There’s no doubt about it, West Coast is home to some of the most beautiful weather in the country, and those sunny days and temperate climates often coincide with higher community well-being. The West Coast also offers booming job markets and some of the highest salaries in the country, though they’re often in the most expensive places to live.
Whether you’re looking for a coastal city in California, an outdoors escape in Oregon or Alaska, a booming tech town in Washington or paradise in Hawaii, the West Coast will deliver.
To help you determine the place in this part of the country that’s the best fit for you, we looked at cities within 100 miles of the Pacific Ocean. Ranked based on where they fall on the U.S. News Best Places to Live list, the following cities make up the Best Places to Live on the West Coast.
Read on for the Best Places to Live in the U.S. on the West Coast, counting down to the top spot.
[See: The Fastest-Growing Places in the U.S. in 2024-2025]
18. Stockton, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 144 Population: 377,921 Median Home Price: $372,378 Median Household Income: $75,564
Centrally located in Northern California, Stockton is surrounded by vineyards and farms but also just 90 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. The inland metro area sits an hour and half east of San Francisco, an hour and a half northeast of San Jose and one hour south of Sacramento. With access to these California locales, many Stockton residents are happy where they are — in the annual Best Places to Live rankings, the city received its highest mark for well-being, ranking 53rd, based on the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index. But Stockton residents take on the sixth-longest commute among 150 top cities, averaging 39 minutes.
17. Vallejo, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 143 Population: 129,415 Median Home Price: $500,381 Median Household Income: $92,596
North of San Francisco, off San Pablo Bay, Vallejo is a 20-minute drive to Napa Valley or a one-hour bay journey to San Francisco via the ferry system. The city ranks second to last in the nation for its average commute of 46 minutes and second to last for quality of life due to lower rates of college readiness and higher rates of crime than the national average. But Vallejo receives high marks for overall desirability as it ranks third for good weather, making it the 36th most desirable city. It’s also ranked 21st for resident satisfaction, based on the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index.
16. Modesto, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 139 Population: 232,892 Median Home Price: $380,010 Median Household Income: $77,310
Approximately 75 miles east of San Francisco sits Modesto, which offers a culturally rich city center and quiet residential streets with an agricultural landscape. Modesto receives its highest mark for its weather, ranking the city 55th with 260 sunny days per year. But residents have the 12th worst commute in the nation, at 35 minutes, and 15th worst air quality, based on the monthly average air quality index from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
15. Salinas, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 133 Population: 164,996 Median Home Price: $529,926 Median Household Income: $87,298
Amongst farmland but within reach of desirable coastal areas including Monterey, Salinas offers residents a mild climate and sunny skies that make for the seventh best weather of 150 top cities. The community is fiercely proud of the lack of chain stores downtown, instead opting for farmers markets and locally owned mom-and-pop shops. While it ranks low for value, coming in at 138th out of 150 cities, there are upsides to living in the Salinas area, including thatit ranks 26th for air quality, based on the monthly average air quality index from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
14. Los Angeles
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 130 Population: 3,932,433 Median Home Price: $869,305 Median Household Income: $84,891
Los Angeles remains one of America’s most desirable cities, even as other factors lower LA’s rank to 130th on the Best Places to Live list. Home to nearly 4 million people, LA ranks No. 3 for overall desirability, boasting the second best weather among 150 major U.S. cities, with an average of 287 sunny days per year. The City of Lights ranks second for access to quality health care, after New York City — but also has the second worst air quality. Notoriously expensive, LA residents spend nearly 38% of their median household income on living expenses, the second most expensive city on the Best Places to Live list, behind Hartford, Connecticut.
[SEE: The 25 Best Places to Live on the East Coast in 2024-2025]
13. Santa Rosa, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 127 Population: 203,375 Median Home Price: $661,707 Median Household Income: $100,511
Approximately 55 miles north of San Francisco, Santa Rosa has a warm climate, rolling golden hills and desirable real estate. Santa Rosa received its highest mark for its air quality, placing seventh, according to the monthly average air quality index from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While Santa Rosa residents earn a higher salary than much of the country, the city ranks near the bottom in value as residents spend more than 31% of their income on living expenses. The city has a median home price of $661,707 — more than $370,000 above the national average of $281,900.
12. Bakersfield, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 121 Population: 518,400 Median Home Price: $297,093 Median Household Income: $80,658
Located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Bakersfield feels like Texas, with oil rigs dotting the horizon and a history of honky-tonks and country music. But the metro area’s location in the fertile San Joaquin Valley has instilled in residents a love of fresh, locally sourced foods, which is at the heart of California culture. Bakersfield is the fastest-growing city on the West Coast, having grown its population by 2.59% between 2021 and 2022. The city has the fourth worst air quality of 150 top U.S. cities, according to its monthly average air quality index from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
11. Sacramento, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 116 Population: 573,322 Median Home Price: $454,072 Median Household Income: $81,757
Sitting in the heart of the Central Valley, California’s capital city is about an hour’s drive northeast of San Pablo Bay and San Francisco and two hours west of Lake Tahoe, giving residents access to many of California’s most exciting and beautiful natural destinations. Sacramento receives its highest marks for its health care options and residents’ satisfaction, according to the Sharecare Well-Being Index. But Sacramento ranks 134th in value as residents spend 29.80% of their median household income on living expenses.
10. Eugene, Oregon
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 115 Population: 189,169 Median Home Price: $415,009 Median Household Income: $71,329
Two hours south of Portland, Eugene is situated between the ocean, 60 miles to the west, and the Cascade Mountains, 100 miles to the east. Eugene, which receives its highest mark for the seventh-shortest commute of 23 minutes, provides a small-town pace with biking and hiking trails downtown. But the real estate market is tight for buyers, as Eugene’s housing affordability ranks 20th worst in the nation. Residents also have a high cost of living, spending 30.50% of their income on household expenses. The University of Oregon is nestled in the lush Willamette Valley, and its 20,000-plus students have a vast array of events to choose from at UO and the surrounding community, from the Oregon Bach Festival to the Cinema Pacific Film Festival.
9. Salem, Oregon
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 108 Population: 197,218 Median Home Price: $343,803 Median Household Income: $77,931
Oregon’s capital provides a peaceful setting and more relaxed atmosphere than you’d find in a larger city like Portland, located less than 50 miles north. Salem receives its highest score for air quality, and it’s notably home to the second-most affordable housing on the West Coast, behind Anchorage, Alaska. But Salem ranks low for price parity, with the cost of common goods and services much higher than other parts of the country. Still, residents spend far less on essentials, with 25.87% of their income going toward housing costs.
8. Santa Barbara, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 71 Population: 98,267 Median Home Price: $1,327,170 Median Household Income: $118,858
About two hours north of Los Angeles by car, Santa Barbara is a coastal city with a lot of appealing characteristics, for those who can afford it. Santa Barbara ranks No. 1 for weather on the Best Places to Live list, with an average of 283 sunny days. Residents have access to the sixth best job market and salary, with the shortest commute of 150 most populous cities, at 22 minutes. Santa Barbara also has the 17th lowest crime rate on the Best Places list — and lowest on the West Coast, as determined by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. But Santa Barbara ranks fifth worst for value. Residents spend 31.75% of the area’s median household income on housing costs, making it the sixth most expensive place to live.
7. San Jose, California
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 70 Population: 1,036,332 Median Home Price: $1,112,817 Median Household Income: $142,931
Less than an hour from Santa Cruz beaches, San Jose ranks No. 2 in the country for residents’ happiness, according to the Sharecare Community Wellness Index, and No. 6 for weather. The capital of Silicon Valley also has the seventh best job market among the top 150 cities, with proximity to Google in Mountain View and Apple in Cupertino. But, like many California cities, San Jose is expensive, with a higher cost for goods and services compared with the rest of the country and the third-highest median home price of 150 top citieshoughIn recent years, San Jose has seen its population decline, placing the city at No. 144 for net migration.
6. Anchorage, Alaska
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 69 Population: 294,897 Median Home Price: $366,218 Median Household Income: $105,374
Minutes away from unspoiled wilderness sits Anchorage, a midsize city for outdoor adventurers that is also culturally rich with galleries and fine dining. In Anchorage, residents enjoy the No. 1 air quality on the overall Best Places to Live list, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality index. Anchorage also provides the best value and most affordable housing on the West Coast. Goods and services are expensive in the northernmost West Coast city on the list, however.
5. San Diego
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 46 Population: 1,404,745 Median Home Price: $807,264 Median Household Income: $109,765
In the No. 46 spot on the overall Best Places to Live list, San Diego ranks fifth for desirability and 11th for quality of life out of the 150 top cities. Residents are satisfied, healthy and educated, based on the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index and placing 10th and 23rd for access to health care and average college readiness score of its public schools. The city is a popular tourist destination for its many beaches, the San Diego Zoo and year-round beautiful weather, with an average of just 41 rainy days per year.
4. Portland, Oregon
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 41 Population: 801,253 Median Home Price: $557,348 Median Household Income: $99,991
Portland, Oregon’s most populous city, is well known for its emphasis on self-expression and embracing your inner “weird.” The City of Roses’ reputation precedes it, as the Oregon metro area ranks No. 9 for desirability, and the city has the 13th highest air quality. With high residential satisfaction according to the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index, and a solid job market, there are a lot of appealing aspects to living in Portland, if you can afford it. It turns out many residents can — the median household income comes in just under $100,000, well above the national average of $75,149.
3. Honolulu
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 32 Population: 408,930 Median Home Price: $869,639 Median Household Income: $103,096
Living in a tropical paradise really is pretty blissful. Honolulu ranks No. 4 for quality of life and No. 3 for air quality. With weather typically moving quickly over the Hawaiian Islands, Honolulu residents see just 92 rainy days a year. The capital of Hawaii, which encompasses the southeastern half of the island of Oahu, is regularly identified as one of the country’s happiest places with its laid-back island vibe, diverse blend of cultures and palm-lined business district just a short walk from the sea. Although Honolulu has the 23rd best job market in the country and 20th highest salary, the city ranks second to last for value. Living in paradise comes with a hefty price tag: Honolulu’s median home price is three times the national median home price of $281,900, and the city has the 12th highest cost of living.
2. Seattle
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 28 Population: 773,497 Median Home Price: $868,876 Median Household Income: $124,473
Located on Puget Sound, Seattle ranks No. 2 in the country for its job market and 17th for desirability out of the 150 cities on the Best Places to Live list. The city is a destination in itself, ranking 11th for number of establishments per 100,000 people, but it’s also within reach of outdoor escapes like Olympic National Park and Mount Rainier National Park. One of its downsides is the cost, as it’s home to the fourth most expensive goods and services, although its median household income of $124,473 is well above the national average of $75,149. And yes, it really does rain a lot: Seattle has a nearly even amount of rainy and sunny days per year, but its natural beauty draws outdoor enthusiasts just the same.
1. San Francisco
Best Places 2024-2025 Rank: 22 Population: 876,910 Median Home Price: $1,381,264 Median Household Income: $145,255
The top-ranking West Coast city on the Best Places to Live list, San Francisco offers the strongest job market and highest household income in addition to many other desirable attributes. While the rumors of fog are true, for the most part, the weather is consistently pleasant, allowing San Franciscans to spend time outdoors throughout the year and placing the city at No. 4 for its weather. Residents are happy where they are, ranking San Francisco No. 1 for well-being among 150 major cities, according to the Sharecare Community Well-Being Index. But it’s not all positives: San Francisco is incredibly expensive, with the most expensive goods in the country. It also has the sixth worst commute and crime much higher than the national average. The area’s high incomes offset the high cost of living, though new residents may get sticker shock looking for homes, as the median home price tops $1.3 million.
More from U.S. News
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The Best Places to Live on the West Coast in 2024-2025 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/27/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
