If you’ve been searching for a desirable place to live in California, there’s good news and bad news:
There are a lot of worthwhile options to choose from!
That’s not exactly “bad news,” unless you have difficulty narrowing down choices and picking the best one! Actually, a lot of the research and analysis has already been done for you by websites such as Livability.
The California communities on its list of “Top 100 Best Small Towns,” for example, include a handful of top-notch possibilities: Sebastopol (#9), Los Alamitos (#12), Arcata (#14), Emeryville (#34), and Pacific Grove (#39). If you like the idea of small-town living without having to sacrifice features like superior health care and an abundance of nice shopping locations, then those five small California towns might very well meet your requirements. They reportedly offer amenities and services that are usually associated with more densely populated areas.
Speaking of larger centers of population, quite a few medium-sized California cities also have been ranked as highly desirable places to live. In its 2017 Top 100 Best Places to Live list, the cities (of under 350,000) which scored well in the rankings included Palo Alto (#7), Pleasanton (#17), Walnut Creek (#34), San Mateo (#41), Roseville (#48), San Luis Obispo (#50), Santa Cruz (#56), Irvine (#59), San Rafael (#64), Camarillo (#66), Santa Rosa (#79), Santa Barbara (#82), and Berkeley (#86).
It’s no surprise that the city of Palo Alto made the top ten portion of the list, due to its proximity to Stanford University, the many high-tech employment opportunities available at Internet companies headquartered there, and the abundance of parks, quality healthcare services, high-end shopping outlets, and appealing historic neighborhoods.
Pleasanton was the next highest-ranked California city on the list. Its prominent ranking was due to the quality of its school system (top 10 in the state), its more than 220 diverse restaurants, and the historic nature of its downtown shopping area. In addition to being home to a number of high-tech industries, itself, the community also features 1,200 acres of parks, hiking trails, and other open spaces for residents to enjoy.
Walnut Creek is another well-regarded community known for its highly rated school system, shopping, and restaurants. The medium-sized city is a short drive from the Pacific Ocean, nearby mountains, and public parks. It has a robust economy bolstered by a thriving healthcare and biotechnology industry.
Several of the small- to-medium-sized California cities on these lists offers proximity to bustling metropolitan centers like San Francisco — except without the aspects of urban living that some people prefer to avoid. While all homebuyers have different criteria when it comes to housing, budgetary ranges, and preferred amenities, there are literally dozens of California communities that are sure to meet the expectations of discerning West Coast house hunters!