These 6 California cities rank as ‘most fun places to live.’ The list might surprise you
Major California metros ranked across the board in a “30 Most Fun Places to Live in the U.S.” listing released by U.S. News and World Report.
The October article put San Diego in the top spot, followed closely by San Francisco. Creep further down the list and you’ll see Los Angeles and Santa Rosa ranked.
Near the end: Sacramento and Fresno outranking Washington D.C. and sandwiching New York City.
Cities were largely considered based on their access to parks and outdoor activities, cultural attractions, restaurants, professional sports teams, shopping venues, nightlife, concerts and popularity of each location as a destination for flights. The considerations did not take into account closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
See how California cities ranked against one another in terms of population, median home price, average annual salary and entertainment:
San Diego | No. 1
Median home price: $835,207
Average annual salary: $60,230
San Diego ranked No. 1 out of “30 Most Fun Places to Live in the U.S.”
With a metro population of about 3.3 million people, the “Sunshine City” is home to the San Diego Zoo and Sunset Cliff Nature Park.
The California city also took a No. 8 parks ranking for its more than 340 parks. it also received a No. 1 restaurants ranking and No. 28 shopping ranking.
San Francisco | No. 2
Median home price: $1,047,714
Average annual salary: $75,890
With a metro population of about 4.7 million people, San Francisco ranked No. 2.
And with thousands of restaurants to choose from, the Bay Area city received a No. 5 restaurants ranking.
With over 200 city parks, San Francisco also received a No. 17 parks ranking and a No. 32 shopping ranking.
Los Angeles | No. 7
Median home price: $527,818
Average annual salary: $57,373
With a metro population of about 18.7 million people, Los Angeles ranked No. 7.
Known as the home to the rich and famous, one of the country’s largest metro areas received a No. 8 restaurants ranking and a No. 60 shopping ranking.
But the city did receive the top ranking for sports because of its vast array of teams including the Dodgers and Angels baseball teams, the Lakers and Clippers NBA teams, the Kings hockey team and more.
Los Angeles received a No. 47 parks ranking.
Santa Rosa | No. 10
Median home price: $617,550
Average annual salary: $57,080
The city, at the heart of California wine country, ranked as one of the best places to shop and find a great restaurant.
With a metro population of only about 500,000 people, the city ranks No. 15 for its more than 70 parks, trails and open spaces, according to the official website for the City of Santa Rosa.
It ranks high on the list for its more than 1,000 restaurants and No. 1 for its shopping.
Sacramento | No. 24
Median home price: $549,893
Average annual salary: $58,390
With a metro population of more than 2.3 million people, California’s capital came in at No. 24.
Sacramento received a No. 31 ranking for its parks and restaurants and a No. 38 shopping ranking.
The City of Sacramento is home to 223 parks and parkways and takes the name for California’s biggest river, the Sacramento River, according to Water Education Foundation.
The region is also the self-proclaimed Farm-to-Fork Capital of America, which was coined in 2012. And with more than 1.5 million acres of farms and over 40 regional farmers’ markets, restaurants are using fresh produce year-round, according to Visit Sacramento.
The metro’s weakest score, No. 40, was in its access to a variety of professional sports. The city boasts an NBA team, the Sacramento Kings, a Triple-A baseball team, the River Cats.
Fresno | No. 26
Median home price: $368,850
Average annual salary: $48,840
With a metro population of about 1 million people, Fresno came in at No. 26.
But the central California city ranked No. 1 out of 100 metro areas considered for its easily accessible parks. With 1,500 acres of open space, Fresno has more than 80 parks and trails, according to the official website for the City of Fresno.
It also ranked high within the entertainment sector, coming in at No. 12 for concert venues and No. 8 for nightlife. And it’s probably thanks to its Tower District, noted as the city’s leading nightlife destination — famous for its Rogue Festival, classic car show and film festival.
Fresno received a No. 67 restaurants ranking and a No. 20 shopping ranking.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "These 6 California cities rank as ‘most fun places to live.’ The list might surprise you."