There’s no denying it: there are plenty of places in California that are downright beautiful and full of excitement.
Unfortunately, not all towns and cities in Golden State are so lucky.
Just like in all U.S. States, there are definitely some boring places within California’s’ borders. You know the places where everyone has an AARP card and the most exciting thing they do all day is post a picture of their grandchild on Facebook.
Like Lafayette, for instance. In our latest analysis, we found that this city was the most boring city in all of California according to Saturday Night Science. But don’t feel bad if you’re a resident of Lafayette. There are plenty of other boring, lackluster places in California as well.
Here they are. Try not to jump out of your seat with excitement.
45.7 median age · 31.0% married households · #62 oldest in California
Located in
Contra Costa County, California
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
57.4 median age · 39.0% married households · #7 oldest in California
Located in
Butte County, California
Paradise is an incorporated town in Butte County, California. It is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills above the northeastern Sacramento Valley.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
41.5 median age · 27.0% married households · #126 oldest in California
Located in
Amador County, California
Ione is a city in Amador County, California, United States. The population was 7,918 at the 2010 census, up from 7,129 in 2000. Once known as “Bed-Bug” and “Freeze Out,” Ione was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern Mines during the California Gold Rush.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
53.6 median age · 36.0% married households · #16 oldest in California
Located in
Orange County, California
Villa Park is a city in Orange County, California, United States. It was incorporated in 1962. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 5,812, the lowest population for a city in Orange County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
54.3 median age · 31.0% married households · #11 oldest in California
Located in
San Luis Obispo County, California
Morro Bay is a waterfront city in San Luis Obispo County, California located along California State Route 1 on California’s Central Coast. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,234, down from 10,350 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
50.2 median age · 33.0% married households · #23 oldest in California
Data | Movers
45.5 median age · 35.0% married households · #68 oldest in California
Located in
Placer County, California
Loomis is an incorporated town in Placer County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,733 as estimated by the US Census in 2015.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
55.1 median age · 30.0% married households · #10 oldest in California
Located in
San Luis Obispo County, California
Pismo Beach is a city in San Luis Obispo County, in the Central Coast area of California, United States. The estimated population was 7,931 in 2014, up from 7,655 in the 2010 census. It is part of the Five Cities Area, a cluster of cities in that area of San Luis Obispo County. The “5 Cities” is actually only 3 cities; Grover Beach, Pismo Beach, and Arroyo Grande. Oceano is a Community Service District and Shell Beach is part of Pismo Beach. Pismo Beach’s motto is “Clam Capital of the World”.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
42.0 median age · 25.0% married households · #113 oldest in California
Located in
Nevada County, California
Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 16,180, reflecting an increase of 2,316 from the 13,864 counted in the 2000 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
47.5 median age · 22.0% married households · #40 oldest in California
Located in
Contra Costa County, California
Orinda is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 17,643 at the 2010 census, and was estimated in 2012 to have increased to 18,342. Orinda was ranked the second most friendly town in America by Forbes. The city is located just east of the city of Berkeley and is home to many affluent suburban professionals who commute to downtown Oakland, San Francisco, and Walnut Creek. Its location provides for a more rustic landscape, and Orinda’s many parks and trails make it a destination for many Bay Area hikers and naturalists.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
On the map
Where the quiet settles in California
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the boring cities in the Golden State
You would present the following case to your friends if you were argueing with them at a bar about the most boring place to live in California. And that’s why we call it Saturday Night Science.
Because our data speaks more truth than feelings.
To figure out how boring a place is, we factored in things we generally think make people exciting, and then we figure out which cities have the least number of those exciting people.
We used the U.S. American Community Census data to gather the information presented here. Some of the things people tend to think of as making a city’s population boring include:
- % of Population Over 25 (higher is more boring)
- % of Married Household (higher is more boring)
- Average Age (higher is more boring)
- % of Households With Kids (higher is more boring)
- Population density (lower is more boring)
Then, our algorithm generates a ranking for each place in these categories. After crunching the numbers, all of the cities ranked from most boring to most exciting.
For this ranking, we used every California city with at least 5,000 residents. This keeps us from prejudicing our rankings by including very small pockets of retired people.
Grab your rocker and hold on.
We updated this article for 2026, and it’s our eleventh time ranking the most boring cities in California.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Most Boring Cities In California For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Boring Score | Population | Average Age | % Married | % Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lafayette | 92.50 | 25,285 | 45.7 | 31.0% | 37.8% |
| 2 | Paradise | 93.40 | 7,392 | 57.4 | 39.0% | 19.7% |
| 3 | Ione | 97.60 | 9,156 | 41.5 | 27.0% | 32.3% |
| 4 | Villa Park | 99.10 | 5,748 | 53.6 | 36.0% | 30.7% |
| 5 | Morro Bay | 102.10 | 10,692 | 54.3 | 31.0% | 16.0% |
| 6 | Jackson | 104.10 | 5,048 | 50.2 | 33.0% | 21.1% |
| 7 | Loomis | 104.20 | 6,853 | 45.5 | 35.0% | 24.4% |
| 8 | Pismo Beach | 104.20 | 8,014 | 55.1 | 30.0% | 15.9% |
| 9 | Truckee | 105.20 | 17,066 | 42.0 | 25.0% | 33.5% |
| 10 | Orinda | 105.60 | 19,514 | 47.5 | 22.0% | 37.8% |
| 11 | Norco | 105.70 | 25,054 | 40.3 | 30.0% | 36.2% |
| 12 | Rio Vista | 106.20 | 10,102 | 63.8 | 25.0% | 10.2% |
| 13 | Mammoth Lakes | 108.40 | 7,214 | 41.3 | 33.0% | 19.4% |
| 14 | La Quinta | 108.40 | 38,707 | 53.3 | 25.0% | 19.9% |
| 15 | Danville | 109.60 | 43,401 | 45.4 | 29.0% | 39.0% |
| 16 | Placerville | 110.90 | 10,762 | 46.8 | 27.0% | 25.3% |
| 17 | Auburn | 111.00 | 13,768 | 47.5 | 30.0% | 22.3% |
| 18 | Scotts Valley | 116.10 | 12,044 | 47.3 | 30.0% | 27.7% |
| 19 | Canyon Lake | 116.80 | 11,119 | 47.0 | 35.0% | 29.5% |
| 20 | Calimesa | 117.00 | 10,902 | 40.0 | 39.0% | 32.6% |
| 21 | Agoura Hills | 117.70 | 19,721 | 46.8 | 25.0% | 34.5% |
| 22 | Lincoln | 118.60 | 52,956 | 43.2 | 32.0% | 32.3% |
| 23 | La Habra Heights | 118.70 | 5,478 | 46.9 | 24.0% | 24.4% |
| 24 | San Dimas | 119.30 | 33,789 | 43.3 | 28.0% | 30.4% |
| 25 | Corte Madera | 120.00 | 10,077 | 45.9 | 25.0% | 39.7% |
| 26 | Big Bear Lake | 122.30 | 5,041 | 46.6 | 24.0% | 16.7% |
| 27 | Laguna Beach | 124.10 | 22,710 | 53.9 | 25.0% | 17.8% |
| 28 | St. Helena | 127.00 | 5,318 | 48.9 | 15.0% | 32.5% |
| 29 | Seal Beach | 128.80 | 24,722 | 61.5 | 22.0% | 14.3% |
| 30 | Yorba Linda | 129.20 | 67,170 | 44.9 | 29.0% | 34.2% |
| 31 | Benicia | 129.50 | 26,749 | 44.9 | 25.0% | 27.6% |
| 32 | Malibu | 129.60 | 10,421 | 53.9 | 19.0% | 20.5% |
| 33 | Glendora | 129.70 | 50,926 | 40.6 | 30.0% | 35.9% |
| 34 | Lakeport | 131.10 | 5,113 | 42.1 | 30.0% | 28.1% |
| 35 | Poway | 132.10 | 48,713 | 41.2 | 22.0% | 35.9% |
| 36 | Hillsborough | 132.90 | 11,099 | 47.0 | 20.0% | 37.8% |
| 37 | San Juan Capistrano | 134.40 | 35,095 | 46.2 | 25.0% | 31.0% |
| 38 | Arroyo Grande | 134.80 | 18,372 | 45.8 | 39.0% | 24.8% |
| 39 | Shasta Lake | 135.10 | 10,311 | 41.8 | 32.0% | 28.7% |
| 40 | Martinez | 136.00 | 36,903 | 42.6 | 31.0% | 28.0% |
| 41 | Palos Verdes Estates | 136.70 | 12,925 | 52.4 | 24.0% | 29.9% |
| 42 | Atascadero | 136.80 | 29,712 | 40.4 | 34.0% | 30.1% |
| 43 | Cloverdale | 137.30 | 8,886 | 45.2 | 27.0% | 26.0% |
| 44 | Buellton | 138.20 | 5,074 | 39.0 | 27.0% | 36.4% |
| 45 | Novato | 138.50 | 52,546 | 47.5 | 21.0% | 28.4% |
| 46 | Woodside | 138.90 | 5,126 | 46.4 | 20.0% | 29.9% |
| 47 | Livermore | 140.00 | 85,522 | 40.7 | 28.0% | 34.6% |
| 48 | Clayton | 140.50 | 10,937 | 43.8 | 28.0% | 35.4% |
| 49 | Menifee | 140.50 | 110,305 | 38.1 | 27.0% | 37.6% |
| 50 | Solvang | 141.20 | 6,034 | 54.2 | 20.0% | 15.6% |
| 51 | Tiburon | 141.70 | 9,012 | 51.6 | 16.0% | 31.2% |
| 52 | Pacifica | 142.30 | 37,261 | 44.6 | 23.0% | 28.1% |
| 53 | Chino Hills | 143.10 | 77,927 | 40.5 | 21.0% | 35.4% |
| 54 | San Clemente | 143.80 | 63,273 | 45.6 | 28.0% | 27.3% |
| 55 | Folsom | 143.90 | 83,916 | 41.0 | 25.0% | 37.3% |
| 56 | Half Moon Bay | 145.00 | 11,391 | 47.4 | 21.0% | 28.6% |
| 57 | Rancho Mirage | 145.20 | 17,563 | 66.1 | 15.0% | 8.9% |
| 58 | La Verne | 145.50 | 30,600 | 46.4 | 29.0% | 28.7% |
| 59 | Tehachapi | 145.70 | 11,946 | 39.1 | 22.0% | 29.6% |
| 60 | Simi Valley | 147.10 | 125,634 | 41.9 | 26.0% | 30.6% |
| 61 | Palm Desert | 147.30 | 51,990 | 57.5 | 17.0% | 16.0% |
| 62 | Moorpark | 147.40 | 35,854 | 38.7 | 27.0% | 38.2% |
| 63 | Fort Bragg | 147.60 | 7,032 | 49.0 | 22.0% | 21.2% |
| 64 | Ripon | 147.80 | 16,201 | 40.1 | 40.0% | 35.5% |
| 65 | Escalon | 148.70 | 7,451 | 35.7 | 40.0% | 39.2% |
| 66 | Saratoga | 148.90 | 30,319 | 51.7 | 11.0% | 32.8% |
| 67 | Thousand Oaks | 149.40 | 125,205 | 44.9 | 23.0% | 28.3% |
| 68 | Los Gatos | 149.60 | 32,786 | 44.7 | 19.0% | 33.7% |
| 69 | Santee | 150.20 | 59,332 | 40.3 | 26.0% | 33.6% |
| 70 | Brentwood | 150.40 | 65,208 | 40.2 | 28.0% | 43.9% |
| 71 | Beaumont | 151.90 | 56,266 | 35.5 | 30.0% | 43.6% |
| 72 | Pleasanton | 152.00 | 76,960 | 43.1 | 17.0% | 38.8% |
| 73 | Wildomar | 152.70 | 37,277 | 37.7 | 25.0% | 37.3% |
| 74 | Roseville | 152.70 | 155,955 | 40.2 | 29.0% | 33.2% |
| 75 | San Anselmo | 153.40 | 12,679 | 45.6 | 26.0% | 33.0% |
| 76 | Petaluma | 153.40 | 59,247 | 45.3 | 27.0% | 26.3% |
| 77 | Oakley | 153.80 | 45,183 | 36.6 | 28.0% | 41.0% |
| 78 | Sierra Madre | 154.00 | 10,940 | 44.8 | 24.0% | 26.4% |
| 79 | Los Altos Hills | 154.70 | 8,377 | 53.6 | 14.0% | 24.5% |
| 80 | Rancho Palos Verdes | 154.70 | 40,864 | 49.1 | 19.0% | 31.1% |
| 81 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 154.70 | 46,990 | 40.9 | 26.0% | 34.6% |
| 82 | Rocklin | 154.80 | 73,327 | 38.4 | 30.0% | 38.7% |
| 83 | Santa Fe Springs | 155.90 | 18,871 | 39.2 | 23.0% | 32.0% |
| 84 | Rolling Hills Estates | 156.30 | 8,131 | 48.3 | 21.0% | 27.0% |
| 85 | Dana Point | 156.40 | 32,790 | 47.4 | 28.0% | 22.8% |
| 86 | El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) | 157.00 | 31,446 | 38.7 | 27.0% | 32.5% |
| 87 | Palm Springs | 157.30 | 45,070 | 58.5 | 11.0% | 8.5% |
| 88 | Sebastopol | 157.50 | 7,445 | 49.1 | 23.0% | 22.5% |
| 89 | Blythe | 158.70 | 17,396 | 38.3 | 17.0% | 36.7% |
| 90 | Sonoma | 159.40 | 10,670 | 57.3 | 22.0% | 16.4% |
| 91 | Yucaipa | 159.60 | 54,421 | 36.3 | 32.0% | 37.0% |
| 92 | Piedmont | 160.30 | 10,945 | 43.6 | 25.0% | 47.6% |
| 93 | Windsor | 160.80 | 26,081 | 42.7 | 27.0% | 33.8% |
| 94 | Ojai | 160.90 | 7,577 | 47.3 | 15.0% | 25.1% |
| 95 | Banning | 161.00 | 31,093 | 42.1 | 21.0% | 28.5% |
| 96 | Grass Valley | 161.40 | 14,113 | 49.6 | 18.0% | 22.1% |
| 97 | Camarillo | 161.50 | 70,186 | 41.2 | 25.0% | 30.0% |
| 98 | Morgan Hill | 162.00 | 45,425 | 39.0 | 25.0% | 38.9% |
| 99 | Healdsburg | 162.30 | 11,243 | 44.6 | 19.0% | 24.4% |
| 100 | Galt | 162.40 | 25,962 | 38.3 | 30.0% | 40.6% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 411 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep
On a ranking like this, there are usually no winners, but since California isn’t necessarily the most boring state in the United States, the cities on this ranking can at least take solace that there are, in fact, more boring cities in the country.
The most boring cities in California are Lafayette, Paradise, Ione, Villa Park, Morro Bay, Jackson, Loomis, Pismo Beach, Truckee, and Orinda.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the most exciting places in California, according to science. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Boring Places In California FAQs
What is the most boring place in California?
Lafayette is the most boring place in California for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. 31.0% of its households are married, which is exactly the kind of statistic that earns boring points.
What are the most boring cities in California?
The most boring places in California are Lafayette, Paradise, Ione, Villa Park, Morro Bay, Jackson, Loomis, Pismo Beach, Truckee, and Orinda. We ranked all 411 places with more than 5,000 residents.
What makes a town boring?
Older residents, lots of married households, lots of families with kids, and low population density. In other words, quiet — measured with Census American Community Survey data.
What is the most exciting place in California?
Berkeley sits at the other end of the Boring Score, making it the most exciting place in California by our measure. Interpret that however you like.
Is being boring bad?
Not really. The traits that score boring points — settled neighbors, families, quiet streets — are the same things plenty of people move for. Take this as Saturday Night Science, not a verdict.
