Palo Alto named best California city for quality of life in U.S. News ranking
As part of its annual "Best Places to Live" rankings, U.S. News & World Report analyzed cities across the country for their quality of life. Key measures for this list include access to quality education and health care, crime rates, air quality, and risk of and resilience to natural disasters.
Here's what to know about the top-ranked California-rated city.
Palo Alto tops California cities in U.S. News & World Report quality of life survey
Palo Alto — home to highly paid Silicon Valley executives and engineers and the prestigious Stanford University — finished 16th in the nation and No. 1 in California in the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking.
You pay for that quality of life. If you want to buy a house in Palo Alto, the median home value is $2,764,855. And if you're a renter, you can expect the median rent here to be $2,759. Most people can afford those high housing costs, though: The median yearly household income in Palo Alto is $223,951.
How did other California cities rank in U.S. News & World Report quality of life survey
U.S. News & World Report ranked these California cities as having the best quality of life in the Golden State.
1. Palo Alto
2. Folsom
3. Cupertino
4. San Ramon
5. Encinitas
6. Mountain View
7. Dublin
8. Sunnyvale
9. Rocklin
10. Elk Grove
Of the major metro areas in California, San Diego finished highest in the state at 29th, Sacramento finished 45th, San Francisco 48th, San Jose 64th, Fresno 114th, and Los Angeles 137th. Huntington Park finished last in the survey.
LIST: 25 best places to live for quality of life, 2025-2026
Massachusetts had more cities on the list than any other state, claiming six of the 25 best places for quality of life. Texas and Maryland claimed the next highest number, with four cities each.
Brookline, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Bethesda, Maryland
Bellevue, Washington
Malden, Massachusetts
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Kirkland, Washington
Rockville, Maryland
Passaic, New Jersey
Ellicott City, Maryland
Arlington, Virginia
Austin, Texas
Tamarac, Florida
Houston, Texas
Palo Alto
Burke, Virginia
Towson, Maryland
New York, New York
Dallas, Texas
Somerville, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts
McAllen, Texas
Johns Creek, Georgia
Sammamish, Washington
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palo Alto Tops California Cities for Quality of Life in 2025 Ranking
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