CA Neighborhoods Ranked As Best Places To Live In U.S.: Report

CALIFORNIA — Looking for a new place to call home? A recent report ranked neighborhoods in the U.S. and dozens of California communities made the list.

Niche constructed the annual Best Places to Live collection by analyzing a range of livability benchmarks such as affordability, crime, cost of living, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools, walkability, the job market and more.

Researchers used data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as millions of resident reviews.

In 2022, The Woodlands, TX remains the #1 Best City to Live in the U.S. And for the third year in a row, Chesterbrook, PA, a neighborhood in the Philadelphia area, keeps its title as the #1 Best Place to Live in America.

In the Golden State, neighborhoods within Santa Monica, Berkeley, San Francisco and Palo Alto topped this year's list. Each of these communities were chosen for their dense, urban feel with plenty of night life, bustling coffee shops, parks and more. These communities also tend to attract families with highly rated public schools, and young professionals who are often drawn to areas near metropolitan cities.

Using Niche's search tool, Golden Staters can customize their search for the perfect neighborhood by choosing what size home they're looking for, political beliefs and even hobbies.

Here are the 2022 Best Places to Live in California:

1. City Center, Santa Monica
2. Ocean Park, Santa Monica
3. University South, Palo Alto
4. Mid-City, Santa Monica
5. Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco
6. Ventura, Palo Alto
7. Downtown North, Palo Alto
8. Wilshire/Montana, Santa Monica
9. Old Palo Alto, Palo Alto
10. College Terrace, Palo Alto
11. Santa Monica, Santa Monica
12. Duveneck/St. Francis, Palo Alto
13. Crescent Park, Palo Alto
14. Evergreen Park, Palo Alto
15. Midtown, Palo Alto
16. North Berkeley, Berkeley
17. Professorville, Palo Alto
18. Barron Park, Palo Alto
19. Greenmeadow, Palo Alto
20. Community Center, Palo Alto
21. South Gate, Palo Alto
22. Sunset Park, Santa Monica
23. Monroe Park, Palo Alto
24. Northside, Berkeley
25. Upper North Berkeley, Berkeley

See full 2022 Best Places to Live in America rankings here.