Best Places to Live in California Include These 12 Cities

When it comes to looking for the ideal California community in which to live, there's no sure-fire formula. Your level of satisfaction with a particular city depends on a lot of variables ranging from your desired lifestyle to your age. Career goals are also a huge factor in determining the best place for you and your family to live.

Conducting a focused search for your next home will help you make an informed choice. In addition to finding a nice neighborhood and a home that meets all your basic requirements, proximity to work is another priority that can directly impact your quality of life. If your daily commute takes more than 45 minutes each way, for example, your stress level and family life could be adversely affected.

Researching a particular area you're considering moving to is a necessary part of the decision-making process, but it can be time-consuming and frustrating. Fortunately, there are respected websites, publishers, and research organizations that have already done most of the work for you! A primary example is U.S. News and World Report's 2018 list of Best Places to Live. As part of its ranking formula, it focuses on everything from crime rates and cost of living to the availability of quality health care and education.

While its ranking system is not going to apply to everyone's needs and objectives, it does shed some light on the strengths (and weaknesses) of 125 metropolitan areas with populations of at least 50,000 people.

With 12 diverse cities being included in the list, California fared very well as a desirable place to live. The cities that earned a spot on the list are San Jose (#17), San Francisco (#20), San Diego (#30), Santa Barbara (#68), Santa Rosa (#77), Sacramento (#92), Los Angeles (#101), Salinas (#114), Fresno (#116), Modesto (#118), Bakersfield (#123), and Stockton (#124).

One of your best sources of information on specific neighborhoods, parts of town, and other aspects of choosing the right environment is an experienced real estate agent. In addition to helping you match your requirements and budget to the available housing inventory, real estate professionals can assist you in developing a priority list and "wish list" of features you need to be happy. Those lists would include everything from the number of bedrooms and bathrooms to the characteristics of the neighborhood and proximity to shopping, entertainment, good schools, and medical services. 

Whether you're in the market for your first home or tenth, a seasoned real estate agent can streamline your search and help you navigate the sometimes confusing process of buying a house. A good way to begin clarifying your wants and needs is to download and print a house-hunting checklist from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.