California is Golden on Money’s List of Best Places to Live

Since 1848, back when James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill and launched the Gold Rush, people have been settling in California in large numbers.  In 1964, California surpassed New York as the most populous state in the country; 2006 census estimates put the state’s current population at over 36,457,000 residents.  Located on the Pacific coast, California is comprised of 58 counties and contains four cities ranked in the top 15 in the country in population: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose and San Francisco.  The state capital of Sacramento, located in the north-central portion of the state, is the 37th largest city in the U.S. with a population of 456,411.

Find California New Homes in Cities Rated Best Places to Live

If life in the big city is not what you have in mind, consider searching for new homes in some of California’s smaller-sized cities and towns that are better suited for raising a family.  Notably, California is home to more small cities that made Money magazine’s 2007 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live than any other state: Claremont, Clayton, Coronado, El Dorado Hills, Grand Terrace, Granite Bay, La Mirada, La Palma, and Moorpark.

To help new home buyers find the best places to look for new homes for sale, Money honed in on cities and towns with populations between 7,500 and 50,000 people, and screened out retirement communities, towns with no diversity in population (over 95% white), and income levels at less than 90% or more than 180% of the state median.  Next, they eliminated places with low education scores, high crime rates, declines or sharp spikes in population, projected decrease in job opportunities, or lack of access to airports or teaching hospitals. 

Money ranked the cities that remained based on job, income and cost-of-living data; housing affordability; school quality; culture and recreational opportunities; ease of living; health-care access; and racial diversity. 

The majority of the nine top California cities are located in various counties in southern California, with the exceptions of Clayton in Contra Costa County (central California), Granite Bay in Placer County, and El Dorado Hills in El Dorado County (both in northern California).  Comparatively, the California homes had higher median home prices than many other cities that made the list (the median home price statewide is $576,000 for 2007), however, the median household income in many California cities was also comparatively higher than some cities in other states.  Some of the California cities also scored below average on air quality standards due to their valley location and/or proximity to a large city.

California - Distinctly Diverse

California’s most defining characteristics are its diverse geographical features and varied climates.  The state is third largest state in land area behind Alaska and Texas.  Situated in the middle of the state is the Central Valley bordered by the Cascade Mountain range to the north, the Sierra Nevada to the east, the Tehachapi Mountains to the south and the coastal mountain ranges to the west.  

California’s territories encompass the redwood forests of the northwest, the Pacific coastal areas and beaches along its western border, the arid Mojave Desert in the southeast, the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains to the east, and the fertile, agricultural lands of the Central Valley that grow about a third of the food produced nationwide. 

Death Valley, northeast of the Mojave Desert, is the location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 ft. below sea level and the location of the highest ever documented temperature in the world, reaching 134°F on July 10, 1913 at Furnace Creek.  And surprisingly, the highest point in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney (elevation 14,494 ft.) is located just 76 miles west of Death Valley in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.  With the Sierra Nevada dropping to Artic temperatures in the winter months, the range supports the Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier found in the U.S.  

To the north, Lassen Peak has the distinction of being the only volcano in the Cascade Mountain range besides Mount St. Helens to have erupted during the 20th century.  The giant sequoia trees in Sequoia National Park are the largest living organisms on Earth, and the Bristlecone pines in the White Mountains are the oldest known trees in the world - the oldest dating 4,700 years.

Distinctly diverse also applies to California’s population and cultural ethnicity.  More than one-in-four (28%) of California’s current residents—10 million people—were born outside of the United States. This compares to one-in-eight (12%) nationally.  Since the last census, over 1,724,000 people have migrated to California from outside the U.S.  The Hispanic-white population in the state has increased some 37% since 1970.  The Asian population has also grown in the state to an estimated 5-million people, accounting for over 12% of the state’s total population.

Economically, the state is a power house, ranking among the ten largest economies in the world.   In fact, at over $1.72 trillion, California’s 2006 gross domestic product is larger than all but seven countries in the world.  The top-producing industry is agriculture, specifically products including fruits, vegetables, dairy and wine.  The other industries making major contributions to the GDP in order of predominance are: aerospace, entertainment (television and movies), music production, light manufacturing (hardware and software included), and borax mining.  Since the dot.com bust that impacted Silicon Valley, the world center of the computer industry, the economy has been growing at a pace of over 4%.

If you’re considering a relocation, check out Money magazine’s recommendations for the best places to live.  You decide which criteria are most important to you and your family, like  job opportunities, cost-of-living, housing affordability, quality of living, or good schools.  Be sure to take a look at the nine California cities that made the Top 100.  That would be a great place to start your search for dream homes for sale in California.

[tag]California new homes, California homes for sale, California real estate listings, California Top 100 Best Places to Live[/tag]

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