11 CA Cities Among Best Places To Live In U.S., New Report Says

CALIFORNIA — Eleven places in California are among the top 100 best places to live in America, according to rankings released Monday by Niche.

The Golden State is known for its gorgeous coast and diverse communities, but the new rankings dug deeper, assessing a myriad of factors that affect the quality of life for local residents. The list ranked 228 cities and 17,932 towns and neighborhoods. To compile it, Niche used federal data from the Census Bureau, FBI, Labor Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as reviews from residents.

Among others, factors considered are affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, the quality of public schools and walkability.

Below are California's best places to live according to the nationwide Niche list and their overall rating:

• The Santa Monica City Center ranked sixth on the list (A+)
• Santa Monica's Mid-City ranked 15th (A+)
• University South in Palo Alto ranked 18th (A+)
• The Wilshire/Montana area in Santa Monica ranked 24th (A+)
• Downtown North in Palo Alto ranked 28th (A+)
• Ocean Park in Santa Monica ranked 31st (A+)
• Ventura in Palo Alto ranked 52nd (A+)
• Evergreen Park in Palo Alto ranked 58th (A+)
• Barron Park in Palo Alto ranked 59th (A+)
• Midtown Palo Alto ranked 90th (A+)
• Downtown Berkeley ranked 95th (A+)

The overall Best Place to Live in America is Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, which has claimed the title now for four consecutive years. Rounding out the top five are Colonial Village, Virginia; Ardmore, Pennsylvania; Hyde Park-Spanishtown Creek, Florida; and Penn Wynne, Pennsylvania.

Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the Best City to Live in America for the first time ever, Niche said. Rounding out the top five are Arlington, Virginia; The Woodlands, Texas; Naperville, Illinois; and Columbia, Maryland.

The Best Places to Live rankings are a tool to help people find a place to live based on the qualities that matter most to them, Niche said in a news release.

People who want to dig deeper into a specific area can compare cities, suburbs and neighborhoods with specific states, metro areas and counties. Among others, Niche has specialized lists for the best places for families, young professionals, homebuyers ad retirees.