Santa Rosa was listed among the best places to live in the United States, according to a report out this week by U.S. News & World Report.
Sonoma County’s largest city was on the lower half of U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024-2025,” and was ranked number 127 out of 150 cities, dropping two spots from last year’s list.
To assemble its list, U.S. News & World Report said it selected 150 major cities and analyzed data about each locale related to its quality of life, job market and value.
The list’s quality of life index includes data regarding crime rates, commuter time averages, availability of health care and quality of education. Housing costs and rental costs were analyzed for the list’s value index, while unemployment rates and average salaries were analyzed for the job market index. The data came from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. News’ own internal resources according to the report.
Santa Rosa scored highest in its job market index, scoring at 6.7 our of 10. The city’s quality of life index was scored 6.5 out of 10, and its value score was 4.5 of 10. Overall, Santa Rosa scored a 5.7 rating.
“Santa Rosa, the hub of economic activity in northern California’s wine country, welcomes artists of all ages, as well as young people, retirees, professionals and those especially interested in wine and high-tech manufacturing,” U.S. News & World Report contributor Jessica Zimmer wrote.
The city’s favorable weather, access to outdoor activities, public art and museums and live theater and live music options were also contributing factors to its ranking, the report said.
However, Santa Rosa offers a lower value than similarly sized metro areas in terms of housing costs compared to median household income, the list said.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Naples, Florida, is the best place to live in the country, followed by Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Greenville, South Carolina; and Charlotte, North Carolina.
San Francisco was the top California city on the list at No. 22, up more than 20 spots from last year’s list.
Other California cities that ranked high on the list include San Diego (No. 46), San Jose (No. 70), and Santa Barbara (No. 71).
California cities that ranked on the lower half of the list include Visalia (No. 110), Sacramento (No. 116), Bakersfield (No. 121), Los Angeles (No. 130), Fresno (No. 131), Salinas (No. 133), Modesto (No. 139), Vallejo (No. 143), and Stockton (No. 144).
For more information, go to realestate.usnews.com.
