Niche ranks California’s best counties. Where does yours land?

Choosing where to settle down is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

In California — a state with 58 counties — there’s no shortage of options. To help narrow the field, Niche, a website that evaluates schools and communities, recently released rankings of the state’s counties based on overall livability.

Here’s what to know about Niche's findings for California.

Niche’s methodology  

To determine each county’s grade and ranking, Niche evaluated 13 factors using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CDC, and other sources.

The thirteen factors —  which were given different weights ranging from 5% to 15% — Niche considered when calculating counties' overall grades were:  

• Higher education rate 
• Cost of living grade 
• Housing Grade 
• Diversity Grade  
• Public Schools Grade 
• Composite Overall Score 
• Family Grade 
• Health & Fitness Grade 
• Jobs Grade 
• Nightlife Grade 
• Outdoor Activities Grade 
• Shortest Commute Grade 
• Weather Grade 

Based on these combined factors, Niche assigned each county an overall grade ranging from “A+” to “D-.”

Top-rated California counties 

The four highest-rated counties, each earning an “A+,” are all in Northern California. With the exception of Marin County (#4), the other three top-ranked counties — Alameda (#1), Santa Clara (#2), and San Mateo (#3) — are located in Silicon Valley.

Alameda County, the highest-ranked county in the Golden State per Niche's report, earned high marks across most categories but scored lower in cost of living and housing, patterns which were also seen among the next three top-ranked counties.

Orange (#5), Contra Costa (#6), and Santa Cruz (#7) counties each earned an “A” in Niche’s report, with strong overall performance but lower marks in cost of living, housing, and job opportunities.

The lowest-rated California counties 

The six counties at the bottom of Niche’s list — Kings, Merced, Imperial, Lake, Alpine, and Sierra —received grades ranging from “D+” to “D.” They tend to be less affluent and more rural, with fewer economic opportunities compared to higher-ranking counties.

Kings County, the lowest-ranked on Niche’s list, scored poorly in jobs and housing and received average marks for cost of living, public schools, and family-friendliness. However, the Central Valley county performed well in diversity and weather.

The other lower-ranked counties showed similar patterns, with weak scores in housing, cost of living, and job opportunities.

Full California county rankings

Here is a full list of Niche’s rankings and grades for 57 California counties.

• Alameda County (#1): A+ 
• Santa Clara County (#2): A+ 
• San Mateo County (#3): A+ 
• Marin County (#4): A+ 
• Orange County (#5): A 
• Contra Costa County (#6): A  
• Santa Cruz County (#7): A 
• San Diego County (#8): A- 
• Yolo County (#9): A- 
• San Louis Obispo (#10): A- 
• Placer County (#11): A-  
• Santa Barbara County (#12): A- 
• Sacramento County (#13): B+ 
• Napa County (#14): B+ 
• Sonoma County (#15): B+ 
• El Dorado County (#16): B+ 
• Ventura County (#17): B 
• Los Angeles County (#18): B 
• Inyo County (#19): B 
• Mono County (#20): B- 
• Solano County (#21): B- 
• Nevada County (#22): B- 
• Butte County (#23): B- 
• Sutter County (#24): C+ 
• Shasta County (#25): C+ 
• Monterey County (#26): C+ 
• Humboldt County (#27): C+ 
• San Joaquin County (#28): C+ 
• Fresno County (#29): C+ 
• Modoc County (#30): C+ 
• Riverside County (#31): C 
• Amador County (#32): C 
• Yuba County (#33): C 
• Tehama County (#34): C 
• Siskiyou County (#35): C 
• Stanislaus County (#36): C 
• San Benito County (#37): C 
• Del Norte County (#38): C 
• Mendicino County (#39): C 
• Lassen County (#40): C- 
• Tuolumne County (#41): C- 
• Mariposa County (#42): C- 
• Trinity County (#43): C- 
• Tulare County (#44): C-  
• Colusa County (#45): C-  
• Kern County (#46): C- 
• Madera County (#47): C-  
• Plumas County (#48): C-  
• Glenn County (#49): C- 
• San Bernardino County (#50): C- 
• Calaveras County (#51): C- 
• Kings County (#52): D+ 
• Merced County (#53): D+ 
• Imperial County (#54): D+ 
• Lake County (#55): D 
• Alpine County (#56): D 
• Sierra County (#57): D 

In an emailed statement, a Niche spokesperson clarified that San Francisco County was not included in its "county rankings because it is classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a consolidated city-county, meaning the city and county are effectively the same geographic entity. To avoid duplicate listings, the spokesperson said the company instead categorized San Francisco as a city rather than a separate county. Niche's findings for San Francisco are available here.