Two Bay Area cities ranked as the best in California
Despite housing costs, San Jose, San Francisco are livable, U.S. News & World Report says
California living long has been the stuff of dreams. From the days of the gold rush to the digital boom, people have been flocking to the Golden State to pursue a better life. All of that longing also has fueled a sense of rivalry among the state’s many popular regions.
Well, now there’s a new report on the 12 best places to live in California that is bound to cause some squabbling.
In a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report, which looked at the quality of life, the job market and people’s desire to live there, top honors go to San Francisco, with its signature cable cars, its skyrocketing tech sector and its indisputable trendiness factor. The city by the bay also was hailed for its sense of beauty and uniqueness.
“San Francisco is a complete universe in and of itself,” notes the report. “Each neighborhood exudes its own personality, from the historic streets of the Mission District to the grassy hills of the Presidio to the bustling piers along the Embarcadero.”
San Jose followed at No. 2. The capital of Silicon Valley was lauded not just for its hightech hub status but also for its pervasive love of diversity and innovation.
“The metro area also retains its character with quirky attractions like the 160-room, maze-like Winchester Mystery House; a 120acre flea market complete with ponies; and a larger-than-life Monopoly board.”
For the record, both Bay Area cities lost points for the insanely high cost of housing, but they also scored well in terms of high incomes, largely driven by the tech sector.
San Diego, with its amazing beaches and its flawless sunny weather, walked away with the third spot. Picturesque Santa Barbara came in at No. 4.
Eat your heart out, Hollywood. Los Angeles basically got snubbed, coming in at No. 7, after Santa Rosa and Sacramento. Ouch. For all its celebrity stardust, the City of Angels, which is the second-most-populous city in the country, got dinged for high prices and horrific commutes.
Other cities in the top dozen, some of
which may well startle you, included Salinas, Stockton, Modesto and Fresno.
Rounding out the list of best cities at No. 12 is Bakersfield.
Yes, Bakersfield.
The heretofore unglamorous stopover between San Francisco and Los Angeles got props as a “healthy job
market and an affordable place to raise a family.”
The median home price is certainly a jaw dropper: $226,908.