Top 25 Cities To Raise Your Family In California

California may be considered one of the more expensive states to live, but according to the experts at WalletHub, families can still strike gold when moving to the Golden State.

In regards to the economy, weather and social lives of Americans, California is at the top of the charts for one of the better states to live. Last year, the state earned a GDP of $2.7 trillion more than all but four countries, according to a recent report from WalletHub. It is also home to quality universities and if you have a job, there is a comprehensive family-leave program, both for maternity leave, adoption as well as non-work related illnesses, truly putting families first.

WalletHub researchers added up the following criteria to measure where in California is best to hang your hat and raise your kids: Family Life and Fun, Education, Health and Safety, Affordability, and Socioeconomic Environment.

Folsom, California, a city that borders Folsom Lake in Sacramento County, was ranked as the number one city to raise your family with a combined total score of 80.84. Folsom, which also ranked as the number one city for affordable housing, had one of the lowest poverty levels in the state.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, San Bernardino and Adelanto were near-tied for the bottom of the list with a score of 35.75, and 35.08, respectively.

According to the WalletHub criteria, the top 25 cities to live in across California include:

1. Folsom, CA
2. San Ramon, CA
3. Los Altos, CA
4. El Dorado Hills, CA
5. Dublin, CA
6. Danville, CA
7. Pleasanton, CA
8. Cupertino, CA
9. Aliso Viejo, CA
10. Roseville, CA
11. Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
12. Elk Grove, CA
13. Rocklin, CA
14. Los Gatos, CA
15. Saratoga, CA
16. Eastvale, CA
17. Yorba Linda, CA
18. Palo Alto, CA
19. Fremont, CA
20. Sunnyvale, CA
21. Temecula, CA
22. Poway, CA
23. Encinitas, CA
24. Mission Viejo, CA
25. Thousand Oaks, CA

In Orange County, the cities of Irvine (30), Lake Forest (34), San Clemente (36), Laguna Hills (46), and Laguna Niguel (47) ranked within the top 50 cities listed.

Other areas measured were cities with the lowest divorce rate (Cupertino), and those with the highest divorce rate (West Hollywood.)

Households with the lowest percentages at poverty level included: Danville, Manhattan Beach, Los Altos and Pleasanton. The most people in California living at poverty level were in Huntington Park, San Bernardino and Adelanto.

Those with the lowest violent crime included Danville, Los Altos, Murrieta, San Ramon and Irvine, while the most violent crime-riddled cities included Compton, San Bernardino, Stockton and Oakland.

Want to earn a high income? You'd do well to live in El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Danville, San Ramon and Aliso Viejo, according to the WalletHub report. The towns with the lowest median family income included El Monte, Bell, Huntington Park, Bell Gardens and Adelanto, the report said.

Finally, if family fun is on your agenda, avoid living in South Gate, Baldwin Park, Lynwood, Pico Rivera or Temple City.

If family fun and attractions are on your must list for "close to home," consider these towns with the most attractions nearby in California: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Napa and Sacramento.

Regardless of where you live in California, there is a Patch near you to bring you the latest in breaking local news, weather and entertainment. Find and follow your Patch.com channel here, and register to contribute! Let us hear from you, and tell us what you love about your town.

Photo, San Clemente as seen from Casa Romantica, courtesy David Okun