offers an inviting blend of urban, suburban, and coastal living. As such, life in this city is perfect for residents of just about any lifestyle.
San Diego receives less than 12 inches of rain annually, making this the go-to destination for folks looking to experience a Mediterranean-like climate year-round. In fact, the Weather Channel ranked San Diego as having the most ideal summer climate in the US. Likewise, Wallet Hub rated it seventh on their list of the happiest places to live in the US.
The cost of living in San Diego, much like in any Californian city, is quite high – especially if you choose to search for a home in a posh neighborhood. That said, if you choose to live in the suburbs, you can find homes that are much more affordable. Median home prices in the San Diego area are currently sitting around $878,000. Renting a mid-sized apartment, on the other hand, will cost you about $2,680 per month on average.
Sonoma
Sonoma is in the heart of California’s wine country in the Sonoma Valley. This NorCal town is a bit less crowded than other large California cities and is composed of both a metropolitan and countryside atmosphere.
There is a ton of history in Sonoma. Because of this, the city features a colonial-era plaza, numerous adobe buildings, and an old Mexican Military outpost that is now known as the Mission San Francisco Solana.
Adult residents love the varieties of wine on offer in Sonoma. In fact, there are more than 400 local wineries in the region. This obviously is one of the top reasons why people move to California’s wine country, but there are also numerous family-friendly activities around town to participate in, including the weekly farmer’s markets. Outdoor lovers also appreciate the abundance of hiking trails that crisscross throughout the Redwood forests.
Sonoma is about 30 miles north of San Francisco. So, if you’re the type that enjoys visiting the big city for dining, entertainment, and cultural reasons, you always will have that option available to you. Still, Sonoma, despite being the countryside’s perfect escape, offers a ton of big-city amenities.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the biggest city in California and the second most populous city in the US. While you might feel intimidated by those immense numbers, LA really is more like a city of many little cities. The metropolitan area spans 34,000 square miles and is divided into dozens of smaller city-sized boroughs – each with their own unique flavor.
LA is one of the best places to live in the state and is the most popular tourist destination in the country. The City of Angels has just about everything that you could ever desire, including an abundance of public and private schools, a spirited nightlife scene, endless entertainment options, hundreds of tourist destinations, and a smorgasbord of public parks and libraries to choose from.
With a city as large as LA, you’ll definitely want to do a fair bit of research before landing on what neighborhood is best suited for your needs and wants. There are cheaper places to live in the city, but while they tend to be more affordable, you end up losing a great deal of security. To live safely in Los Angeles, you’ll want to go ahead and commit to spending a bit more. Otherwise, you can always opt to live on the outskirts of the city in a smaller and significantly more affordable municipality like Azusa or Claremont.
Sacramento
If you’re searching for an affordable place to live in California, Sacramento is the ideal spot for you. The capital city of Cali is close to attractions like Lake Tahoe and the coast, but it’s also a spacious and sprawling area that provides residents with a lot to love.
Sure, Sacramento, being an inland city, is flatter, smaller, and less glamorous than some of California’s more flashy cities, but for young families with children, millennials, and artists, it’s a superb spot to live. Cost of living is comparably low, the nightlife scene is lively, the art scene is currently blowing up, and the job market is quite healthy.
Forbes has been lauding Sacramento as being one of the best cities in the state to live for several years now. According to them, some of Sacramento’s biggest draws include it’s location in the temperate northern region of the state, it’s proximity to San Francisco, which is just two hours away, and it’s abundance of outdoor leisure activities.
Some of the best suburbs of Sacramento include Davis, El Dorado Hills, and Folsom. At these locations, you can enjoy all the benefits of big-city living without the crowds.
Compared to other California cities, Sacramento is pretty affordable. Median home prices are about $460,000 and rentals are pretty affordable as well. On top of that, there are numerous education opportunities in the area which means that if you’re planning on raising a family here, they’ll be set up for strong, successful future.
San Francisco
These days San Francisco has a reputation for being one of the most expensive US cities to live in. While that’s undeniably true, San Fran is also a center of the booming tech industry, which means that it has some of the most amazing job opportunities in the country.
The city, being a global center for the tech world and a cultural epicenter of Northern California, is considered by many to be the crown jewel of the state. It has a robust job market, a bustling urban environment, and some of the best restaurants on the planet.
Recently, San Francisco was rated the fourth happiest place to live in the US and the 34th best city in the country for job seekers. It’s also received high marks for having a stable housing market, high income per capita, and a mild year-round climate.
Home prices are very high in this bay-side city. So much so, that it’s actually estimated that in order to make ends meet, residents have to be earning a yearly salary of at least $92,000. Not surprisingly, San Francisco happens to be the California city with the highest number of millionaires and billionaires.
Oxnard
Located about an hour north of LA, Oxnard is a place where you and your family can enjoy coastal living at a fairly relaxed pace. This city is significantly smaller than places like San Diego or San Francisco, but it’s still very diverse, and priovides it’s residents with access to the beach and dozens of fabulous restaurants.
Oxnard is also known for being the home of many Hollywood celebrities and for hosting the world-famous annual California Strawberry Festival.
Median income is $77,000, and the median home price is $899,000. So, once again, cost of living is not surprisingly quite high. That said, the housing and job market is very stable, and there are numerous affordable places to live right outside of the city limits.
Lake Tahoe
This small town in NorCal is surrounded by the high-altitude Sierra Mountains and is famous for it’s namesake lake. The village was established around the boundary of what is the largest alpine lake on the continent.
Lake Tahoe is the perfect place to live for people who love nature and getting out on the water. It should be noted, however, that the winters can be quite fierce. As a result, skiing is one of the primary attractions in the area.
Lake Tahoe has a year-round population of about 40,000, making it one of the smallest populated towns included in this video. Although it’s by no means a large city, there are many incredible attractions within this extremely beautiful mountain town. Outdoor activities enjoyed by local residents, include snowboarding, skiing, cycling, water skiing, hiking, camping, and mountaineering.
Ideally we should have broken this video up into several installments. After all, California, as we already established, is a vast and extremely diverse state. Still, we were able to cover some of our favorite spots in the Golden State that potential transplants might be interested in learning about.
Which California city interests you the most, and do you think that California is a good place to raise a family? Let us know in the comments section down below, and as always, happy travels!