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Best Overall Cities in California

51 cities ranked · Highest MoveScore composite — safest overall balance of all six livability dimensions.

Top Cities in California

  1. #1
    A

    Chula Vista

    Best Overall Cities score 80 · MoveScore 80

  2. #2
    B

    San Jose

    Best Overall Cities score 78 · MoveScore 78

  3. #3
    B

    Santa Barbara

    Best Overall Cities score 78 · MoveScore 78

  4. #4
    B

    Santa Cruz

    Best Overall Cities score 78 · MoveScore 78

  5. #5
    B

    Fremont

    Best Overall Cities score 77 · MoveScore 77

  6. #6
    B

    Stockton

    Best Overall Cities score 77 · MoveScore 77

  7. #7
    B

    Woodland

    Best Overall Cities score 73 · MoveScore 73

  8. #8
    B

    Oakland

    Best Overall Cities score 71 · MoveScore 71

  9. #9
    C

    Concord

    Best Overall Cities score 69 · MoveScore 69

  10. #10
    C

    Pomona

    Best Overall Cities score 69 · MoveScore 69

  11. #11
    C

    Visalia

    Best Overall Cities score 68 · MoveScore 68

  12. #12
    C

    Napa

    Best Overall Cities score 67 · MoveScore 67

  13. #13
    C

    Santa Rosa

    Best Overall Cities score 67 · MoveScore 67

  14. #14
    C

    Vallejo

    Best Overall Cities score 67 · MoveScore 67

  15. #15
    C

    Roseville

    Best Overall Cities score 66 · MoveScore 66

  16. #16
    C

    Anaheim

    Best Overall Cities score 65 · MoveScore 65

  17. #17
    C

    Fontana

    Best Overall Cities score 65 · MoveScore 65

  18. #18
    C

    Monterey

    Best Overall Cities score 65 · MoveScore 65

  19. #19
    C

    Moreno Valley

    Best Overall Cities score 65 · MoveScore 65

  20. #20
    C

    San Francisco

    Best Overall Cities score 64 · MoveScore 64

  21. #21
    C

    Corona

    Best Overall Cities score 63 · MoveScore 63

  22. #22
    C

    Modesto

    Best Overall Cities score 62 · MoveScore 62

  23. #23
    C

    Pasadena

    Best Overall Cities score 62 · MoveScore 62

  24. #24
    C

    Fresno

    Best Overall Cities score 61 · MoveScore 61

  25. #25
    C

    San Diego

    Best Overall Cities score 61 · MoveScore 61

  26. #26
    C

    Riverside

    Best Overall Cities score 61 · MoveScore 61

  27. #27
    C

    Sacramento

    Best Overall Cities score 61 · MoveScore 61

  28. #28
    C

    Alameda

    Best Overall Cities score 61 · MoveScore 61

  29. #29
    C

    Torrance

    Best Overall Cities score 61 · MoveScore 61

  30. #30
    C

    Long Beach

    Best Overall Cities score 60 · MoveScore 60

  31. #31
    D

    Glendale

    Best Overall Cities score 59 · MoveScore 59

  32. #32
    D

    Oxnard

    Best Overall Cities score 59 · MoveScore 59

  33. #33
    D

    San Ramon

    Best Overall Cities score 59 · MoveScore 59

  34. #34
    D

    Thousand Oaks

    Best Overall Cities score 59 · MoveScore 59

  35. #35
    D

    Garden Grove

    Best Overall Cities score 58 · MoveScore 58

  36. #36
    D

    Orange

    Best Overall Cities score 58 · MoveScore 58

  37. #37
    D

    Santa Clara

    Best Overall Cities score 58 · MoveScore 58

  38. #38
    D

    Victorville

    Best Overall Cities score 58 · MoveScore 58

  39. #39
    D

    Los Angeles

    Best Overall Cities score 57 · MoveScore 57

  40. #40
    D

    Bakersfield

    Best Overall Cities score 54 · MoveScore 54

  41. #41
    D

    Clovis

    Best Overall Cities score 54 · MoveScore 54

  42. #42
    D

    Oceanside

    Best Overall Cities score 54 · MoveScore 54

  43. #43
    D

    Palmdale

    Best Overall Cities score 54 · MoveScore 54

  44. #44
    D

    Escondido

    Best Overall Cities score 52 · MoveScore 52

  45. #45
    F

    Merced

    Best Overall Cities score 49 · MoveScore 49

  46. #46
    F

    San Bernardino

    Best Overall Cities score 48 · MoveScore 48

  47. #47
    F

    Lancaster

    Best Overall Cities score 48 · MoveScore 48

  48. #48
    F

    Murrieta

    Best Overall Cities score 47 · MoveScore 47

  49. #49
    F

    Simi Valley

    Best Overall Cities score 47 · MoveScore 47

  50. #50
    F

    Santa Ana

    Best Overall Cities score 46 · MoveScore 46

  51. #51
    F

    Hayward

    Best Overall Cities score 44 · MoveScore 44

Other California Rankings

Best for Safety in California

Lowest crime rates per FBI UCR — best for families sensitive to violent and property crime.

Best for Water Quality in California

Cleanest drinking water per EPA SDWIS — fewest violations, highest safety scores.

Best for Air Quality in California

Cleanest air per EPA AQS — lowest median AQI and fewest unhealthy days.

Best for Public Schools in California

Strongest public school performance per NCES/EDFacts — highest average proficiency.

Best Fiscal Health in California

Strongest municipal fiscal health per Census ASPEP — sustainable per-capita spending.

Best for Hospital Care in California

Highest-rated hospitals per CMS HCAHPS — best patient experience scores.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which city in California ranks highest for best overall cities?

Chula Vista, CA ranks #1 in California for best overall cities with a sub-score of 80/100 (MoveScore 80, grade A).

How many cities in California are compared?

51 California cities have enough federal data for this ranking. Cities need at least three of six sub-scores for inclusion.

How is this ranking calculated?

Highest MoveScore composite — safest overall balance of all six livability dimensions. Sub-scores are normalized to 0-100 and the highest scores rank first.

Sources: FBI UCR, EPA, NCES, Census ASPEP, CMS HCAHPS
Last updated:

California-specific ranking using the composite MoveScore, normalized to 0-100. Cities need at least three federal sub-scores to be included.