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Home Data | Cost of Living | Health | Population | Other

COMPARE California CITIES


Compare city quality of life facts and figures for some of the best places to retire in California.

Compare home prices, cost of living, air quality, medical care, water quality, demographics and more. Use the drop down box to make another state comparison.

  




California Cities
blank Monterey Napa Palm Springs South Lake Tahoe San Luis Obispo Newport Beach Half Moon Bay Bishop 99-City Avg
City Type
City Type West Coast, College Town, Wine Country Lakes & Rivers, Wine Country Mountains, Golf Lakes & Rivers, Mountains, Casinos West Coast, College Town, Wine Country West Coast West Coast, Mountains, Wine Country Mountains, National Parks na
Population (2016 est.)
Population (Current) 28,454 80,416 47,689 21,717 47,536 86,688 12,697 3,782 78,040
Population (1990) 31,954 61,842 40,181 21,585 41,958 66,643 8,886 3,475 49,272
Land Area (sq mi) 8 18 94 10 13 24 6 2 36
Persons Per Square Mile 3,557 4,468 507 2,172 3,657 3,612 2,116 1,891 2,151
Home Prices
2018 $804,639 $672,888 $449,563 $479,963 $677,902 $2,071,844 $1,260,824 $357,324 $419,000
Total Appreciation ('01 to '18) 71.3% 88.1% 112.3% 74.6% 114.9% 165.6% 89.1% 51.7% 76.0%
Annual Appreciation ('17 to '18) 6.8% -0.8% 4.5% 12.4% 10.5% -0.3% 19.4% 4.5% 6.0%
Avg Annual Appreciation ('01 to '18) 3.4% 4.1% 4.9% 3.6% 4.9% 6.3% 4.1% 2.8% 3.8%
Big City Prices ('18) $1,300,000 $989,000 $629,000 $386,000 $629,000 $830,000 $989,000 $386,000 $340,000
Bargain Index 50% 55% 58% 101% 87% 202% 103% 75% 101%
Big City San Jose San Francisco Bay area Los Angeles Reno Los Angeles Anaheim-Santa Ana San Francisco Bay area Reno na
Monthly Rent $2,074 $2,286 $1,618 $1,580 $2,076 $2,626 $4,070 $1,427 $1,495
Price/Rent Index 26.1 19.8 18.7 20.4 21.9 53.0 20.8 16.8 19.0
Cost of Living (2018)
Cost of Living 163% 154% 117% 119% 150% 303% 253% 103% 109%
Air Quality - Annual Avg (2001-2017)
Good Days 341 284 47 241 192 126 289 225 72%
Moderate Days 23 78 178 87 154 213 73 107 25%
Unhealthy for Sensitive Persons Days 1 2 101 31 19 23 2 16 3%
Unhealthy Days 0 0 35 5 0 2 0 5 0%
Very Unhealthy Days 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 12 0%
Water Quality (2002-2014)
Good 7% 5% 47% 28% 22% 2% 5% 2% 36%
Threatened 0% 14% 20% 3% 0% 11% 9% 7% 2%
Impaired 93% 82% 34% 70% 78% 87% 86% 91% 62%
Walkability
Walk Score® 51 46 35 39 51 46 83 72 45
Nearest Large City
Distance to Nearest City 75 miles 42 miles 54 miles 61 miles 122 miles 12 miles 30 miles 204 miles 72 miles
City San Jose Oakland San Bernardino Reno Bakersfield Irvine San Francisco Reno na
Recreation
National Parks 14 13 2 1 3 6 15 5 7
National Campgrounds 5 13 37 106 15 64 3 96 26
State Parks 30 18 5 18 10 14 63 1 11
Medical Care (2016)
Accredited Hospitals 1 3 2 1 3 10 3 1 4
Building Permits (single family homes)
2016 2 122 137 35 93 108 16 39 346
2015 3 98 121 29 151 99 17 8 324
Gain ('15 to '16) -33% 24% 13% 21% -38% 9% -6% 388% 6%
blank Monterey Napa Palm Springs South Lake Tahoe San Luis Obispo Newport Beach Half Moon Bay Bishop 99-City Avg


blank Monterey Napa Palm Springs South Lake Tahoe San Luis Obispo Newport Beach Half Moon Bay Bishop 99-City Avg
Population Distribution (2010)
Median Age (yrs) 37 37 52 36 27 44 43 39 37
White 78.3% 75.1% 75.7% 73.5% 84.5% 89.0% 75.8% 73.9% 80.7%
Black or African American 2.8% 0.6% 4.4% 0.9% 1.2% 1.2% 0.7% 0.6% 7.2%
Native American Indian and Alaska Native 0.5% 0.8% 1.0% 1.1% 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 2.3% 0.8%
Asian 7.9% 2.3% 4.4% 5.5% 5.2% 2.9% 4.3% 1.6% 3.6%
Native Hawaiian 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% 0.2%
Other Race 5.0% 17.2% 11.1% 15.1% 4.4% 3.0% 15.1% 18.6% 4.4%
Multiple Races 5.1% 3.7% 3.1% 3.7% 4.0% 3.1% 3.4% 2.9% 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7% 37.6% 25.3% 31.1% 14.7% 10.1% 31.5% 30.9% 11.6%
Income and Housing (2010)
Family Income $75,482 $73,392 $51,920 $52,253 $74,080 $153,446 $114,107 $62,813 $69,596
Occupied Housing 90% 93% 65% 59% 93% 88% 94% 91% 83%
Vacant Housing 10% 7% 35% 41% 7% 12% 6% 9% 17%
Home Ownership 36% 57% 59% 39% 39% 55% 71% 39% 55%
Persons Per Family 2.80 3.30 2.80 3.10 2.80 2.80 3.20 3.10 2.90
Taxes (2018)
Local and State 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 8.5% 6.8%
Local, State and Federal 113 days 113 days 113 days 113 days 113 days 113 days 113 days 113 days 113 days
Climate - Average Temperatures (1971-2000)
Climate Type Temperate & Dry Temperate & Dry Warm & Dry Cool & Dry Temperate & Dry Temperate & Dry Temperate & Dry Cool & Dry Temperate & Humid
January Low Temp 43 F 39 F 44 F 15 F 42 F 48 F 43 F 19 F 27 F
July High Temp 68 F 83 F 108 F 79 F 80 F 71 F 65 F 83 F 86 F
Annual Precipitation 20 in 27 in 5 in 20 in 24 in 12 in 28 in 13 in 35 in
Elevation 385 ft 35 ft 425 ft 6,254 ft 315 ft 10 ft 16 ft 6,797 ft 1,652 ft
Natural Hazard Risk
Total Hazard Risk Higher Higher Higher Higher Higher Higher Higher Higher Moderate
Earthquake 70% 90% 100% 70% 40% 80% 80% 90% 10.9%
Tsunami Risk No Risk No Risk No Risk Risk No Risk Risk No Risk No Risk
Hurricane 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10
Flood Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High Very High
Tornado Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Very Low Low
Volcano No Risk Low Ash Fall Low Ash Fall High Ash Fall No Risk Low Ash Fall Low Ash Fall High Volcanic No Risk
Wildfire High High High High High High Low High Low
Man-Made Hazard Risk (Nuclear)
Nearby Reactors 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 2
Crimes per 10,000 Population - Annual Avg (2001-2017)
Violent Crimes 54 36 69 58 36 15 16 68 40
Property Crimes 396 238 599 234 402 277 190 408 397
Home Energy Use - Annual Avg (1971-2000)
Heating Degree Days 3,092 2,689 951 8,300 2,138 1,719 3,754 6,513 4,662
Cooling Degree Days 74 529 4,224 38 476 543 11 281 1,253
blank Monterey Napa Palm Springs South Lake Tahoe San Luis Obispo Newport Beach Half Moon Bay Bishop 99-City Avg


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