10 California Cities Ranked as Desirable Places to Live

If you're considering moving to another city, either for career advancement or lifestyle changes, the most valuable resource you'll need is information. If you're applying for jobs, for example, you'll want to know where the most opportunities exists for professionals in your field.

For those with a background in the computer industry, high-tech research, or software development, a move to the Silicon Valley would greatly improve their prospects for career success. According to Wikipedia, Silicon Valley employs roughly a quarter of a million IT workers and continues to maintain its status as one of the top research and development centers in the world.

Thousands of high-tech companies are based in the Santa Clara Valley and surrounding areas, including corporate giants like Adobe Systems, Apple Inc., Cisco Systems, eBay, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Intuit, National Semiconductor, Netflix, Oracle Corporation, Symantec, Yahoo! and dozens of others. Portions of San Mateo and Alameda Counties are also considered part of the thriving "Silicon Valley" region. The city of San Jose, portions of the East Bay area, and the southern half of the San Francisco peninsula are among the key focal points of the region.

San Francisco, itself, has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the 100 Best (populous) Places to Live in the United States. The City by the Bay was ranked #16 on the list because of its thriving technology job market, overall desirability, quality of life, diversity, and growth. The metro area, as well as nearby cities like Oakland and Brisbane, continues to absorb what one local writer describes as "a constant influx of technology workers."

Other California cities making the Best Places to Live list include San Jose (#3), San Diego (#22), Santa Rosa (#52), Sacramento (#66), Los Angeles(#88), Fresno (#96), Bakersfield (#97), Stockton (#98), and Modesto (#99).

San Jose, which has been nicknamed "The Capital of the Silicon Valley," earned an overall score of 7.4 ranking points out of 10, based on factors like low unemployment (under 4%), average commute time (less than a half an hour), a comfortable climate, and an average salary of $78,620. In addition to measuring the strength of each city's job market, the rankings were also based on factors such as cost of living, crime rates, quality and availability of health care, local high school rankings, consumer surveys, and net migration -- a measurement of whether a metro area is attracting or losing residents.

Whether you're interested in moving to northern or southern California, each community has its own unique characteristics, appealing qualities, and amenities. While using the Internet to research desirable places to live is useful, an experienced California real estate agent can be one of your best sources for relevant information and helpful relocation advice.