California · best for families · #48 of 50 states

Best Cities for Families in California

California ranks #48 of 50 for families, with a families score of 43.1. Elk Grove is its best city for families at 65.1.

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#1 city in CA for families

Elk Grove65.1

Families score out of 100

California, all states: #48 of 50
Population: 179,155

Open Elk Grove →

Violent crime rate

432.7

per 100K · FBI estimate

HS graduation rate

87%

NCES

Median income

$100,149

Census ACS

Infant care

$23,071/yr

Center-based · Child Care Aware

Home value

$764,158

Typical home value

What Families Should Know About California

California ranks #48 out of 50 for families, placing it in the bottom tier of states. That doesn't mean families can't thrive here — the state scores well in health (78/100) — but California's overall profile suggests families should weigh the tradeoffs carefully, particularly around growth and affordability.

Education is the single most important factor for families choosing where to live, and California shows mixed results on this front. The state's high school graduation rate stands at 87%, roughly in line with national norms. Families relocating here should research individual school districts carefully, as statewide metrics (education score: 52/100) mask significant local variation. At $23,071 a year for center-based infant care, childcare is a significant budget item that families need to plan for.

Safety is the other pillar of family-friendly living. California faces elevated crime rates that families should factor into neighborhood selection at 432.7 incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI estimate). The higher cost of living (index: 110.7) means families typically need above-average incomes to maintain a comfortable standard of living.

All 188 Cities Ranked for Families

# City	Grade	Families score	Overall	Education	Safety	Affordability	Population
1Elk Grove	A	65.1	63.3	52	88	40	179,155
2Palo Alto	A+	64.9	70.9	81	76	17	67,237
3Folsom	A+	64.0	68.0	46	88	33	83,916
4Rocklin	A	63.8	64.8	53	93	37	73,327
5Cupertino	A+	63.7	68.3	59	92	17	58,566
6Sunnyvale	A+	61.6	69.3	67	81	17	154,236
7Pleasanton	A	61.5	65.2	55	89	14	76,960
8Dublin	A	61.4	66.5	50	87	14	70,803
9San Ramon	A	61.0	64.5	54	94	15	85,993
10Roseville	A	61.0	63.6	47	85	40	155,955
11Woodland	B	60.5	57.1	53	88	51	61,854
12Santa Clara	A+	60.4	68.1	68	77	17	130,256
13Rancho Cordova	B	60.2	57.8	54	63	52	81,849
14Clovis	B	59.9	57.0	52	80	54	124,725
15Encinitas	A	59.6	65.1	54	96	18	61,480
16Fremont	A	59.4	64.2	47	87	15	228,295
17San Mateo	A+	59.2	67.1	66	85	14	103,105
18Aliso Viejo	A	59.2	63.6	55	95	17	51,113
19Irvine	A	59.2	63.4	48	93	15	311,690
20West Sacramento	B	58.9	57.0	53	74	51	54,927
21Davis	B	58.7	57.6	56	80	31	66,978
22Thousand Oaks	B+	58.6	62.3	57	92	21	125,205
23Laguna Niguel	A	58.5	64.1	57	95	17	64,139
24Yorba Linda	B+	58.5	62.9	50	99	17	67,170
25Turlock	C+	58.1	53.1	57	75	56	72,502
26Livermore	A	58.0	63.2	55	83	18	85,522
27Mission Viejo	B+	58.0	62.2	54	93	17	92,151
28Beaumont	B	58.0	56.9	54	87	52	56,266
29Citrus Heights	C+	57.9	54.3	50	69	53	86,995
30Lake Forest	B+	57.8	61.9	48	91	19	86,281
31Yuba City	D	57.8	48.5	50	71	59	69,471
32Newport Beach	A	57.6	64.8	62	80	15	83,845
33Eastvale	B+	57.6	60.5	50	94	23	70,633
34San Clemente	B+	57.4	62.1	57	90	22	63,273
35Carlsbad	B+	57.0	61.2	52	85	19	114,373
36Hanford	C	57.0	50.8	53	78	66	59,754
37Tracy	B	56.9	57.1	51	85	35	96,966
38Fountain Valley	B+	56.7	59.0	53	84	20	56,258
39Petaluma	B+	56.4	61.4	48	84	26	59,247
40Simi Valley	B+	56.4	59.9	47	93	26	125,634
41Garden Grove	C+	56.4	55.6	59	81	31	170,964
42Arden-Arcade	C	56.4	50.0	—	—	51	94,994
43Arcadia	B	56.3	57.8	54	77	25	55,170
44Vista	C+	56.3	55.7	54	90	31	99,114
45Fontana	C+	56.3	55.5	59	83	47	214,169
46Mountain View	A	56.1	65.1	41	76	17	83,732
47Placentia	B+	56.0	60.3	51	83	23	52,826
48Huntington Beach	B+	56.0	60.0	54	85	21	195,240
49Novato	B+	55.9	59.6	53	84	20	52,546
50Orange	B+	55.9	59.4	49	88	24	138,266
51Vacaville	B	55.8	56.9	52	79	39	102,596
52Murrieta	B	55.8	55.9	51	89	38	112,064
53Glendora	B	55.7	55.9	50	84	26	50,926
54Daly City	B+	55.6	62.0	56	81	20	101,964
55Redwood City	A	55.5	64.0	60	73	15	82,447
56Redondo Beach	B+	55.4	60.7	47	75	19	69,291
57Temecula	B	55.3	56.6	46	88	37	111,167
58Covina	C+	55.3	55.5	57	78	36	49,888
59Redlands	B	55.1	56.4	55	75	44	73,375
60Alhambra	C+	55.1	54.7	60	80	30	81,022
61South San Francisco	B+	54.8	62.8	56	78	17	64,305
62Alameda	B+	54.8	59.9	52	59	21	77,238
63Santa Rosa	B	54.8	58.0	56	78	37	177,090
64Santa Clarita	B	54.8	55.8	53	89	26	230,221
65Jurupa Valley	C	54.8	52.4	63	84	49	107,011
66Visalia	C	54.7	50.5	52	68	64	143,939
67Brentwood	B	54.6	57.3	49	83	20	65,208
68Chula Vista	C+	54.6	54.7	48	76	32	276,375
69Sacramento	C+	54.6	52.6	50	45	51	528,706
70Buena Park	B	54.5	55.9	48	75	28	82,871
71Santa Ana	B	54.5	55.8	60	76	34	312,534
72San Francisco	A	54.4	64.1	59	55	21	830,235
73West Covina	C+	54.4	54.1	56	81	30	107,037
74Manteca	C+	54.4	53.5	51	76	45	89,043
75Norwalk	C+	54.4	53.2	58	75	37	99,789
76Carmichael	C	54.4	52.0	43	—	49	76,948
77Chino Hills	B	54.3	57.0	43	97	22	77,927
78La Habra	C+	54.3	55.6	50	80	31	61,970
79Tustin	B	54.1	57.3	49	79	22	78,981
80Escondido	C+	53.9	53.2	56	75	36	149,668
81Delano	D	53.9	43.4	67	81	70	51,679
82Rancho Cucamonga	B	53.7	55.8	49	81	34	175,411
83Torrance	B	53.6	56.3	47	68	24	142,130
84San Diego	B	53.5	57.0	55	72	25	1,389,526
85Ontario	C	53.5	52.4	57	80	44	180,547
86Westminster	C	53.5	52.4	58	71	27	89,860
87Camarillo	B	53.4	56.2	43	90	24	70,186
88Upland	C+	53.4	54.5	54	75	38	79,257
89San Buenaventura (Ventura)	B	53.3	56.8	—	72	30	109,857
90Diamond Bar	C+	53.3	54.1	43	87	21	53,355
91Baldwin Park	C	53.3	50.6	60	74	42	70,138
92El Dorado Hills	A	53.2	64.2	48	—	25	51,026
93Menifee	C	53.2	51.8	47	90	46	110,305
94Costa Mesa	B	53.1	58.2	67	57	22	110,330
95Lake Elsinore	C	53.1	51.9	47	87	45	72,461
96Monterey Park	C+	53.0	52.8	50	77	30	59,132
97Lincoln	B	52.8	56.8	47	—	41	52,956
98Lakewood	C+	52.7	54.9	55	69	26	79,850
99Cathedral City	C	52.7	50.9	63	77	56	52,267
100Corona	C+	52.6	53.3	49	80	37	159,670
101San Jose	B+	52.5	59.7	53	57	21	990,138
102Lodi	C	52.4	50.3	48	60	54	67,607
103Porterville	F	52.4	41.8	53	76	72	63,157
104Moreno Valley	C	52.3	49.1	57	76	47	211,666
105Highland	D	52.2	48.4	55	68	54	56,675
106Modesto	D	52.2	47.1	48	56	56	219,215
107Tulare	D	52.2	46.3	56	66	67	70,945
108Walnut Creek	B+	52.1	59.1	46	76	18	70,088
109Fullerton	C+	52.1	53.8	47	72	25	140,968
110Glendale	C	52.1	51.7	48	78	25	190,748
111Bakersfield	D	52.1	47.4	48	59	64	411,986
112Union City	B	52.0	57.5	47	65	18	67,464
113Downey	C	52.0	51.7	55	72	33	110,939
114San Jacinto	D	52.0	46.4	55	76	56	55,180
115Madera	D	51.8	43.6	55	72	65	67,831
116Carson	C	51.6	52.3	58	61	36	92,871
117Redding	C	51.6	50.2	53	48	65	93,409
118El Monte	D	51.5	48.7	61	67	42	106,109
119Castro Valley	B+	51.4	62.1	50	—	20	65,001
120Colton	D	51.4	48.2	55	71	55	53,772
121San Rafael	B	51.3	58.0	41	69	22	60,433
122Gilroy	B	51.3	56.0	45	67	26	59,004
123Oceanside	C+	51.2	53.2	47	71	30	172,242
124Indio	C	51.2	49.0	47	85	57	91,950
125Fresno	D	51.2	45.5	58	43	63	545,970
126Berkeley	B	51.1	57.1	66	37	25	120,257
127Chino	C+	51.1	53.3	47	72	37	92,652
128Oxnard	C	51.1	51.5	52	60	39	200,928
129Palm Desert	C	51.1	51.3	48	83	50	51,990
130Rosemead	C	51.1	49.8	57	67	33	50,013
131Perris	D	51.1	48.8	54	76	51	80,511
132Milpitas	B	51.0	58.6	16	71	17	78,578
133Santa Cruz	C+	50.9	55.6	54	55	24	61,607
134Whittier	C	50.9	51.2	55	68	32	86,165
135Yucaipa	C	50.8	50.5	17	89	52	54,421
136Napa	C+	50.5	53.5	46	84	27	78,239
137Anaheim	C	50.5	52.0	57	59	28	344,521
138Chico	D	50.5	48.5	49	51	59	102,188
139Bellflower	D	50.5	47.8	61	56	38	76,819
140Pasadena	C+	50.3	53.5	50	63	24	136,969
141Burbank	C	50.2	50.7	46	67	25	104,546
142Santa Barbara	C+	50.1	55.4	61	55	25	87,779
143Fairfield	C	50.0	51.1	43	61	39	120,785
144National City	D	50.0	47.4	51	54	44	58,893
145La Mesa	C	49.9	51.3	28	72	32	60,797
146Merced	F	49.9	42.1	51	44	66	91,953
147Riverside	C	49.8	49.0	54	57	46	319,069
148Watsonville	D	49.8	44.9	53	73	40	51,712
149Hayward	C+	49.7	53.4	51	58	24	158,801
150San Leandro	C+	49.6	52.8	53	54	26	87,826
151Pittsburg	C	49.6	50.1	50	68	36	76,257
152Rialto	D	49.6	48.5	55	55	52	104,143
153Paramount	D	49.6	47.1	65	49	45	52,050
154Montebello	C	49.5	49.5	63	65	38	61,045
155San Marcos	C	49.3	51.9	47	—	26	94,882
156Santa Maria	D	49.3	47.8	54	54	47	110,462
157Hesperia	D	49.1	43.3	50	69	58	100,775
158Hacienda Heights	C+	49.0	54.1	56	—	27	54,291
159Santa Monica	C+	48.9	54.3	61	38	23	91,169
160Concord	C+	48.6	52.7	42	60	27	124,035
161Gardena	D	48.6	48.0	57	46	38	59,422
162El Cajon	D	48.4	44.0	29	69	39	104,449
163Salinas	D	48.1	44.7	47	63	41	161,761
164Pico Rivera	D	47.4	47.9	48	61	41	60,272
165South Whittier	C	47.3	50.4	—	—	37	55,650
166South Gate	D	47.3	46.4	54	53	44	91,483
167Hemet	F	47.3	42.3	48	68	60	91,326
168Pomona	D	47.0	46.0	52	50	43	147,943
169Huntington Park	D	46.7	43.2	52	54	47	53,108
170Stockton	D	46.6	42.6	46	27	57	322,326
171Apple Valley	F	46.6	41.4	39	66	59	75,473
172Los Angeles	D	46.3	47.4	56	48	28	3,857,263
173Palmdale	F	45.5	41.3	36	64	48	164,634
174Lynwood	D	45.2	43.2	54	43	45	64,578
175Santee	D	44.9	48.8	25	—	33	59,332
176San Bernardino	F	44.9	41.2	58	33	58	222,724
177Richmond	D	44.8	47.2	44	40	37	115,505
178Hawthorne	D	44.8	43.2	39	57	32	85,191
179Vallejo	D	44.1	45.3	39	35	43	124,268
180Long Beach	D	44.0	45.8	43	49	33	455,548
181Victorville	F	43.4	38.6	33	51	58	137,627
182Lancaster	F	42.7	40.6	37	47	50	169,169
183Antioch	D	42.6	43.8	44	41	34	116,477
184East Los Angeles	F	42.6	40.9	—	—	44	111,647
185Florence-Graham	F	42.1	37.9	—	—	48	60,690
186Inglewood	F	41.9	41.3	46	40	35	104,569
187Compton	F	41.6	39.2	49	25	45	92,698
188Oakland	D	39.5	46.3	45	5	27	439,418

City families scores use each city's own data, with the category weights rescaled over the categories the city has; outdoor access has no city-level measure and is left out. City scores for families also weigh the county's expected yearly building losses from natural hazards (FEMA), lower is better; the share of adults without health insurance (CDC PLACES), lower is better; the share of households with someone under 18 (Census ACS), higher is better.

Compare: States with Similar Families Rankings

Also See: California for Other Lifestyles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is California a good state for families?

California ranks #48 out of 50 for families with a persona-weighted score of 43.1/100. Its strongest relevant category is Health (78/100) and its weakest is Affordability (14/100).

What is the best city for families in California?

Elk Grove ranks #1 in California for families with a score of 65.1/100, followed by Palo Alto and Folsom.

What factors are most important for families in California?

Rankings weighted toward education quality, public safety, affordable housing, healthcare, and community livability — the factors that matter most to families with children.

# City

Grade

Families score

Overall

Education

Safety

Affordability

Population

1Elk Grove

65.1

63.3

179,155

2Palo Alto

A+

64.9

70.9

67,237

3Folsom

A+

64.0

68.0

83,916

4Rocklin

63.8

64.8

73,327

5Cupertino

A+

63.7

68.3

58,566

6Sunnyvale

A+

61.6

69.3

154,236

7Pleasanton

61.5

65.2

76,960

8Dublin

61.4

66.5

70,803

9San Ramon

61.0

64.5

85,993

10Roseville

61.0

63.6

155,955

11Woodland

60.5

57.1

61,854

12Santa Clara

A+

60.4

68.1

130,256

13Rancho Cordova

60.2

57.8

81,849

14Clovis

59.9

57.0

124,725

15Encinitas

59.6

65.1

61,480

16Fremont

59.4

64.2

228,295

17San Mateo

A+

59.2

67.1

103,105

18Aliso Viejo

59.2

63.6

51,113

19Irvine

59.2

63.4

311,690

20West Sacramento

58.9

57.0

54,927

21Davis

58.7

57.6

66,978

22Thousand Oaks

B+

58.6

62.3

125,205

23Laguna Niguel

58.5

64.1

64,139

24Yorba Linda

B+

58.5

62.9

67,170

25Turlock

C+

58.1

53.1

72,502

26Livermore

58.0

63.2

85,522

27Mission Viejo

B+

58.0

62.2

92,151

28Beaumont

58.0

56.9

56,266

29Citrus Heights

C+

57.9

54.3

86,995

30Lake Forest

B+

57.8

61.9

86,281

31Yuba City

57.8

48.5

69,471

32Newport Beach

57.6

64.8

83,845

33Eastvale

B+

57.6

60.5

70,633

34San Clemente

B+

57.4

62.1

63,273

35Carlsbad

B+

57.0

61.2

114,373

36Hanford

57.0

50.8

59,754

37Tracy

56.9

57.1

96,966

38Fountain Valley

B+

56.7

59.0

56,258

39Petaluma

B+

56.4

61.4

59,247

40Simi Valley

B+

56.4

59.9

125,634

41Garden Grove

C+

56.4

55.6

170,964

42Arden-Arcade

56.4

50.0

—

94,994

43Arcadia

56.3

57.8

55,170

44Vista

C+

56.3

55.7

99,114

45Fontana

C+

56.3

55.5

214,169

46Mountain View

56.1

65.1

83,732

47Placentia

B+

56.0

60.3

52,826

48Huntington Beach

B+

56.0

60.0

195,240

49Novato

B+

55.9

59.6

52,546

50Orange

B+

55.9

59.4

138,266

51Vacaville

55.8

56.9

102,596

52Murrieta

55.8

55.9

112,064

53Glendora

55.7

55.9

50,926

54Daly City

B+

55.6

62.0

101,964

55Redwood City

55.5

64.0

82,447

56Redondo Beach

B+

55.4

60.7

69,291

57Temecula

55.3

56.6

111,167

58Covina

C+

55.3

55.5

49,888

59Redlands

55.1

56.4

73,375

60Alhambra

C+

55.1

54.7

81,022

61South San Francisco

B+

54.8

62.8

64,305

62Alameda

B+

54.8

59.9

77,238

63Santa Rosa

54.8

58.0

177,090

64Santa Clarita

54.8

55.8

230,221

65Jurupa Valley

54.8

52.4

107,011

66Visalia

54.7

50.5

143,939

67Brentwood

54.6

57.3

65,208

68Chula Vista

C+

54.6

54.7

276,375

69Sacramento

C+

54.6

52.6

528,706

70Buena Park

54.5

55.9

82,871

71Santa Ana

54.5

55.8

312,534

72San Francisco

54.4

64.1

830,235

73West Covina

C+

54.4

54.1

107,037

74Manteca

C+

54.4

53.5

89,043

75Norwalk

C+

54.4

53.2

99,789

76Carmichael

54.4

52.0

—

76,948

77Chino Hills

54.3

57.0

77,927

78La Habra

C+

54.3

55.6

61,970

79Tustin

54.1

57.3

78,981

80Escondido

C+

53.9

53.2

149,668

81Delano

53.9

43.4

51,679

82Rancho Cucamonga

53.7

55.8

175,411

83Torrance

53.6

56.3

142,130

84San Diego

53.5

57.0

1,389,526

85Ontario

53.5

52.4

180,547

86Westminster

53.5

52.4

89,860

87Camarillo

53.4

56.2

70,186

88Upland

C+

53.4

54.5

79,257

89San Buenaventura (Ventura)

53.3

56.8

—

109,857

90Diamond Bar

C+

53.3

54.1

53,355

91Baldwin Park

53.3

50.6

70,138

92El Dorado Hills

53.2

64.2

—

51,026

93Menifee

53.2

51.8

110,305

94Costa Mesa

53.1

58.2

110,330

95Lake Elsinore

53.1

51.9

72,461

96Monterey Park

C+

53.0

52.8

59,132

97Lincoln

52.8

56.8

—

52,956

98Lakewood

C+

52.7

54.9

79,850

99Cathedral City

52.7

50.9

52,267

100Corona

C+

52.6

53.3

159,670

101San Jose

B+

52.5

59.7

990,138

102Lodi

52.4

50.3

67,607

103Porterville

52.4

41.8

63,157

104Moreno Valley

52.3

49.1

211,666

105Highland

52.2

48.4

56,675

106Modesto

52.2

47.1

219,215

107Tulare

52.2

46.3

70,945

108Walnut Creek

B+

52.1

59.1

70,088

109Fullerton

C+

52.1

53.8

140,968

110Glendale

52.1

51.7

190,748

111Bakersfield

52.1

47.4

411,986

112Union City

52.0

57.5

67,464

113Downey

52.0

51.7

110,939

114San Jacinto

52.0

46.4

55,180

115Madera

51.8

43.6

67,831

116Carson

51.6

52.3

92,871

117Redding

51.6

50.2

93,409

118El Monte

51.5

48.7

106,109

119Castro Valley

B+

51.4

62.1

—

65,001

120Colton

51.4

48.2

53,772

121San Rafael

51.3

58.0

60,433

122Gilroy

51.3

56.0

59,004

123Oceanside

C+

51.2

53.2

172,242

124Indio

51.2

49.0

91,950

125Fresno

51.2

45.5

545,970

126Berkeley

51.1

57.1

120,257

127Chino

C+

51.1

53.3

92,652

128Oxnard

51.1

51.5

200,928

129Palm Desert

51.1

51.3

51,990

130Rosemead

51.1

49.8

50,013

131Perris

51.1

48.8

80,511

132Milpitas

51.0

58.6

78,578

133Santa Cruz

C+

50.9

55.6

61,607

134Whittier

50.9

51.2

86,165

135Yucaipa

50.8

50.5

54,421

136Napa

C+

50.5

53.5

78,239

137Anaheim

50.5

52.0

344,521

138Chico

50.5

48.5

102,188

139Bellflower

50.5

47.8

76,819

140Pasadena

C+

50.3

53.5

136,969

141Burbank

50.2

50.7

104,546

142Santa Barbara

C+

50.1

55.4

87,779

143Fairfield

50.0

51.1

120,785

144National City

50.0

47.4

58,893

145La Mesa

49.9

51.3

60,797

146Merced

49.9

42.1

91,953

147Riverside

49.8

49.0

319,069

148Watsonville

49.8

44.9

51,712

149Hayward

C+

49.7

53.4

158,801

150San Leandro

C+

49.6

52.8

87,826

151Pittsburg

49.6

50.1

76,257

152Rialto

49.6

48.5

104,143

153Paramount

49.6

47.1

52,050

154Montebello

49.5

61,045

155San Marcos

49.3

51.9

—

94,882

156Santa Maria

49.3

47.8

110,462

157Hesperia

49.1

43.3

100,775

158Hacienda Heights

C+

49.0

54.1

—

54,291

159Santa Monica

C+

48.9

54.3

91,169

160Concord

C+

48.6

52.7

124,035

161Gardena

48.6

48.0

59,422

162El Cajon

48.4

44.0

104,449

163Salinas

48.1

44.7

161,761

164Pico Rivera

47.4

47.9

60,272

165South Whittier

47.3

50.4

—

55,650

166South Gate

47.3

46.4

91,483

167Hemet

47.3

42.3

91,326

168Pomona

47.0

46.0

147,943

169Huntington Park

46.7

43.2

53,108

170Stockton

46.6

42.6

322,326

171Apple Valley

46.6

41.4

75,473

172Los Angeles

46.3

47.4

3,857,263

173Palmdale

45.5

41.3

164,634

174Lynwood

45.2

43.2

64,578

175Santee

44.9

48.8

—

59,332

176San Bernardino

44.9

41.2

222,724

177Richmond

44.8

47.2

115,505

178Hawthorne

44.8

43.2

85,191

179Vallejo

44.1

45.3

124,268

180Long Beach

44.0

45.8

455,548

181Victorville

43.4

38.6

137,627

182Lancaster

42.7

40.6

169,169

183Antioch

42.6

43.8

116,477

184East Los Angeles

42.6

40.9

—

111,647

185Florence-Graham

42.1

37.9

—

60,690

186Inglewood

41.9

41.3

104,569

187Compton

41.6

39.2

92,698

188Oakland

39.5

46.3

439,418