California offers a wealth of opportunities for young families, from good jobs with high salaries to a variety of recreation opportunities and great schools. Home values here have remained high, and the unemployment rate continues to drop. So where can young families get the best education for their kids and the most bang for their buck? NerdWallet crunched the numbers to find the best cities for young families in California.
Does the city have good public schools? We measured schools’ academic performance with ratings from GreatSchools. This non-profit compares a given school’s standardized test scores to the state average to obtain a rating on a 1 to 10 scale (10 representing the highest score). Higher ratings led to a higher overall score.
Can you afford to live there? We looked at both median home values in each city and ongoing monthly home costs, including mortgage payments, real estate taxes, insurance costs, utilities and other bills. Lower costs led to a higher overall score.
Is the city growing and prospering? We assessed a city’s economy by looking at average household income and income growth over the past decade. Higher income and greater growth led to a higher overall score.
What makes these cities great? Let us know in the comments below.
Best cities for young families in California
1. Clovis
This city in San Joaquin Valley offers affordable homes, good schools and great quality of life. Clovis bills itself as the “gateway to the Sierras” and offers 285 acres of parks and trails, plus family-friendly activities including Friday night farmers markets in the summer and BIG Hat Days in April, which brings about 140,000 people to downtown for art, food and music. There’s also the annual Clovis Rodeo. Families can take a short trip to the Chafee Zoo in nearby Fresno to visit with elephants and sea lions. The graduation rate for Clovis-area high schools was 92.6% for the class of 2011-2012, according to the California Department of Education Data Reporting Office. That’s much higher than the statewide graduation rate of 78.5%. Salaries here are also on the upswing: The median household income grew by 54.4% between 1999 and 2011, according to data crunched by NerdWallet.
2. Folsom
Strong schools, parks and jobs await young families in Folsom, which is located about 20 miles east of Sacramento. Local graduation rates here are well above the state average: In 2011-2012, Folsom High School and Vista del Lago High School had graduation rates of 98.4% and 99.1%, respectively, according to the California Department of Education Data Reporting Office. Folsom also made our NerdWallet list of top 10 California cities for job seekers as it’s home to the research and development offices for Intel and the corporate offices for Verizon and Jadoo Power. Families can enjoy outdoor fun at Castle Park or go ice skating in the winter at the historic Sutter Street Ice Rink in the Folsom historic district.
3. Yuba City
Families looking for affordable housing and growing incomes will feel right at home in Yuba City. Located about 45 miles due north of Sacramento, median household incomes here grew by 48.6% from 1999 to 2011, according to data crunched by NerdWallet. The median home value was $227,400 in 2011, according to Census data. For family fun in the water, Yuba City offers Gauche Aquatic Park, which has a 25-foot water slide, a kids pool and a lap pool for competitive swimmers. The city is bordered by the Sutter Buttes, which are remnants of volcanic activity from millions of years ago. Families can take educational hikes on the Buttes guided by the Sutter Land Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Sutter Butte region.
4. Murrieta
For Southern California families looking for affordable housing and lots of activities, Murrieta has lot to offer. The city already has family events throughout the year. The graduation rates at Murrieta’s three high schools were 98%, 94.5 % and 96.8% respectively, according to the California Department of Education Data Reporting Office. The median household income, at $80,792, was higher than our previous choices of Clovis and Yuba City. However, because the city sits in the South Coast Air Quality Basin, the air quality is routinely poor. The American Lung Association gave the Murrieta-Riverside-County-area an F for air quality in 2013. Murrieta has a plan to improve air quality by conducting air quality impact studies before doing any new construction, encouraging biking and walking rather than driving and working with state and federal authorities to meet air quality requirements. The city also adopted a climate action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to ensure better air quality for the future.
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5. Irvine
For families who enjoy diversity, Irvine has a place for everyone. The median home value here is $661,700, the highest value of any of our top 10 cities for young families in California. Schools here are excellent: The district received high marks from GreatSchools, and 85.1% of students who graduated in 2009 went to college, according to the California Department of Education Data Reporting Office. Young families can introduce their children to the world’s cultures at Irvine’s numerous ethnic community centers, or spend the day relaxing at nearby Laguna Beach. Irvine is also a 20-minute drive from Disneyland and is home to major employers including the University of California Irvine, Blizzard Entertainment, Verizon Wireless and Kaiser Permanente.
6. Lake Forest
Located about 10 miles south of Irvine, Lake Forest offers a similar lifestyle but at a tad lower cost. The median home value here is lower than Irvine, coming in at $543,600, and the median household income is actually slightly higher than Irvine at $94,632 per year. Lake Forest was also named one of NerdWallet’s top 10 cities for job seekers in California. The district-wide graduation rate was 95.4% for the class of 2012, according to the California Department of Education Data Reporting Office, and the schools scored an 8 out of 10 at GreatSchools. Lake Forest also has a program specifically designed for teens known as LF Teens, where students can get after-school homework help, learn about volunteer opportunities in local government and take day trips throughout the region. Families with young kids can spend the day picnicking at Heritage Hill Historical Park or talking with parrots at Omar’s Exotic Birds.
7. Redlands
Located squarely in the Inland Empire, the large swath of metropolitan communities between Los Angeles and San Diego, Redlands offers affordable housing, growing salaries and good schools. The median home value was $340,600, well below the high prices of Lake Forest and Irvine. Redlands is home to Esri, a large tech company that creates GIS mapping systems and software, and to multiple medical centers, including Redlands Community Hospital. The community also has a rich history with ties to the California citrus industry — many homes of citrus tycoons are on display in Redlands today. The city offers family-friendly activities, including Market Night each Thursday in downtown, the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival and weekly farmers markets each Saturday.
8. Roseville
Located in Northern California, Roseville sits northeast of Sacramento and offers over 4,000 acres of parklands and 31 miles of trails. Families here benefit from high-scoring schools and high-paying employers including Hewlett-Packard and Kaiser Permanente. Roseville recently finished a major renovation on the Vernon Street Town Square, which now hosts free concerts, free outdoor movies every Friday, free kids programs every Wednesday during the summer and a kid-friendly water play area. Families can also learn about eco-friendly living at the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, which educates parents and kids about energy and water conservation.
9. Davis
On the southwestern side of Sacramento sits Davis, which is home to one of the largest campuses in the University of California system, and offers 400 acres of parks and 100 miles of bike paths. Families here can choose from a variety of activities, including seasonal berry picking and Explorit, a hands-on science museum. Downtown Davis offers outdoor concerts, parks, farmer’s markets and boutique shopping. Buying a home here can be challenging for families — the median household income is $61,182 while the average home value is $560,500. But families here get the benefits of strong schools and good proximity to jobs in Sacramento and San Francisco.
10. Walnut Creek
Located to the east of San Francisco, Walnut Creek offers young families high salaries — $84,722 was the median household income in 2011 — and access to all the amenities of nearby San Francisco without the hassles of city life. Young families can enjoy weekly farmers markets or take part in education events at the Lesher Center for the Arts. Schools here are top-notch: The school district scored a 9 out of 10 for its standardized test scores at GreatSchools.
Best cities for young families in California data
| Rank | City | Nearest big city | GreatSchools rating | Median home value | Monthly owner costs | Median household income | Growth from 1999 to 2011 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clovis | Fresno | 8 | $284,500 | $2,001 | $65,300 | 54.4% | 66.76 |
| 2 | Folsom | Sacramento | 9 | $431,900 | $2,608 | $95,143 | 30.0% | 58.47 |
| 3 | Yuba | Sacramento | 6 | $227,400 | $1,733 | $48,830 | 48.6% | 57.45 |
| 4 | Murrieta | San Diego | 8 | $320,600 | $2,537 | $80,792 | 32.6% | 56.55 |
| 5 | Irvine | Los Angeles | 10 | $661,700 | $3,032 | $92,599 | 28.5% | 56.04 |
| 6 | Lake Forest | Los Angeles | 8 | $543,600 | $2,584 | $94,632 | 39.2% | 55.99 |
| 7 | Redlands | Los Angeles | 7 | $340,600 | $2,279 | $68,015 | 41.2% | 55.66 |
| 8 | Roseville | Sacramento | 8 | $356,500 | $2,427 | $75,245 | 31.2% | 55.55 |
| 9 | Davis | Sacramento | 8 | $560,500 | $2,561 | $61,182 | 44.1% | 55.41 |
| 10 | Walnut Creek | San Francisco | 9 | $614,000 | $2,927 | $84,722 | 34.0% | 54.71 |
| 11 | Chula Vista | San Diego | 7 | $401,000 | $2,667 | $65,526 | 46.1% | 54.46 |
| 12 | Alhambra | Los Angeles | 8 | $505,600 | $2,228 | $52,717 | 34.4% | 53.72 |
| 13 | Carlsbad | San Diego | 9 | $633,200 | $2,945 | $85,743 | 31.6% | 53.50 |
| 14 | Fullerton | Los Angeles | 8 | $540,900 | $2,697 | $69,432 | 38.1% | 53.41 |
| 15 | Chico | Sacramento | 6 | $295,700 | $1,758 | $41,632 | 41.8% | 53.18 |
| 16 | Redondo Beach | Los Angeles | 9 | $745,000 | $3,249 | $94,982 | 37.3% | 52.94 |
| 17 | Indio | Riverside | 5 | $248,500 | $2,063 | $52,199 | 50.8% | 52.45 |
| 18 | Redding | Sacramento | 7 | $255,400 | $1,728 | $43,157 | 26.2% | 52.41 |
| 19 | Chino Hills | Los Angeles | 8 | $536,500 | $2,762 | $101,905 | 30.0% | 52.33 |
| 20 | Upland | Los Angeles | 7 | $450,800 | $2,428 | $67,449 | 38.4% | 52.03 |
Methodology
The overall score for each city was derived from the following measures:
GreatSchools.org city ratings are calculated by averaging the weighted overall rating for each school in the city (weighted by the number of students enrolled at the school).
Median home values are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Monthly homeowner costs are from the census bureau.
Median household income data are from the census bureau.
Income changes from 1999 to 2011 are from the census bureau.
Folsom, California, image via iStock.