State rankings

Best Counties to Live in California

Compare counties in California by overall score, affordability, economy, schools, safety, taxes, and peace & quiet. Rankings are public-data estimates for comparison and research.

#1 in CA

Marin County

62.1

Overall score

Open county report

#2 in CA

Placer County

61.8

Overall score

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#3 in CA

Santa Clara County

60.3

Overall score

Open county report

#4 in CA

San Mateo County

57.2

Overall score

Open county report

#5 in CA

Orange County

55.1

Overall score

Open county report

Category highlights

Quick entry points for common county search priorities.

National rankings

Best overall

Marin County

Overall score 62.1

Most affordable

Modoc County

Affordability 65.6

Best schools

Marin County

Schools 96.4

Safest

Orange County

Safety 98.9

Lowest taxes

Inyo County

Taxes 65.1

Best peace & quiet

Inyo County

Peace & Quiet 94.5

All California counties

Showing 58 counties ranked by the default generated overall score.

Rank	County	Overall	Economy	Afford.	Schools	Safety	Taxes	Peace & Quiet	Typical home	Income
1	Marin County FIPS 06041	62.1	71.7	14.2	96.4	94	44.9	54.5	$1,469,866	$149,091
2	Placer County FIPS 06061	61.8	74.4	22.5	82.6	92	39.4	65.9	$685,954	$115,998
3	Santa Clara County FIPS 06085	60.3	77.6	13	86.2	97.1	48.9	19.9	$1,679,213	$164,281
4	San Mateo County FIPS 06081	57.2	83.6	12.1	71.1	88.3	49.1	18.7	$1,606,596	$158,855
5	Orange County FIPS 06059	55.1	71.5	12.5	65.3	98.9	51.9	19.7	$1,194,407	$116,289
6	El Dorado County FIPS 06017	54.6	64.7	19.8	67.2	75.7	48.7	75.3	$653,106	$108,845
7	San Luis Obispo County FIPS 06079	52	66.8	11.6	51.2	87.3	47.7	85	$906,922	$97,446
8	San Diego County FIPS 06073	51.1	68.8	12.9	51.5	91.5	48	36.3	$941,931	$106,268
9	Alameda County FIPS 06001	49.7	67.5	14	54.9	90.2	40.2	16.1	$1,086,737	$129,367
10	Contra Costa County FIPS 06013	49.6	66.2	19.3	50.7	92.9	34.2	14.3	$789,908	$127,229
11	Nevada County FIPS 06057	47.8	62.1	14.7	39.5	84	41.9	78.7	$611,865	$89,882
12	Napa County FIPS 06055	47.5	71.4	14.2	19.2	92.3	45.3	77.6	$887,245	$111,471
13	Sonoma County FIPS 06097	47.5	69.3	14.5	28.8	86.8	43.1	69.5	$792,143	$104,674
14	Ventura County FIPS 06111	47.4	65.3	15.7	24.4	95.6	49.2	60	$885,254	$109,797
15	Modoc County FIPS 06049	46.4	36.4	65.6	8.9	63.7	54.7	82.2	$191,781	$59,455
16	Sierra County FIPS 06091	46.1	48	31.9	18.4	86.8	54.7	78.8	$328,754	$63,355
17	Shasta County FIPS 06089	45.9	50.5	37.1	21.1	64.5	55.7	90.5	$370,888	$72,636
18	Amador County FIPS 06005	45.8	51.2	44	14.1	68	51.6	76.1	$418,138	$88,044
19	Lassen County FIPS 06035	45.8	35.8	60.9	9.2	67.9	52.5	87.5	$231,145	$67,403
20	Santa Barbara County FIPS 06083	45.4	65.4	11.8	14.2	90.9	54	83.6	$994,384	$98,161
21	Solano County FIPS 06095	45.3	62.1	23	14.5	94.9	43.9	49	$577,138	$100,401
22	Mono County FIPS 06051	45.1	70.6	5.3	21.2	79.5	57.8	84.2	$755,677	$99,415
23	Yolo County FIPS 06113	43.5	50.8	12.6	26.1	95.4	42.4	76.9	$622,227	$91,752
24	Riverside County FIPS 06065	42.9	58.8	15.8	16.2	88.7	47.6	58.5	$608,606	$93,074
25	San Benito County FIPS 06069	42.9	57.8	17	12.5	92.3	37.6	82.4	$771,496	$114,394
26	Tuolumne County FIPS 06109	42.2	49.5	35.7	21	51.1	52.1	76.4	$388,488	$77,404
27	Kings County FIPS 06031	42.1	37.3	34.5	7.9	83.7	57.1	85.8	$364,476	$70,995
28	Tulare County FIPS 06107	41.6	36.3	36.3	4.2	83.1	59.1	85.7	$360,206	$71,300
29	San Bernardino County FIPS 06071	41.5	55.3	13.6	10.5	86.1	54	77.2	$551,491	$85,478
30	Tehama County FIPS 06103	41.5	34	41	12.2	67.2	57.6	90.1	$318,464	$63,784
31	Siskiyou County FIPS 06093	41.4	31.5	46.1	13.2	62	55.6	89.4	$278,755	$59,095
32	Sutter County FIPS 06101	41.1	39.5	29	15.2	80.3	49.4	79.6	$438,591	$79,704
33	Colusa County FIPS 06011	40.9	35.3	39.1	3.6	74.5	58.8	90.4	$370,445	$75,672
34	Sacramento County FIPS 06067	40.8	62.8	21.4	20.7	65.3	48.8	19.5	$530,243	$92,175
35	Fresno County FIPS 06019	40.4	37.7	28	13.2	80.1	53	81.3	$409,962	$74,201
36	Mariposa County FIPS 06043	40.1	44.7	25.1	24.2	53.4	60.2	76.4	$401,079	$68,412
37	Stanislaus County FIPS 06099	39.4	41.7	24.9	8.6	83.9	53	62	$467,166	$81,468
38	Alpine County FIPS 06003	38.6	45.3	30.3	28.6	41.1	41.9	72.5	$514,117	$105,521
39	Santa Cruz County FIPS 06087	38.6	52.8	11.8	18.4	75.7	50.1	48.4	$1,149,400	$111,093
40	San Joaquin County FIPS 06077	38.5	50.6	22.3	6	80.5	48.4	44	$532,711	$92,179
41	Madera County FIPS 06039	38	39.4	28.9	5.2	67.2	56.9	82.2	$425,121	$76,627
42	Trinity County FIPS 06105	38	37.3	45.2	28.7	16.9	51.5	78.5	$246,520	$53,002
43	Monterey County FIPS 06053	37.8	45.8	12.1	3.9	88.7	51.8	81.2	$849,201	$97,230
44	Butte County FIPS 06007	37.2	37.7	21.9	11.5	72.6	48.5	84.3	$402,207	$67,928
45	Los Angeles County FIPS 06037	37.2	49	12.5	16.6	86.7	46.8	16.4	$888,345	$90,112
46	Calaveras County FIPS 06009	37.1	45.7	29.7	13.3	49	47.7	69.4	$433,276	$78,647
47	Inyo County FIPS 06027	36.6	55.7	11.8	9	44.6	65.1	94.5	$529,158	$73,991
48	Plumas County FIPS 06063	36.6	42.1	28	25.6	30.3	53.1	82	$362,743	$66,031
49	San Francisco County FIPS 06075	36	70	8.9	44.3	16.4	42.7	13.7	$1,357,007	$140,970
50	Merced County FIPS 06047	35.7	36.6	18.6	5.3	76.3	55.3	77	$418,062	$65,510
51	Yuba County FIPS 06115	35.7	41.1	31.2	9.3	46.2	50.4	76.6	$418,797	$76,373
52	Humboldt County FIPS 06023	35.1	41.6	16.6	12.9	56.1	49.5	91.1	$425,013	$61,160
53	Lake County FIPS 06033	35.1	32.7	40.6	2.5	50.9	49.1	75.5	$305,226	$60,621
54	Imperial County FIPS 06025	35	32	14.8	5.5	82.7	54.4	87.5	$378,175	$57,681
55	Del Norte County FIPS 06015	34.6	40	33	4.4	30.8	63.1	90.2	$366,286	$67,058
56	Glenn County FIPS 06021	33.5	32	30.7	3.1	45.4	59.3	89.8	$362,263	$67,139
57	Mendocino County FIPS 06045	33.5	42.2	13.1	3.7	67.2	44	88.3	$489,567	$68,092
58	Kern County FIPS 06029	32.3	33.9	35.6	4.8	35.4	44.9	84.2	$363,091	$70,210