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2018 Best Suburbs to Live in CaliforniaAbout this List

Explore the best suburbs to live in the U.S. based on crime, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities. Ranking based on data from the U.S. Census, FBI, BLS, CDC, and other sources. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 25 of 432
Best Places to Live
432 results

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  1. Albany

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 41
    1 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Positives: small town community feel. You know your neighbors and retail shop owners. Good community resources and activities. Great schools with parents and teachers who care. Excellent transportation options if you have to commute. Ability to walk just about everywhere. There is a generally high police presence in terms of patrol car visibility which I think helps a lot. You can walk the streets at all hours and it's generally safe.

    Negatives: petty crime such as prowling and vehicle burglaries that you see in places like Berkeley and Oakland. Used to be a much bigger homeless population but most have been moved out. Housing and rental prices are ridiculously high given the size of most homes and apartments. More demand than supply.

    Albany was once very conservative, but the demographics are slowly changing and the city has had its share of ups and downs with regard to race, tolerance, and diversity.
    Read 41 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 19,682 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  2. Berkeley

    • City in California
    • 115
    2 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Berkeley is a wonderful city full of an interesting, open-minded and intelligent group of people. The city is very culturally diverse and open to accepting anyone from anywhere. The food scene is to die for and if organically grown is what you live by, look no further than Berkeley grocery stores, farmers markets and more. One small down side would be the lack of club life (for the younger folks), there are however many perfectly adequate bars as well a little college student scene on Telegraph Avenue. Overall, I highly recommend living here or going to school here if accepted!
    Read 115 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 120,179 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  3. Santa Monica

    • Town in California
    • 81
    3 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Works Here: I've lived and/or worked in Santa Monica for over 12 years. In addition to it's gorgeous weather and beaches, Santa Monica is both family & pedestrian friendly, as well as a vacation destination and hot spot for evening events. Although Santa Monica has faced years of traffic congestion due to its popularity, however the City continues to strive to be environmentally conscious through offering fantastic public transportation--the new metrorail, (hulu) bike rental kiosks, becoming anti-smoking, and banning plastic bags. From healthy fast casual restaurants offering vegan cuisine, bistros and fresh sushi to high end restaurants...Santa Monica offers it all!
    Read 81 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 92,495 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  5. Mountain View

    • Town in California
    • 90
    4 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: I live near downtown Mountain View, very close to the famous Castro Street where much of Mountain View's interesting shops and restaurants are located. Unfortunately, the restaurants have almost universally disappointing food (with some exceptions). I haven't lived in Mountain View very long (about seven months) but I do know that it's a prohibitively expensive place to live. It's a part of what is now called Silicon Valley, and so is inhabited mostly by engineers. Mountain View is very family-friendly, with monthly or bi-monthly open streets festivals with many activities for children. If I was looking to raise a family, this would be an amazing place.
    Read 90 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 80,076 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  6. Los Altos Hills

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 4
    5 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: A lot of animals around, quiet neighborhood. Very nice place to bike or hike or just walk and jog around. Great neighborhood overall
    Read 4 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 8,490 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  7. Manhattan Beach

    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 74
    6 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Manhattan Beach is paradise! Minus the vagrants and robberies....
    Great restaurants, great neighbors, great parks, convenient location, parking is not terrible but not great, community is stellar, family friendly, beautiful strand and conducive to healthy living.
    Read 74 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 35,698 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  10. Palo Alto

    • Town in California
    • 51
    7 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: The community is very welcoming! The schools are all very good quality, and the education is amazing. There is a lot of pressure for students going to schools in this area, especially the high schools. The neighborhood is very safe; there are so many children that every driver is contentious of kids. There are many bike lanes to keep bikers safe, too. Many students end up biking, walking or taking the bus to school.
    Read 51 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 67,082 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  11. Irvine

    • City in California
    • 279
    8 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Irvine is probably one of the safest, cleanest, and greenest cities in CA (if not, in the US)! It is located in Orange County, so it's really easy to go up to LA area or drive down to San Diego. Irvine is home to a lot of high-ranking schools like the University of California Irvine (UCI), Concordia University, Irvine Valley College, the Orange County Center of the University of Southern California (USC), and campuses of California State University Fullerton (CSUF), University of La Verne, and Pepperdine University. This city is really beautiful with streets dotted with flowers and trees. It is very quiet and all neighborhoods are well-maintained. There's a lot of opportunities for outdoor activities.
    Read 279 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 256,877 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Solana Beach

    • Suburb of San Diego, CA
    • 30
    9 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Former Resident: I loved living three blocks from the ocean here. Grocery stores and restaurants were very close also. The temperature here was usually bearable, not too hot and very nice year round. The only set back I found was the commute time from Mira Mesa where I worked. Around three pm is when the traffic was at a slow crawl. I attended college at Mira Mesa community college which the traffic wasn't too bad before 7am. There was some night life that was very close. The Belly Up bar was within walking distance from me and always had bands and special events going on there. The beach was within walking distance, but straight down from Lomas Santa Fe the tide keeps you from venturing directly onto the beach from that location.
    Read 30 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 13,362 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  14. Davis

    • Suburb of Sacramento, CA
    • 284
    10 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: I love the small 'college town' feel! Davis is very environmentally conscious and friendly, residents like to 'live green' and promote sustainable practices. The neighborhood is friendly, there are plenty of grocery stores and restaurants to visit. The neighborhood farmer's market on the weekend is always great to visit to support local businesses. The close proximity to Sacramento gives more opportunity to those willing to commute for jobs, internships, or nightlife. Davis is also not too far away from Vallejo and San Francisco, so even though it is a small community, there is more to do not too far away.
    Read 284 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 67,500 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Los Altos

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 49
    11 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Los Altos California is a wonderful place to live, and especially to raise children! It is safe and the people are usually very kind. The community areas like Downtown Los Altos are very quaint and have many local shopping opportunities. The schools here are also amazing, and provide so many resources to the students. Although, if you are someone who likes a more busy night life, this is not the place for you. There are very few places that are open after around 10PM. Also the housing market is very expensive.
    Read 49 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 30,527 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Hillsborough

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 7
    12 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: I love the fact that Hillsborough is such a friendly place to live. All of the people are connected through a social media site called Nextdoor, and they people who post on the site are very active when it comes to warning their neighbors about stormy weather or recent break-ins.
    Read 7 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 11,436 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  19. West Menlo Park

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 1
    13 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: I love West Menlo Park, I grew up here and it was a great, family friendly fun enviornment. It has the best weather and is only 45 minutes from the best city San Francisco and only 30 minutes from a beach, Half Moon Bay and an hour from Santa Cruz. The people here are all so nice and caring in my opinon
    Read 1 Review

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 3,744 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  20. Piedmont

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 28
    14 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Piedmont is a wonderful community. People are very smart, highly educated, ambitious, energetic, volunteer a lot for and in the schools, and are interested in having a good family life. It is also very beautiful owing to the city having high expectations for property owners in their remodeling and landscaping adventures. It is a great place to make friends with other families with kids the same age. The hills make for perfect walking exercise. The surrounding area has the best restaurants and performances you could ever want.
    Read 28 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 11,296 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  21. South Pasadena

    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 76
    15 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: What I like about South Pasadena is the convenience. For a small town, this place offers nearby schools, grocery stores, and public transportation. I also like the safety that this town provides for families with or without kids. I give South Pasadena a 4-star overall rating due to the living cost or rent. It is, however, expected to be high and increasing from time to time due to the convenience of getting from one place to another via walking or public transportation and the good schools. I believe South Pasadena does deserve at least 4 stars because it has and still allows me to attend the community college I go to East Los Angeles College for school via. This town is pretty safe as well that at least I can just go out either for a walk or to transport to places with convenience and not feel like I'm putting myself in dangerous situations.
    Read 76 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 25,974 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  22. Orinda

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 33
    16 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Orinda is a dream of a town! We are Brooklynites and we have lived in some great cities, including: Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver BC, Paris, Philadelphia, Boston and LA (meh on the last two) and Orinda became a perfect fit when we had to raise two kids. SF has many great aspects, but it became somewhat unfriendly for kids. We bit the bullet and moved to Lamorinda. All places are great, but Orinda is so ideal for us. Competitive schools (top notch), close to BART, close to Berkeley, SF and other great areas. Besides Brooklyn, it's been our favorite place to live!
    Read 33 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 19,248 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  23. Saratoga

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 38
    17 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: I am a current resident, although I still live with my parents (high school senior!). But, I've lived in Saratoga nearly my whole life and I love the small town. I generally feel safe, although in the past few years there have been some robberies. The schools around here are fantastic and the houses are beautiful. There's not a ton to do for "nightlife," although there are plenty of places to grab food and/or shop. There's a lot of ethnic diversity, but not a lot of socio-economic diversity (which I guess makes sense, but I thought was worth adding). I can't really say for commute time or job opportunities, although many of my friends work part time jobs at local cafes and boutiques. Overall, it's a wonderful suburb and I'm glad to have been raised here!
    Read 38 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 31,013 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Hermosa Beach

    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 44
    18 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Former Resident: Hermosa Beach is a beautiful small town with a rich history in visual and performing arts and a great, close-knit aesthetic. The single-square mile area is a great contrast in attitudes to the surrounding cities, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, by representing a generally relaxed, easy-going beach lifestyle as historically associated with the South Bay.
    Read 44 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A
      Public Schools
    • 19,750 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Moraga

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 36
    19 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Saint Mary's College of California is located just northeast of downtown Moraga. It is a Catholic university with 3,962 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the 2007–2008 school year. The college was originally located in San Francisco and then Oakland, but moved to Moraga in 1928. Additionally, Moraga is home to the grade schools of Los Perales Elementary, Donald L. Rheem School, Camino Pablo School, and Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School; Campolindo High School, and Saint Mary's College of California, a private college. In 2011 Moraga was named a top city to live and learn in.
    Read 36 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 17,231 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  28. La Cañada Flintridge

    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 76
    20 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: Not too much happens in La Cañada Flintridge and it is a very peaceful town. What makes it special is the safety and friendliness of the community, the school in the area, and the convenient location. Little to no crimes occur in la Cañada, and the ones that happen are small and rare burglaries. The community funded school in the area is La Cañada high, a public school in the top 150 public schools in America. The town also contains Saint Francis and Flintridge Prep, two great private schools. La Cañada is extremely close to Pasadena and Glendale, meaning fun activities and good quality places are only a few minutes away! Overall, La Cañana Flintridge is not only my city, but my home.
    Read 76 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 20,474 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  29. Ross

    • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
    • 3
    21 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Nearby Resident: Beautiful upscale town. Nice mom and pop shops. It is an enclave all unto itself.

    However, it is not very diverse (racially, economically, or otherwise). Nevertheless, the people are friendly in public and although every affluent, the at not snobby
    Read 3 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 2,311 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  30. Redondo Beach

    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 144
    22 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: I really love my community and my city. However, it is not perfect. The biggest problem to me is the homeless people. There are two churches where many homeless people and drug addicts flock to, and they can cause disturbances. One other thing I would change is the pier. I feel as though it is the reason the nightlife is worse than that of Hermosa Beach or Manhattan. However, the Riviera is always super fun to visit at night. Overall, though, I love my city!
    Read 144 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 67,950 Population
    View Nearby Homes
  31. Review Your Area

  32. Palos Verdes Estates

    • Suburb of Los Angeles, CA
    • 26
    23 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Nearby Resident: It's hard to rate this one, on one hand, it is stunning beautifully situated scenic area, ocean views cliffs, the list goes on. A fantastic school district I think its one of the best in the country. But then town itself, almost no restaurants, zero nightlife, one road to get in and get out, traffic like hell because of that. No access to the beach. Older established successful crowd. Very private.

    This is a very place for someone who made it big, doesn't need to go to work anymore, or they run their successful business from their home. Speaking of homes. Amazing. Big (OLD) money town. Properties with land! That should give you a clue. Beautiful but isolated.
    Read 26 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 13,591 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  33. San Ramon

    • Town in California
    • 115
    24 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: San Ramon is a great area to raise a family. It is a small town in California, it is family friendly, and the people there are extremely nice. In addition to all of this, San Ramon is in the top five safest cities in California. It is very rare to find a crime in San Ramon. There is not a single thing I can think of that this town doesn't already have. It is such a beautiful area. San Ramon has even opened a City Center where concerts are held, as well as ice skating, movie theaters and many more. Plus, the public schools are rated either a 9/10 or a 10/10.
    Read 115 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 75,048 Population
    View Nearby Homes

  34. Newport Beach

    • Town in California
    • 39
    25 Best Suburbs to Live in California

    Current Resident: It's a beautiful place to live with a lot to offer. There is beautiful beaches every where you turn and amazing restaurants. The only thing missing is the nightlife, there will be random cool events that happen sporadicly but something permanent would be great. I would also love to see the addition of museums or even just fun things to do on the weekend with your family!
    Read 39 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Public Schools
    • 86,793 Population
    View Nearby Homes
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