6 CA Towns Ranked Among Best Places to Live In America

CALIFORNIA — Six California communities are among the Best Places to Live in America in 2025, according to a new ranking from Niche released Monday.

Now in its 11th year, the 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, including cities with populations of 100,000 or more, suburbs and neighborhoods.

In California, the following towns were among the top 100 on the list:

• #5: City Center, Santa Monica.
  • A neighborhood well-known in Los Angeles County, Santa Monica's City Center offers residents an urban feel, with most residents renting their homes. The neighborhood boasts bars, restaurants, coffee shops and parks as well as high-rated public schools.
• #21: Evergreen Park, Palo Alto.
  • Living in Evergreen Park offers residents an urban feel, with plenty of coffee shops, restaurants and parks to offer. The public schools are also highly-rated.
• #49: University South, Palo Alto.
  • University South in Palo Alto is one of California's best neighborhoods to live in, offering a plethora of restaurants, coffee shops and parks, as well as a demographic comprised of young professionals.
• #82: Ventura, Palo Alto.
  • The neighborhood of Ventura, located in Palo Alto, offers residents an abundance of activity for a demographic comprised of young professionals. Additionally, the public schools are highly rated.
• #94: Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley.
  • Living in Downtown Berkeley offers residents an urban feel with access to lots of bars, coffee shops and parks. Many young professionals live in Berkeley as well and tend to be liberal.

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

Niche said it analyzed thousands of communities to compile this year’s ranking. Community attributes considered in developing the list included the health of the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools and walkability, among others. (More on methodology.)

According to the ranking, the five best places to live in the United States are: Colonial Village, VA; Atlantic Station, GA; Chesterbrook, PA; Harbour Island, FL; City Center, CA.