Best Overall Cities in California
51 cities ranked · Highest MoveScore composite — safest overall balance of all six livability dimensions.
Top Cities in California
- #1A
Chula Vista
- #2B
San Jose
- #3B
Santa Barbara
- #4B
Santa Cruz
- #5B
Fremont
- #6B
Stockton
- #7B
Woodland
- #8B
Oakland
- #9C
Concord
- #10C
Pomona
- #11C
Visalia
- #12C
Napa
- #13C
Santa Rosa
- #14C
Vallejo
- #15C
Roseville
- #16C
Anaheim
- #17C
Fontana
- #18C
Monterey
- #19C
Moreno Valley
- #20C
San Francisco
- #21C
Corona
- #22C
Modesto
- #23C
Pasadena
- #24C
Fresno
- #25C
San Diego
- #26C
Riverside
- #27C
Sacramento
- #28C
Alameda
- #29C
Torrance
- #30C
Long Beach
- #31D
Glendale
- #32D
Oxnard
- #33D
San Ramon
- #34D
Thousand Oaks
- #35D
Garden Grove
- #36D
Orange
- #37D
Santa Clara
- #38D
Victorville
- #39D
Los Angeles
- #40D
Bakersfield
- #41D
Clovis
- #42D
Oceanside
- #43D
Palmdale
- #44D
Escondido
- #45F
Merced
- #46F
San Bernardino
- #47F
Lancaster
- #48F
Murrieta
- #49F
Simi Valley
- #50F
Santa Ana
- #51F
Hayward
Other California Rankings
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.
Last updated:
California-specific ranking using the composite MoveScore, normalized to 0-100. Cities need at least three federal sub-scores to be included.