These are Best Small Cities in California, Study Says

Living in big cities has its advantages -- an abundance of nightlife, bright lights and easy access to everything, but it also some drawbacks, such as big crowds, long commute and higher cost of living. That is why some Californians prefer the slower pace of small-city life.

In a study released Monday by WalletHub, a personal finance advice site, 30 small cities in California made the list as some of the best small cities in America.

WalletHub’s analysts compared 1,268 cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on 30 key indicators of livability. They range from “housing costs” to “school-system quality” to “number of restaurants per capita.”

"Small city living gives you more and easier access to your local leaders," said Benjamin Y. Clark, assistant professor of public administration at the University of Oregon. "Small city living frequently means more personalized services from your local government."

People in small cities typically, the study notes, enjoy tighter networks, shorter commutes and a lower cost of living. Though for most California cities on the list, that doesn't seem to be the case.

For example, the top small city in California is Saratoga, which listed as the 11th best small city overall. It, however, is ranked 209th in terms of affordability. The average cost of living in Saratoga is 64 percent higher than the state average and 122 percent higher than the U.S. average, according to the website AreaVibes.com.

Though that is not surprising for Ezra Haber Glenn, a lecturer Department of Urban Studies and Planning at MIT. Saratoga is in heart of Silicon Valley with a thriving tech sector and higher wages associated with it.

"My sense is that far too often, people (including residents, politicians, journalists) have a hard time thinking about how these three factors relate: employment and wages may be high, but that drives up the cost of housing (especially in older cities where housing development is slow or nonexistent), which has the effect of pushing out lower-wage workers," Glen said. "This can then make the area "unlivable" for many, even though in theory the economy is strong."

While it might be pricey to live in one of California's best small cities, Californians need not worry about being caffeinated. Three California cities, Santa Monica, Palo Alto and Santa Cruz, top the list in the number of coffee shops per capita. They all tie for the No. 1 spot in the study.

Here is the list of the top small cities in California:

• Saratoga, CA
• Los Altos, CA
• Campbell, CA
• Palo Alto, CA
• Los Gatos, CA
• Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
• Danville, CA
• Mountain View, CA
• Manhattan Beach, CA
• Burlingame, CA
• Menlo Park, CA
• Belmont, CA
• Dublin, CA
• Laguna Hills, CA
• Eastvale, CA
• Cupertino, CA
• Lake Forest, CA
• Folsom, CA
• Pleasanton, CA
• Yorba Linda, CA
• Aliso Viejo, CA
• Benicia, CA
• Poway, CA
• Culver City, CA
• Livermore, CA
• Petaluma, CA
• Foster City, CA
• Goleta, CA
• Windsor, CA
• Cypress, CA

-- Photo via Pixabay