California Livability Index — All 58 Counties Ranked
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.
How the index works
- Seven county-level components: housing affordability (median home value ÷ median household income, ACS 2024 5-year), median household income (ACS 2024 5-year), mean travel time to work (ACS 2024 5-year), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual average), violent crime rate per 100,000 (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2024), high school graduation rate (County Health Rankings 2025), uninsured rate (County Health Rankings 2025).
- Each component is scored 0–100 by percentile rank among California counties with a verified value; lower-better components are inverted so 100 always means most livable. The composite is the mean of the county's available component scores, rounded to one decimal. A county needs at least 5 of 7 components; with fewer, its index is null, never estimated. Rankings use competition ranking by rounded composite.
- Unemployment is missing for every county in this edition. The Bureau of Labor Statistics public API returned HTTP 503 on every retrieval attempt on October 25, 2026, so no unemployment value was substituted from any other source. Composites here rest on the other six components. If BLS data is retrieved later, every composite and rank will be recomputed and this page reissued.
- Violent crime is null for one county under the uniform coverage rule (months-weighted reporting coverage below 0.80): Plumas County (coverage 0.083). Graduation is null for two counties where County Health Rankings suppresses the value: Alpine County and Sierra County.
- This is our composite, not an official rating. Full construction notes: Golden State Pulse Livability Index methodology (dataset file).
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%) |
Component gaps in this edition — disclosed, not estimated
- Unemployment (all 58 counties): BLS LAUS 2024 not retrievable (API HTTP 503 on 2026-10-25); no substitute used. Composites rest on the other six components.
- Violent crime (Plumas County): FBI Crime Data Explorer months-weighted coverage 0.083, below the 0.80 minimum — value null, no estimate.
- High school graduation (Alpine County, Sierra County): blank/suppressed in the County Health Rankings 2025 California file — value null, no estimate.