Every California county, ranked by the Golden State Pulse Livability Index composite score (0–100). Component cells show the component score with the raw value in parentheses. A dash (—) means that component had no verified value for the county; it was never estimated.
All 58 counties are ranked. No county is unranked in this edition: every county verified at least 5 of the 7 components.
Scroll sideways to see all components. The rank and county columns stay fixed.
| Rank | County | Composite | Housing affordabilitylower ratio = better | Median household incomehigher = better | Mean travel timelower = better | UnemploymentBLS unavailable | Violent crime rateper 100,000, lower = better | HS graduationhigher = better | Uninsuredlower = better |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Placer | 74.1 | 49.1 (5.93) | 87.1 ($115,998) | 36.2 (27.4 min) | — | 99.1 (221.4) | 74.1 (91.22334004%) | 99.1 (3.7250677394%) |
| 2 | El Dorado | 71.1 | 39.7 (6.25) | 78.4 ($108,845) | 31.9 (28.6 min) | — | 90.4 (269.8) | 97.3 (94.048695333%) | 88.8 (5.1702803034%) |
| 3 | Yolo | 70.0 | 35.3 (6.76) | 57.8 ($91,752) | 64.7 (24.0 min) | — | 97.4 (236.6) | 81.2 (91.751194095%) | 83.6 (5.5947431355%) |
| 4 | Amador | 65.4 | 85.3 (5.11) | 52.6 ($88,044) | 7.8 (34.0 min) | — | 81.6 (305.0) | 86.6 (92.306748466%) | 78.4 (5.7294247703%) |
| 4 | Lassen | 65.4 | 97.4 (3.94) | 21.6 ($67,403) | 94.0 (19.5 min) | — | 53.5 (449.5) | 49.1 (87.693215339%) | 76.7 (5.9646856158%) |
| 6 | Marin | 64.6 | 0.9 (10.11) | 95.7 ($149,091) | 36.2 (27.4 min) | — | 95.6 (242.7) | 68.8 (90.348226467%) | 90.5 (5.1053813057%) |
| 7 | Napa | 63.1 | 21.6 (7.8) | 83.6 ($111,471) | 57.8 (24.9 min) | — | 83.3 (303.7) | 90.2 (92.891962726%) | 42.2 (7.3583468241%) |
| 8 | Santa Clara | 62.0 | 9.5 (9.07) | 99.1 ($164,281) | 47.4 (26.2 min) | — | 58.8 (430.5) | 59.8 (88.78492578%) | 97.4 (4.0543709619%) |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo | 61.7 | 11.2 (8.46) | 66.4 ($97,446) | 78.4 (22.3 min) | — | 67.5 (380.5) | 93.8 (92.941922563%) | 52.6 (7.1669910845%) |
| 10 | Contra Costa | 59.8 | 33.6 (6.81) | 90.5 ($127,229) | 2.6 (35.3 min) | — | 69.3 (379.4) | 75.9 (91.489171179%) | 87.1 (5.2402155984%) |
| 11 | Orange | 59.3 | 14.7 (8.28) | 88.8 ($116,289) | 44.0 (26.7 min) | — | 78.1 (311.3) | 84.8 (92.260443022%) | 45.7 (7.3302236252%) |
| 12 | Sonoma | 59.2 | 23.3 (7.79) | 73.3 ($104,674) | 56.0 (25.1 min) | — | 88.6 (280.6) | 50.9 (87.77924828%) | 62.9 (6.6603538712%) |
| 13 | San Mateo | 58.4 | 4.3 (9.82) | 97.4 ($158,855) | 45.7 (26.4 min) | — | 92.1 (266.1) | 18.8 (84.184421607%) | 92.2 (4.6406568778%) |
| 14 | Inyo | 58.2 | 92.2 (4.71) | 35.3 ($73,991) | 99.1 (16.0 min) | — | 7.9 (696.0) | 70.5 (90.852803738%) | 44.0 (7.3419392695%) |
| 15 | Shasta | 56.6 | 88.8 (5.04) | 33.6 ($72,636) | 89.7 (19.8 min) | — | 23.7 (547.6) | 63.4 (89.277252252%) | 40.5 (7.4696110782%) |
| 16 | San Benito | 55.6 | 30.2 (6.94) | 85.3 ($114,394) | 0.9 (36.6 min) | — | 79.8 (310.3) | 77.7 (91.663551402%) | 59.5 (6.7674326941%) |
| 16 | Santa Barbara | 55.6 | 16.4 (8.06) | 68.1 ($98,161) | 87.1 (20.8 min) | — | 57.0 (432.6) | 92.0 (92.926192279%) | 12.9 (9.200955578%) |
| 18 | Humboldt | 54.7 | 28.4 (7.31) | 9.5 ($61,160) | 95.7 (19.0 min) | — | 50.0 (458.5) | 88.4 (92.415373766%) | 56.0 (6.9562681667%) |
| 19 | Santa Cruz | 53.9 | 7.8 (9.25) | 81.9 ($111,093) | 49.1 (25.7 min) | — | 74.6 (362.4) | 43.8 (87.102704258%) | 66.4 (6.4952638701%) |
| 20 | Tehama | 53.8 | 73.3 (5.32) | 12.9 ($63,784) | 71.6 (23.4 min) | — | 18.4 (586.0) | 95.5 (93.317897372%) | 50.9 (7.2431719429%) |
| 21 | Calaveras | 53.6 | 52.6 (5.81) | 45.7 ($78,647) | 4.3 (34.2 min) | — | 62.3 (393.7) | 99.1 (94.883908046%) | 57.8 (6.9352847291%) |
| 22 | Colusa | 53.4 | 81.9 (5.2) | 38.8 ($75,672) | 62.9 (24.2 min) | — | 65.8 (382.9) | 65.2 (89.965753425%) | 6.0 (9.7755528661%) |
| 23 | Sierra | 53.1 | 78.4 (5.24) | 11.2 ($63,355) | 61.2 (24.3 min) | — | 46.5 (462.2) | — | 68.1 (6.3499314756%) |
| 23 | Tuolumne | 53.1 | 59.5 (5.6) | 44.0 ($77,404) | 30.2 (30.0 min) | — | 32.5 (506.4) | 72.3 (90.936192469%) | 80.2 (5.6585497107%) |
| 25 | Solano | 52.8 | 43.1 (6.15) | 71.6 ($100,401) | 22.4 (31.0 min) | — | 36.0 (485.9) | 61.6 (89.189621152%) | 81.9 (5.5953052209%) |
| 26 | Riverside | 52.4 | 45.7 (5.99) | 62.9 ($93,074) | 11.2 (33.8 min) | — | 86.8 (289.9) | 83.0 (92.158026436%) | 25.0 (8.3404429944%) |
| 27 | Del Norte | 52.1 | 87.1 (5.1) | 18.1 ($67,058) | 92.2 (19.6 min) | — | 44.7 (464.6) | 42.0 (86.972727273%) | 28.4 (8.0409356725%) |
| 28 | Nevada | 51.7 | 31.9 (6.92) | 54.3 ($89,882) | 68.1 (23.6 min) | — | 76.3 (357.0) | 9.8 (80.611241218%) | 69.8 (6.212190114%) |
| 29 | Plumas | 50.1 | 64.7 (5.46) | 16.4 ($66,031) | 89.7 (19.8 min) | — | — | 8.0 (72.625%) | 71.6 (6.1813498977%) |
| 30 | Stanislaus | 49.9 | 62.9 (5.52) | 49.1 ($81,468) | 25.0 (30.8 min) | — | 41.2 (469.4) | 67.0 (90.054707831%) | 54.3 (7.1081163989%) |
| 30 | Ventura | 49.9 | 26.7 (7.49) | 80.2 ($109,797) | 50.9 (25.6 min) | — | 85.1 (298.9) | 33.0 (85.90551211%) | 23.3 (8.4764230587%) |
| 32 | Imperial | 49.0 | 69.8 (5.37) | 2.6 ($57,681) | 80.2 (22.1 min) | — | 93.9 (247.0) | 25.9 (85.638333333%) | 21.6 (8.5954672933%) |
| 33 | San Diego | 48.9 | 18.1 (8.04) | 76.7 ($106,268) | 52.6 (25.5 min) | — | 72.8 (365.7) | 24.1 (85.382565692%) | 49.1 (7.2756631382%) |
| 34 | Kings | 48.4 | 95.7 (4.57) | 30.2 ($70,995) | 73.3 (23.0 min) | — | 39.5 (471.2) | 4.5 (70.376811594%) | 47.4 (7.2934383115%) |
| 34 | Siskiyou | 48.4 | 78.4 (5.24) | 4.3 ($59,095) | 83.6 (21.2 min) | — | 43.0 (467.1) | 54.5 (88.161616162%) | 26.7 (8.1612492033%) |
| 36 | Sacramento | 47.3 | 54.3 (5.8) | 59.5 ($92,175) | 38.8 (27.3 min) | — | 30.7 (512.5) | 15.2 (83.523709141%) | 85.3 (5.370227073%) |
| 37 | Alameda | 47.0 | 12.9 (8.43) | 92.2 ($129,367) | 22.4 (31.0 min) | — | 2.6 (790.7) | 58.0 (88.771180181%) | 94.0 (4.4951788087%) |
| 38 | Tulare | 46.9 | 94.0 (4.63) | 31.9 ($71,300) | 66.4 (23.7 min) | — | 37.7 (474.6) | 40.2 (86.711029228%) | 11.2 (9.2481282803%) |
| 39 | Mono | 45.6 | 37.1 (6.43) | 69.8 ($99,415) | 97.4 (17.1 min) | — | 64.0 (385.6) | 0.9 (48.628404669%) | 4.3 (10.268925256%) |
| 40 | Madera | 45.3 | 83.6 (5.13) | 42.2 ($76,627) | 33.6 (27.9 min) | — | 51.8 (449.9) | 52.7 (87.916772824%) | 7.8 (9.5763252813%) |
| 41 | Alpine | 44.7 | 61.2 (5.59) | 75.0 ($105,521) | 12.9 (32.7 min) | — | 0.9 (1053.6) | — | 73.3 (6.0283687943%) |
| 42 | Sutter | 44.6 | 66.4 (5.44) | 47.4 ($79,704) | 42.2 (27.1 min) | — | 60.5 (405.9) | 34.8 (86.178890456%) | 16.4 (8.7536493898%) |
| 43 | Glenn | 43.4 | 75.0 (5.25) | 19.8 ($67,139) | 75.0 (22.9 min) | — | 48.2 (458.8) | 27.7 (85.808510638%) | 14.7 (9.155597723%) |
| 44 | Modoc | 42.8 | 99.1 (3.78) | 6.0 ($59,455) | 76.7 (22.5 min) | — | 6.1 (699.3) | 38.4 (86.513157895%) | 30.2 (8%) |
| 45 | Monterey | 41.9 | 19.8 (8.03) | 64.7 ($97,230) | 54.3 (25.4 min) | — | 55.3 (437.4) | 56.2 (88.636943231%) | 0.9 (11.636889709%) |
| 46 | Butte | 41.0 | 39.7 (6.25) | 23.3 ($67,928) | 85.3 (21.0 min) | — | 13.2 (639.8) | 47.3 (87.600041684%) | 37.1 (7.5657894737%) |
| 47 | Fresno | 40.9 | 78.4 (5.24) | 37.1 ($74,201) | 69.8 (23.5 min) | — | 14.9 (627.3) | 11.6 (81.508852691%) | 33.6 (7.6619040179%) |
| 48 | Kern | 40.1 | 90.5 (4.82) | 28.4 ($70,210) | 59.5 (24.4 min) | — | 9.6 (667.3) | 20.5 (84.56329605%) | 31.9 (7.7296151901%) |
| 49 | Yuba | 40.0 | 68.1 (5.4) | 40.5 ($76,373) | 17.2 (32.4 min) | — | 27.2 (522.4) | 22.3 (84.786231884%) | 64.7 (6.5603940941%) |
| 50 | San Francisco | 39.9 | 2.6 (9.89) | 94.0 ($140,970) | 27.6 (30.4 min) | — | 16.7 (602.1) | 2.7 (50.12035473%) | 95.7 (4.1618576115%) |
| 51 | Mariposa | 37.1 | 57.8 (5.67) | 26.7 ($68,412) | 9.5 (33.9 min) | — | 21.9 (560.4) | 45.5 (87.5%) | 61.2 (6.7219074998%) |
| 52 | Mendocino | 36.5 | 25.0 (7.52) | 25.0 ($68,092) | 81.9 (21.5 min) | — | 71.1 (376.3) | 13.4 (83.221366699%) | 2.6 (10.318596742%) |
| 53 | Merced | 34.4 | 47.4 (5.98) | 14.7 ($65,510) | 19.8 (31.3 min) | — | 25.4 (527.3) | 79.5 (91.710816062%) | 19.8 (8.6341106818%) |
| 54 | San Bernardino | 33.3 | 50.9 (5.91) | 50.9 ($85,478) | 14.7 (32.6 min) | — | 34.2 (490.6) | 31.2 (85.881807257%) | 18.1 (8.7230586196%) |
| 55 | San Joaquin | 33.2 | 56.0 (5.76) | 61.2 ($92,179) | 6.0 (34.1 min) | — | 11.4 (660.9) | 29.5 (85.824268124%) | 35.3 (7.6426964764%) |
| 56 | Trinity | 32.4 | 43.1 (6.15) | 0.9 ($53,002) | 40.5 (27.2 min) | — | 28.9 (519.4) | 6.2 (71.349206349%) | 75.0 (5.9983490782%) |
| 57 | Lake | 26.1 | 71.6 (5.35) | 7.8 ($60,621) | 17.2 (32.4 min) | — | 4.4 (704.1) | 17.0 (84.057086614%) | 38.8 (7.5065881259%) |
| 58 | Los Angeles | 26.0 | 6.0 (9.26) | 56.0 ($90,112) | 27.6 (30.4 min) | — | 20.2 (581.6) | 36.6 (86.229909667%) | 9.5 (9.3803433932%) |