Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban California? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Sacramento, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which California suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Golden State
Los Altos is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban California.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in California, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in California and the best places to raise a family in California.
Best Suburbs In California For 2024
/10
Population: 31,133
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $4,060,663
More on Los Altos: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Los Altos is located 12 miles west of Fremont.
/10
Population: 7,124
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $7,732,900
More on Atherton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Atherton is located 14 miles west of Fremont.
/10
Population: 59,763
Median Income: $223,667
Average Home Price: $2,701,204
More on Cupertino: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cupertino is located 12 miles west of San Jose.
/10
Population: 8,441
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $5,525,121
More on Los Altos Hills: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Los Altos Hills is located 13 miles west of Fremont.
/10
Population: 30,771
Median Income: $237,730
Average Home Price: $3,602,379
More on Saratoga: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Saratoga is located 11 miles west of San Jose.
/10
Population: 5,814
Median Income: $189,306
Average Home Price: $2,030,498
More on Villa Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Villa Park is located 3 miles west of Anaheim.
/10
Population: 43,449
Median Income: $209,518
Average Home Price: $1,861,576
More on Danville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Danville is located 14 miles east of Oakland.
/10
Population: 51,896
Median Income: $131,708
Average Home Price: $915,734
More on Aliso Viejo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Aliso Viejo is located 7 miles south of Irvine.
/10
Population: 13,219
Median Income: $224,766
Average Home Price: $2,717,769
More on Palos Verdes Estates: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Palos Verdes Estates is located 13 miles west of Long Beach.
/10
Population: 47,702
Median Income: $150,146
Average Home Price: $938,523
More on Rancho Santa Margarita: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Rancho Santa Margarita is located 10 miles east of Irvine.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Golden State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in California. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of California, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in California across these criteria from one to 284, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In California.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in California.
Read on to see why Los Altos is the ‘burb with the most, while Victorville is probably not the best place to live in California.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In California
If you’re measuring the locations in California where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in California are Los Altos, Atherton, Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, Saratoga, Villa Park, Danville, Aliso Viejo, Palos Verdes Estates, and Rancho Santa Margarita.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in California according to the data:
- Victorville
- Hesperia
- Wasco
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
- Richest Cities In California
- Safest Places In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
- Most Expensive Places To Live In California
The Best Suburbs In California
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Altos | 31,133 | $250,001 | $4,060,663 |
| 2 | Atherton | 7,124 | $250,001 | $7,732,900 |
| 3 | Cupertino | 59,763 | $223,667 | $2,701,204 |
| 4 | Los Altos Hills | 8,441 | $250,001 | $5,525,121 |
| 5 | Saratoga | 30,771 | $237,730 | $3,602,379 |
| 6 | Villa Park | 5,814 | $189,306 | $2,030,498 |
| 7 | Danville | 43,449 | $209,518 | $1,861,576 |
| 8 | Aliso Viejo | 51,896 | $131,708 | $915,734 |
| 9 | Palos Verdes Estates | 13,219 | $224,766 | $2,717,769 |
| 10 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 47,702 | $150,146 | $938,523 |
| 11 | Orinda | 19,477 | $250,001 | $2,000,722 |
| 12 | Mission Viejo | 93,233 | $136,570 | $1,077,063 |
| 13 | Hillsborough | 11,258 | $250,001 | $5,101,758 |
| 14 | Manhattan Beach | 35,123 | $187,217 | $2,990,671 |
| 15 | Solana Beach | 12,946 | $137,647 | $2,030,109 |
| 16 | Sierra Madre | 11,151 | $128,056 | $1,347,845 |
| 17 | Los Gatos | 33,093 | $198,117 | $2,554,492 |
| 18 | Piedmont | 11,161 | $250,001 | $2,521,288 |
| 19 | Palo Alto | 67,901 | $214,118 | $3,220,174 |
| 20 | Menlo Park | 33,324 | $198,273 | $2,574,718 |
| 21 | Sunnyvale | 154,573 | $174,506 | $1,875,596 |
| 22 | San Ramon | 86,119 | $190,829 | $1,550,726 |
| 23 | Tiburon | 9,115 | $200,886 | $2,963,608 |
| 24 | Newport Beach | 85,159 | $149,471 | $3,132,424 |
| 25 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 41,805 | $166,747 | $1,836,118 |
| 26 | Mountain View | 82,132 | $174,156 | $1,845,861 |
| 27 | San Marino | 12,442 | $174,253 | $2,524,471 |
| 28 | Dublin | 71,068 | $191,039 | $1,293,624 |
| 29 | Scotts Valley | 12,239 | $136,867 | $1,261,441 |
| 30 | Encinitas | 61,942 | $142,506 | $1,808,679 |
| 31 | Belmont | 27,820 | $185,944 | $2,118,293 |
| 32 | Yorba Linda | 68,035 | $148,325 | $1,245,181 |
| 33 | Mill Valley | 14,199 | $202,986 | $2,043,408 |
| 34 | Dana Point | 33,025 | $119,632 | $1,541,691 |
| 35 | Lafayette | 25,310 | $219,250 | $1,924,093 |
| 36 | South Pasadena | 26,583 | $127,882 | $1,650,214 |
| 37 | Pleasanton | 78,691 | $181,639 | $1,582,884 |
| 38 | Laguna Niguel | 64,259 | $135,822 | $1,312,612 |
| 39 | Hermosa Beach | 19,551 | $149,500 | $2,169,343 |
| 40 | La Habra Heights | 5,599 | $179,990 | $1,294,550 |
| 41 | Clayton | 11,070 | $164,899 | $1,066,247 |
| 42 | Pacifica | 38,048 | $151,849 | $1,246,502 |
| 43 | Agoura Hills | 20,088 | $157,930 | $1,186,593 |
| 44 | San Clemente | 64,232 | $134,730 | $1,564,490 |
| 45 | Moorpark | 36,073 | $143,218 | $905,462 |
| 46 | Coronado | 18,871 | $125,558 | $2,474,258 |
| 47 | Lake Forest | 85,583 | $128,358 | $1,056,345 |
| 48 | Moraga | 16,859 | $193,707 | $1,737,291 |
| 49 | Rocklin | 71,676 | $116,006 | $672,750 |
| 50 | Campbell | 43,464 | $141,794 | $1,652,630 |
| 51 | Camarillo | 70,622 | $105,141 | $857,783 |
| 52 | San Carlos | 30,490 | $219,413 | $2,206,123 |
| 53 | Burlingame | 30,995 | $165,940 | $2,516,360 |
| 54 | Rolling Hills Estates | 8,214 | $179,917 | $1,986,586 |
| 55 | Redondo Beach | 70,620 | $134,033 | $1,379,761 |
| 56 | Folsom | 81,077 | $134,935 | $747,314 |
| 57 | Santa Clara | 128,058 | $165,352 | $1,524,900 |
| 58 | Milpitas | 79,092 | $166,769 | $1,346,828 |
| 59 | San Bruno | 43,218 | $131,669 | $1,253,713 |
| 60 | Livermore | 87,154 | $152,590 | $1,087,248 |
| 61 | Thousand Oaks | 126,532 | $125,399 | $1,001,691 |
| 62 | Laguna Hills | 31,170 | $122,902 | $1,076,942 |
| 63 | San Mateo | 104,165 | $149,152 | $1,510,087 |
| 64 | Hercules | 26,041 | $125,880 | $800,088 |
| 65 | Albany | 20,027 | $124,469 | $1,208,704 |
| 66 | Carpinteria | 13,187 | $103,879 | $1,343,077 |
| 67 | Laguna Beach | 22,943 | $141,875 | $2,817,490 |
| 68 | Sausalito | 7,233 | $163,170 | $1,538,563 |
| 69 | Poway | 48,737 | $135,605 | $1,140,886 |
| 70 | San Anselmo | 12,761 | $165,366 | $1,659,899 |
| 71 | South San Francisco | 65,596 | $127,062 | $1,191,225 |
| 72 | Fountain Valley | 56,754 | $108,860 | $1,200,770 |
| 73 | Ripon | 16,092 | $115,583 | $657,870 |
| 74 | Simi Valley | 126,153 | $112,144 | $801,530 |
| 75 | Morgan Hill | 45,291 | $152,199 | $1,310,579 |
| 76 | Eastvale | 69,594 | $151,615 | $884,749 |
| 77 | El Segundo | 17,081 | $142,596 | $1,606,335 |
| 78 | Fairfax | 7,567 | $126,034 | $1,234,232 |
| 79 | Woodside | 5,256 | $250,001 | $3,633,237 |
| 80 | Benicia | 27,040 | $124,375 | $804,094 |
| 81 | Roseville | 148,879 | $112,265 | $625,711 |
| 82 | Martinez | 37,093 | $124,669 | $774,783 |
| 83 | Winters | 7,270 | $128,679 | $586,928 |
| 84 | Loomis | 6,831 | $100,159 | $882,385 |
| 85 | Walnut Creek | 69,809 | $129,971 | $1,086,764 |
| 86 | Torrance | 145,454 | $109,554 | $1,140,607 |
| 87 | Lincoln | 50,131 | $99,434 | $631,747 |
| 88 | La Palma | 15,522 | $113,398 | $1,059,180 |
| 89 | Orange | 138,728 | $109,335 | $991,595 |
| 90 | Walnut | 28,212 | $130,444 | $1,093,688 |
| 91 | Corte Madera | 10,155 | $210,560 | $1,760,932 |
| 92 | Carlsbad | 114,745 | $134,139 | $1,449,918 |
| 93 | Huntington Beach | 197,481 | $114,747 | $1,206,669 |
| 94 | Cypress | 49,955 | $117,461 | $964,692 |
| 95 | Laguna Woods | 17,452 | $56,928 | $409,471 |
| 96 | La Mirada | 47,644 | $104,130 | $822,102 |
| 97 | Larkspur | 12,969 | $147,772 | $2,123,779 |
| 98 | Canyon Lake | 11,108 | $120,938 | $675,301 |
| 99 | Pleasant Hill | 34,504 | $137,685 | $996,672 |
| 100 | Santee | 59,497 | $101,777 | $763,333 |