Best places to live in California
CityLedger tracks 24 California metros, led by San Jose. Cost of living runs from about 95 to 116 against a U.S. average of 100. Every figure below is computed from public U.S. government data and links to a full profile.
CityLedger tracks 24 metros in California, the largest being the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA Metro Area (around 12,927,614 people). Across the state, median household income runs from $60,749 in El Centro to $164,801 in San Jose, and typical rent from $1,062 a month in El Centro upward — a reminder that "California" is really several different housing and job markets, not one.
El Centro has the lowest overall price level in the state (about 95 versus a U.S. average of 100), but the cheapest metro isn't always where money goes furthest. Adjusting income for local prices, San Jose delivers the best real buying power — a cost-adjusted median of about $149,245.
Taxes shift the picture in ways a cost-of-living index alone misses: California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower here than in no-income-tax states at the same salary, and combined state and local sales tax averages about 8.8% (Tax Foundation). Our salary calculator folds federal, FICA, and California state tax into a single take-home figure for any metro here.
San Jose earns the state's highest CityLedger livability score, 82/100; Fresno is the fastest-growing, up 19.1% over the latest population estimate; Sacramento carries the lowest natural-hazard loss rate, about $13 per $10,000 of property (FEMA). Open any metro below for the full, sourced breakdown behind these figures.
| Metro | Livability | Cost of living | Median income | Median rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 82 | 110 | $164,801 | $2,827/mo |
| San Francisco, CA | 77 | 116 | $135,590 | $2,435/mo |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 74 | 108 | $107,274 | $2,229/mo |
| San Diego, CA | 72 | 112 | $109,132 | $2,336/mo |
| Oxnard, CA | 72 | 111 | $114,238 | $2,313/mo |
| Santa Cruz, CA | 72 | 110 | $107,893 | $2,293/mo |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | 66 | 109 | $100,724 | $2,110/mo |
| Sacramento, CA | 59 | 107 | $98,775 | $1,904/mo |
| Santa Maria, CA | 57 | 109 | $95,637 | $2,108/mo |
| Salinas, CA | 52 | 109 | $93,290 | $2,007/mo |
| Los Angeles, CA | 51 | 114 | $96,405 | $2,114/mo |
| Vallejo, CA | 44 | 108 | $94,930 | $2,223/mo |
| Riverside, CA | 38 | 106 | $91,013 | $2,006/mo |
| Redding, CA | 37 | 101 | $71,140 | $1,420/mo |
| Stockton, CA | 33 | 105 | $93,038 | $1,788/mo |
| Yuba City, CA | 33 | 104 | $81,094 | $1,486/mo |
| Chico, CA | 26 | 101 | $65,221 | $1,446/mo |
| Fresno, CA | 24 | 102 | $74,983 | $1,513/mo |
| Modesto, CA | 21 | 104 | $78,673 | $1,753/mo |
| Bakersfield, CA | 19 | 101 | $71,596 | $1,479/mo |
| Hanford, CA | 19 | 102 | $73,954 | $1,421/mo |
| Visalia, CA | 17 | 100 | $69,880 | $1,384/mo |
| El Centro, CA | 12 | 95 | $60,749 | $1,062/mo |
| Merced, CA | 7 | 98 | $64,980 | $1,462/mo |
Browse every metro on the cities index or the rankings.
Living in California — frequently asked
- What is the most affordable metro in California?
- By overall price level, El Centro is the most affordable metro in California, at about 95 against a U.S. average of 100 (BEA Regional Price Parities). Affordability also depends on local pay — see where a paycheck stretches furthest below.
- Where does a paycheck go furthest in California?
- San Jose has the highest cost-adjusted income in California — a median of about $149,245 once local prices are factored in, meaning typical pay buys the most there.
- Does California have a state income tax?
- Yes. California levies a state income tax, which lowers take-home pay relative to no-income-tax states; combined state and local sales tax also averages about 8.8%. Our salary calculator estimates the exact take-home for each metro.
- Which California metro has the highest livability score?
- San Jose, at 82/100 on CityLedger's livability score — a transparent blend of affordability, jobs, income, education, and commute, all from public data.