10 Calif. Cities Named Among The Best Cities To Live In America

It’s always nice to receive a little positive recognition.

The financial news and opinion site 24/7 Wall St. recently released its “America’s 50 Best Cities To Live” rankings for 2020, and 10 California cities took home a spot on the list.

Manhattan Beach ranked as the best city in the nation to live in, according to 24/7 Wall St., followed by Winnetka, Illinois, and Hanover, New Hampshire.

Here are all of the cities from the Golden State that are included in the rankings:

Manhattan Beach

• Ranking: 1
• Population: 35,573
• Five-year population change: +0.7%
• Median household income: $150,083
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 5.3%

This California beach city snagged the title of best place in the nation to live thanks to low crime and miles of ocean coast, the report states.

Piedmont

• Ranking: 5
• Population: 11,308
• Five-year population change: +4.2%
• Median household income: $210,889
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 3.0%

The top of several Bay Area cities to land on this list, Piedmont has "relatively low crime" and a median household income that's more than triple the national median household income, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Solana Beach

• Ranking: 7
• Population: 13,370
• Five-year population change: +2.7%
• Median household income: $105,821
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 3.5%

Located just about 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, this SoCal city lands on the list for the various recreation activities it offers, among other things, the report says.

Newport Beach

• Ranking: 8
• Population: 86,280
• Five-year population change: +0.3%
• Median household income: $122,709
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 3.4%

This iconic California city lands in the eighth slot on 24/7 Wall St.'s list for many reasons, including its access to many places for physical activities and other healthy lifestyle options.

Burlingame

• Ranking: 11
• Population: 30,459
• Five-year population change: +4.2%
• Median household income: $122,999
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 4.8%

The report cites Burlingame's high median household income, close proximity to San Francisco and healthy job market among the reason's for its spot on this list.

Santa Barbara

• Ranking: 17
• Population: 91,325
• Five-year population change: +2.5%
• Median household income: $74,798
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 4.1%

24/7 Wall St. points out that as this city is a popular tourist destination, residents can enjoy access to a high concentration of entertainment venues and great restaurants.

Monterey

• Ranking: 18
• Population: 28,512
• Five-year population change: +2.1%
• Median household income: $77,562
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 3.7%

Restaurants, golf courses and entertainment venues abound in this coastal California city, and are among the many amenities residents have access to, the report says.

Palo Alto

• Ranking: 21
• Population: 67,019
• Five-year population change: +2.7%
• Median household income: $157,120
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 3.5%

This Silicon Valley city is a costly place to live, but the median household income is more than double the national median, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Orinda

• Ranking: 28
• Population: 19,431
• Five-year population change: +7.3%
• Median household income: $210,288
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 3.6%

Those who call Orinda home benefit from its close proximity to both San Francisco and Oakland — and a very low unemployment rate, the report states.

San Francisco

• Ranking: 45
• Population: 870,044
• Five-year population change: +6.4%
• Median household income: $104,552
• Five-year average unemployment rate: 4.7%

The report cites San Francisco's access to entertainment, cultural and recreation venues among the reasons for it landing on the list.

“It is important to note that there is no such thing as a perfect city or town, and that many of the attributes one may look for in a community are subjective and not quantifiable,” authors of the 24/7 Wall St. rankings wrote. “This list favors areas with conditions that have almost universal appeal, however.”

To identify the best U.S. cities to live in, the financial news site created an index of 25 measures across four main categories: affordability, economy, quality of life and community.

Data pertaining to these categories was then pulled from multiple sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The full methodology for the rankings is available at 24/7 Wall St.

Here are the top 10 U.S. cities to live in:

1. Manhattan Beach, California
2. Winnetka, Illinois
3. Hanover, New Hampshire
4. Highland Park, Texas
5. Piedmont, California
6. Paradise Valley, Arizona
7. Solana Beach, California
8. Newport Beach, California
9. Mercer Island, Washington
10. Greenwood Village, Colorado