What Makes These California Cities the “Best Places to Live in the U.S.”?

When looking for the perfect place to call home, quite a few boxes need to be checked off. Renters and homeowners looking for the best place to live in the U.S. often want to be near cities that offer a combination of low crime rates, great school systems, a thriving local community, and access to quality health care.

Researchers considered several aspects when looking at the 50 best places to live in the U.S. Some of those aspects include economic opportunities, quality of life, overall diversity, and the future of the city.

Let’s start with what makes Irvine, the home of the University of California, Irvine, one of the best places to live. Irvine is a bustling city that offers an excellent range of jobs, schools, community, and entertainment.

Irvine has more than shopping and entertainment. For the folks who enjoy the outdoors, there are over 60 public parks (22 community parks, more than 40 neighborhood parks, and special facilities for residents) and 400 miles of bike trails. If residents are looking to enjoy a nice relaxing day in the sun, then the 20-minute drive to the nearby beaches is an easy choice.

In 2022, Irvine was named the safest city of its size for violent crime according to FBI data for the 18th year. The city has the lowest crime rate in any city in the nation with a population of 250,000 or more.

It is no surprise that Irvine’s school system is rated among the best in California. The home to UC Irvine (which ranked fifth on Money’s list of Best Colleges in California and ninth for the 25 Best Colleges in America) and the “A+” earning Irvine Unified School District (via Niche), the city strives to provide all residents with a great education.

Whether you’re looking for employment or are eager to start your own business, the economic and business opportunities are rich in Irvine. With over 19,000 businesses in the city, Irvine has a shockingly low unemployment rate of 2.8%.

Often referred to as the “Birthplace of California,” San Diego maintained its reputation as being “America’s Finest City.” From the stunning beaches to the natural habitat sanctuaries to a thriving downtown, the Mediterranean climate has become home to those who are looking for temperate year-long weather and a beach lifestyle.

Many of the residents who live in San Diego are known to take full advantage of the city’s 340 parks and 40,000 acres of open undeveloped land. On top of that, residents often flock to La Jolla, the second-best beach in California, where you can witness hundreds of sea lions resting on the beach’s rocks.

Home to almost 1.4 million people, San Diego’s job market is promising. Largely thanks to the Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy, which is one of the largest employers in the city according to Money, the unemployment rate sits at 3.1%.

With a large population and plenty of job opportunities, the housing market is one of the most forgiving in the state of California, where the market is more expensive compared to the rest of the country. Unlike the millions of dollars it costs to purchase a starter house in San Francisco or Los Angeles, San Diego’s medium house price is $963,261.

Families can put strong roots down in San Diego thanks to the city’s strong school system. Home to one of the most highly regarded branches of the University of California (ranking #7 in Money’s 10 Best Colleges in California and #12 in the 25 Best Colleges in America), San Diego is focused on providing excellent higher education choices for young adults.

While we might not all live in SoCal, we can appreciate the effort the locals put into making their city one of the best 50 places to live in the U.S. There is a wide range of cities that made this list, with Atlanta, Georgia, being the #1 place to live and Sparks, Nevada, taking the #50 spot.