Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban California? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Sacramento, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which California suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Golden State
Los Altos is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban California.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in California, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in California and the best places to raise a family in California.
Best Suburbs In California For 2025
/10
Population: 30,736
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Los Altos: Data
Los Altos is located 12 miles west of Fremont.
/10
Population: 58,886
Median Income: $231,139
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Cupertino: Data
Cupertino is located 12 miles west of San Jose.
/10
Population: 30,335
Median Income: $241,348
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Saratoga: Data
Saratoga is located 11 miles west of San Jose.
/10
Population: 7,021
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Atherton: Data
Atherton is located 14 miles west of Fremont.
/10
Population: 5,776
Median Income: $204,750
Average Home Price: $1,686,200
More on Villa Park: Data
Villa Park is located 3 miles west of Anaheim.
/10
Population: 8,367
Median Income: $250,001
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Los Altos Hills: Data
Los Altos Hills is located 13 miles west of Fremont.
/10
Population: 12,841
Median Income: $150,820
Average Home Price: $1,934,700
More on Solana Beach: Data
Solana Beach is located 14 miles north of San Diego.
/10
Population: 13,047
Median Income: $247,500
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Palos Verdes Estates: Data
Palos Verdes Estates is located 13 miles west of Long Beach.
/10
Population: 32,773
Median Income: $207,891
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Los Gatos: Data
Los Gatos is located 8 miles west of San Jose.
/10
Population: 34,584
Median Income: $193,904
Average Home Price: $2,000,001
More on Manhattan Beach: Data
Manhattan Beach is located 8 miles south of Los Angeles.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Golden State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in California. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of California, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in California across these criteria from one to 284, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In California.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in California.
Read on to see why Los Altos is the ‘burb with the most, while Hesperia is probably not the best place to live in California.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In California
If you’re measuring the locations in California where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in California are Los Altos, Cupertino, Saratoga, Atherton, Villa Park, Los Altos Hills, Solana Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Los Gatos, and Manhattan Beach.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in California according to the data:
- Hesperia
- Victorville
- Apple Valley
For more California reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In California
- Cheapest Places To Live In California
- Most Dangerous Cities In California
- Richest Cities In California
- Safest Places In California
- Worst Places To Live In California
- Most Expensive Places To Live In California
The Best Suburbs In California
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Altos | 30,736 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 2 | Cupertino | 58,886 | $231,139 | $2,000,001 |
| 3 | Saratoga | 30,335 | $241,348 | $2,000,001 |
| 4 | Atherton | 7,021 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 5 | Villa Park | 5,776 | $204,750 | $1,686,200 |
| 6 | Los Altos Hills | 8,367 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 7 | Solana Beach | 12,841 | $150,820 | $1,934,700 |
| 8 | Palos Verdes Estates | 13,047 | $247,500 | $2,000,001 |
| 9 | Los Gatos | 32,773 | $207,891 | $2,000,001 |
| 10 | Manhattan Beach | 34,584 | $193,904 | $2,000,001 |
| 11 | Lafayette | 25,277 | $222,393 | $2,000,001 |
| 12 | Aliso Viejo | 51,320 | $137,970 | $863,800 |
| 13 | Hillsborough | 11,122 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 14 | Orinda | 19,472 | $250,001 | $1,804,400 |
| 15 | Danville | 43,426 | $223,206 | $1,583,300 |
| 16 | San Marino | 12,279 | $187,633 | $2,000,001 |
| 17 | Sunnyvale | 153,455 | $181,862 | $1,816,600 |
| 18 | Sierra Madre | 11,020 | $141,094 | $1,172,200 |
| 19 | Mill Valley | 14,064 | $208,466 | $2,000,001 |
| 20 | Mountain View | 82,363 | $179,917 | $1,927,400 |
| 21 | Palo Alto | 67,231 | $220,408 | $2,000,001 |
| 22 | Scotts Valley | 12,138 | $140,887 | $1,092,000 |
| 23 | Piedmont | 11,012 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 24 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 47,257 | $146,827 | $907,900 |
| 25 | Newport Beach | 84,304 | $158,461 | $2,000,001 |
| 26 | Tiburon | 9,035 | $212,794 | $2,000,001 |
| 27 | Mission Viejo | 92,415 | $136,071 | $946,300 |
| 28 | San Ramon | 85,734 | $197,358 | $1,359,100 |
| 29 | Yorba Linda | 67,407 | $152,060 | $1,091,700 |
| 30 | Menlo Park | 32,775 | $206,588 | $2,000,001 |
| 31 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 41,259 | $175,307 | $1,541,400 |
| 32 | Dana Point | 32,883 | $127,246 | $1,200,900 |
| 33 | Pacifica | 37,527 | $156,819 | $1,211,700 |
| 34 | Belmont | 27,505 | $207,609 | $2,000,001 |
| 35 | La Habra Heights | 5,546 | $186,837 | $1,114,100 |
| 36 | Encinitas | 61,585 | $150,471 | $1,466,000 |
| 37 | Campbell | 42,848 | $147,128 | $1,550,000 |
| 38 | Rolling Hills Estates | 8,158 | $187,500 | $1,602,300 |
| 39 | Dublin | 70,542 | $205,046 | $1,224,100 |
| 40 | Coronado | 18,558 | $135,056 | $1,998,900 |
| 41 | Santa Clara | 129,239 | $173,670 | $1,527,900 |
| 42 | Hermosa Beach | 19,248 | $152,019 | $2,000,001 |
| 43 | Redondo Beach | 69,814 | $144,588 | $1,225,400 |
| 44 | Laguna Niguel | 64,023 | $140,605 | $1,123,000 |
| 45 | South Pasadena | 26,297 | $128,105 | $1,545,100 |
| 46 | Poway | 48,515 | $143,825 | $971,500 |
| 47 | Livermore | 85,870 | $153,602 | $1,038,600 |
| 48 | Clayton | 10,962 | $172,226 | $1,017,300 |
| 49 | Lake Forest | 85,846 | $131,378 | $876,300 |
| 50 | San Carlos | 29,797 | $233,333 | $2,000,001 |
| 51 | Burlingame | 30,526 | $168,832 | $2,000,001 |
| 52 | Rocklin | 72,340 | $120,916 | $673,300 |
| 53 | Moraga | 16,790 | $199,800 | $1,597,600 |
| 54 | Sausalito | 7,171 | $173,030 | $1,858,900 |
| 55 | Pleasanton | 77,500 | $186,206 | $1,432,300 |
| 56 | Albany | 19,768 | $135,927 | $1,188,600 |
| 57 | Agoura Hills | 19,881 | $171,944 | $1,072,200 |
| 58 | Camarillo | 70,244 | $109,390 | $766,100 |
| 59 | San Clemente | 63,510 | $134,735 | $1,220,500 |
| 60 | Ripon | 16,117 | $120,061 | $666,400 |
| 61 | San Mateo | 103,555 | $152,669 | $1,563,200 |
| 62 | Moorpark | 35,957 | $149,403 | $852,800 |
| 63 | Thousand Oaks | 125,676 | $134,367 | $951,200 |
| 64 | Milpitas | 78,216 | $176,822 | $1,180,000 |
| 65 | South San Francisco | 64,487 | $135,909 | $1,160,100 |
| 66 | San Bruno | 42,612 | $135,976 | $1,199,400 |
| 67 | Benicia | 26,861 | $125,040 | $778,600 |
| 68 | La Palma | 15,375 | $115,833 | $916,600 |
| 69 | San Anselmo | 12,711 | $170,457 | $1,524,300 |
| 70 | El Segundo | 16,863 | $149,149 | $1,521,600 |
| 71 | Laguna Beach | 22,777 | $140,508 | $2,000,001 |
| 72 | Folsom | 82,140 | $139,263 | $702,200 |
| 73 | Woodside | 5,181 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 74 | Martinez | 36,926 | $125,436 | $824,700 |
| 75 | Carpinteria | 13,100 | $104,233 | $965,200 |
| 76 | Winters | 7,453 | $132,650 | $598,700 |
| 77 | Morgan Hill | 45,152 | $159,758 | $1,127,600 |
| 78 | Hercules | 26,245 | $130,583 | $741,200 |
| 79 | Laguna Hills | 30,921 | $122,778 | $944,000 |
| 80 | Corte Madera | 10,101 | $220,771 | $1,702,000 |
| 81 | Roseville | 152,438 | $117,354 | $630,600 |
| 82 | Carlsbad | 114,500 | $139,326 | $1,156,900 |
| 83 | Eastvale | 70,179 | $161,322 | $752,000 |
| 84 | Lincoln | 51,629 | $108,108 | $628,500 |
| 85 | Simi Valley | 125,769 | $117,703 | $753,500 |
| 86 | Larkspur | 12,856 | $134,744 | $1,805,100 |
| 87 | Huntington Beach | 196,010 | $119,885 | $1,047,300 |
| 88 | Fountain Valley | 56,358 | $111,797 | $1,018,600 |
| 89 | Torrance | 143,499 | $113,105 | $1,036,600 |
| 90 | Pleasant Hill | 34,335 | $144,513 | $1,040,600 |
| 91 | Laguna Woods | 17,342 | $60,235 | $364,900 |
| 92 | Fairfax | 7,523 | $131,875 | $1,121,500 |
| 93 | Cypress | 49,531 | $124,167 | $870,100 |
| 94 | San Juan Capistrano | 34,998 | $127,893 | $929,700 |
| 95 | Walnut Creek | 69,790 | $135,665 | $1,031,100 |
| 96 | La Mirada | 46,945 | $110,177 | $763,200 |
| 97 | Walnut | 27,857 | $133,762 | $972,500 |
| 98 | Orange | 138,723 | $116,945 | $900,700 |
| 99 | Alameda | 76,876 | $132,015 | $1,203,900 |
| 100 | Santee | 59,485 | $105,613 | $653,400 |