Here Are The Best Places To Live In California, New Ranking Says

If you’re looking for somewhere to call home in California, give a closer look to the Evergreen Park and Downtown North neighborhoods of Palo Alto, which topped their categories in a new ranking based on quality of life issues released Monday.

Now in its 12th year, the 2026 Best Places to Live ranking from the data-driven platform Niche helps everyone from young people just starting their careers or families to retirees decide where they want to live. The report analyzes places of various sizes.

The ranking includes 230 cities and 18,000 towns, suburbs and neighborhoods.

California places performed especially well in categories including outdoor activities, opportunities for young professionals, raising a family, retirement, public schools, diversity and overall health. No California locations ranked at the top for cost of living or home affordability.

According to Niche, Palo Alto neighborhoods are some of the best in California and the country. Seven out of the state’s top 10 spots to live are located in the Silicon Valley city. Click on the links for a full rankings breakdown, and see here for the full list.

1. Evergreen Park, Palo Alto
2. Downtown North, Palo Alto
3. College Terrace, Palo Alto
4. University South, Palo Alto
5. City Center, Santa Monica
6. Ventura, Palo Alto
7. Downtown Berkeley
8. Crescent Park, Palo Alto
9. Mid-City, Santa Monica
10. Old Palo Alto, Palo Alto

The top California cities include:

1. Sunnyvale
2. Berkeley
3. Irvine
4. Santa Clara
5. Torrance
6. Carlsbad
7. San Francisco
8. Pasadena
9. Thousand Oaks
10. San Diego

See here for the full list.

The rankings are based on a wide range of public data sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, combined with millions of resident reviews.

Naperville, Illinois, is the best city in America for the third consecutive year, according to Niche’s rankings. Rounding out the top five were Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Woodlands, Texas; Arlington, Virginia; and Bellevue, Washington, respectively.

The top five places to live are Atlantic Station, Georgia; Colonial Village, Virginia; Evergreen Park, California; Downtown North, California; and Clarendon Hills, Illinois, respectively.

Niche said this year’s top-ranked places are smaller, walkable communities within major metro areas, giving residents access to jobs, amenities, and transit while maintaining connected neighborhoods. Many have populations under 15,000, as demand grows for places that balance urban convenience with neighborhood livability.

“People are increasingly looking for neighborhoods that offer both access to diverse career opportunities and a strong sense of community,” Allison Shrivatava,an economist at Niche, said in a news release. “These smaller, walkable communities provide the mix of amenities and livability that families and young professionals both value.”

Many of these communities are located near major economic hubs, including Silicon Valley and large Northeast metros, where robust job markets and high-quality public schools continue to attract residents.

The traditional divide between places for young professionals and families is narrowing, with many communities now ranking highly across both categories. Niche said its 2026 rankings show how quickly preferences are evolving — driven by affordability pressures and demand for dining, entertainment, and walkability.

“Every life stage brings a new set of priorities, and our goal with these rankings is to help make the decision of where to live a lot easier,” Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in the release. “Whether you’re a young professional, raising a family, or planning your next move, Niche gives you a clear, data-driven picture of what a community actually offers.”

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