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You likely had some very fond memories of childhood that you want to pass on to your children. You also likely have things you would change if you could. So what are some important factors to think about when you do start thinking about where to raise your children?
Crime levels, the quality of schools, and proximity to other children for your kids to make close friendships with are probably some of the key aspects to think about when deciding where to raise your family. The first decision to make is what state to raise your family in. Well, that is an easy one: California.
California is one of America's most famous states and for a good reason. Who wouldn't want to grow up under the palm trees, walking up and down the streets of San Francisco or San Diego, and hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail? California has something for everyone. You can be a surfer, a climber, a city-dweller, or even just a cafe-hopper. But within California, there are certain cities that stand out for families. These cities are both affordable and packed with family-friendliness. HomeSnacks has figured out the answer to those questions for you based on the most Census and FBI data.
So strap on your rollerblades, get your matcha, pull up the mini van, and read on to see which places in California offer the most for starting a family.
The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In California For 2022
We analyzed 347 cities in California to determine which one was the best for families. This ranking was made by analyzing which cities were the most "family-friendly," or which states had the least crime, the best schools, and the most fun activities.
What's the best place for families in California? If you haven't heard of Imperial, California, then keep reading, because this is the best city for families in California for 2022.
Imperial is packed with everything families need and love. You can even travel to Mexico for an international dining experience if you want.
Want to see how your favorite city or hometown in California stacked up? Read on to learn more about our methodology and to see what makes each of our top ten cities for families so great.
Check out some more reading about California and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In California For 2022
One the fastest growing cities in the state, and located just North of Mexico, any family would be lucky to call this Imperial County city home.
This city scored off our charts with an 8.5/10 snackability rating with an emphasis on affordability, education, and family friendly amenities.
Not surprising considering they are a year round destination for family fun. Imperial boasts multiple golf courses, sand dunes for dune buggy enthusiasts and campers, and an abundance of creatures to hunt for sport.
/10
Population: 18,631
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 56
Closest Major City: Chula Vista
Households with kids: 48.6%
More on Imperial: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Why? Moorpark has one of the highest percentages of families with kids on our list, so there will be plenty of kids to play with when you move here.
And when you need a place to let your kids burn some energy, look no further than this Ventura County city: they have over 20 parks!
There are also plenty of high paying jobs, great schools, and it's crazy safe.
Located in slightly northwest of Los Angeles, Moorpark should be California's poster city for family friendly. #GoodWork
/10
Population: 36,443
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 38
Closest Major City: Oxnard
Households with kids: 36.9%
More on Moorpark: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Located slightly northwest of Los Angeles, and just a hop, skip, and a jump from the coast, Camarillo has something for everyone. Amazing food, 26 parks, and facilities like aquatic centers, BMX tracks, equestrian centers, and skateparks.to name a few, dot the city's landscape.
Camarillo is famous for sticking to tradition. So if you're looking for a city with quaint, quiet neighborhoods, idyllic community parades and gatherings, and residents who want to keep the city in the hands of its people, Camarillo is your city.
/10
Population: 68,583
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 45
Closest Major City: Oxnard
Households with kids: 30.6%
More on Camarillo: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 79,975
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 63
Closest Major City: Fremont
Households with kids: 40.3%
More on Pleasanton: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
We think they are on the right track because they scored one of the highest snackability scores on our list: a whopping 10/10!
We believe that for a city to be truly family friendly, it needs to be safe, hip, diverse, and it has to have a ton of family friendly activities. They scored an 8.5/10 for safety, an 8.5/10 for diversity, and a 10/10 for amenities.
Mission Viejo's goal is to "Make Living Your Mission". We think you're doing just that.
/10
Population: 95,638
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 54
Closest Major City: Irvine
Households with kids: 30.4%
More on Mission Viejo: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
This Sacramento County city crushed our snackability scale with high marks across the board. It's like a big California playground for big and little kids alike.
Known for Folsom Lake College, Folsom Dam, Folsom Lake and the Intel Corporation, this city's family household median income is close to $110,000/year. Just think of all of the Folsom family friendly activities you'll be ablte to afford with all that dough.
They definitely know what they're doing in the city that's 'Distinctive by Nature'.
/10
Population: 79,584
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 34
Closest Major City: Sacramento
Households with kids: 39.9%
More on Folsom: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
This little California gem is one of the fastest growing cities in The Golden State. Did we mention one of the safest too? So it was not a surprise to us that they scored a 9/10 on our snackability scale with an emphasis on safety, amenities, and jobs. Busy people don't have time to be naughty, right?
Torrance runs a tight ship in terms of education. They have to. They have over 30 schools to maintain in their district. So kudos to Torrance for scoring a 9/10 for education on our scale.
/10
Population: 144,430
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 55
Closest Major City: Long Beach
Households with kids: 31.1%
More on Torrance: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
This city in Santa Clara County is a family friendly San Jose-burb with tons of family friendly things to do.
Surrounded by multiple state and county parks, this Northern California tech community has amazing shopping, art galleries, museums, and it's just a stone's throw away from the coast.
And if you're stressed about where to send your kids to school, you can stop now. Los Gatos has multiple blue ribbon elementary schools and golden apple secondary schools.
/10
Population: 31,943
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 54
Closest Major City: San Jose
Households with kids: 31.7%
More on Los Gatos: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 31,084
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 61
Closest Major City: San Jose
Households with kids: 33.7%
More on Saratoga: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
/10
Population: 24,526
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 62
Closest Major City: Chula Vista
Households with kids: 28.0%
More on Coronado: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in California anyways?
To give you the places in California which are best for families, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what's family-friendly and what isn't.
So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.
How we crunched the family friendly numbers for the Golden State
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of California, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries and colleges)
We then gave each city a Family Score.
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For California, that meant a total of 347 cities. You can download the data here.
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In California
If you're looking for a breakdown of cities in California ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
Here's a look at the best cities for singles California according to the data:
- Grass Valley
- Clearlake
- Fortuna
For more California reading, check out:
- Safest Places In California
- Best Places To Live In California
- Best Places To Raise A Family In California
Where Are The Best Places For Families In California?
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial, CA | 18,631 |
| 2 | Moorpark, CA | 36,443 |
| 3 | Camarillo, CA | 68,583 |
| 4 | Pleasanton, CA | 79,975 |
| 5 | Mission Viejo, CA | 95,638 |
| 6 | Folsom, CA | 79,584 |
| 7 | Torrance, CA | 144,430 |
| 8 | Los Gatos, CA | 31,943 |
| 9 | Saratoga, CA | 31,084 |
| 10 | Coronado, CA | 24,526 |
