Study ranks Bakersfield 15th statewide in 'most livable' metro areas
Study ranks Bakersfield 15th statewide in ‘most livable’ metro areas
A new study shows that California metropolitan areas “consistently lead in lifestyle satisfaction” when compared to others across the country, making them more “livable” then some may think.
The research was conducted by RentCafe, which ranked 149 U.S. metro areas across 17 metrics, ranging from income growth rate and commute time to amenity access.
Their findings? Lifestyle satisfaction, among other factors, played a large role in boosting the rankings of cities across the Golden State.
“Half of the 16 California metros analyzed earned high marks for quality of life,” RentCafe researchers said, noting that San Francisco finished third in the entire nation in that category. That earned it the title of “most livable metro” in California and the 33rd-most in America.
Other California cities that finished high on RentCafe’s nationwide quality of life list are San Diego, Sacramento, Santa Rosa and Vallejo, which ranked 12th, 13th, 16th and 20th, respectively.
When looking into why those areas have such a high quality of life, RentCafe found it wasn’t just one reason.
“Health is a major focus in these areas, which are home to California’s most active residents. Accessibility is a key driver of this trent; in San Francisco, San Diego and Vallejo, more than 97 percent of residents live within easy reach of parks, gyms and recreational facilities,” researchers said. “The food quality index – which evaluates the factors that contributed to a healthy food environment – gave these metro areas the highest scores.”
According to RentCafe’s study, residents in these areas also report the fewest monthly sick days.
The San Francisco skyline is visible on April 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Another factor in determing California’s “most livable” metros is socioeconomics.
RentCafe researchers said that the cost of living alone “doesn’t fully capture” the strength of a local economy; for example, California’s most affordable metro areas (which, according to the study, are Fresno and Bakersfield) still have a cost of living that is at least eight percent higher than the national average, and both ranked lower on the “livability” list than far more expensive cities.
“Beyond the cost of living, the socioeconomics category accounts for critical job market indicators,” researchers said. “Still, high unemployment held some regions back.”
A third important factor for Californians, especially, is commute time. RentCafe posits that “while it’s generally true that larger metropolitan areas correlate with longer commutes, there are several notable exceptions to the rule.”
“In California’s largest metros – Los Angeles, San Francisco and Riverside – between 46.8 percent and 48.9 percent of residents commute 30 minutes or more,” researchers stated. “However, despite having a much smaller population, more than half of San Jose’s residents face long commutes. Interestingly, fewer residents in San Diego and Sacramento – California’s fourth- and fifth-largest metros – face long commutes.”
“By comparison, much smaller metros such as Stockton and Vallejo see a higher share of residents spending a significant time in traffic,” researchers continued. “Fresno stands out as an exception to the big city traffic trend; despite its population of over one million, only 26 percent of residents face commutes of 30 minutes or more.”
A table of RentCafe’s “most livable” metros in California can be viewed below:
As for America’s “most livable” metro area? According to RentCafe, that would be our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., since it finished first in their quality of life location and community rankings.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
