West ranking
208 California cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 92
Index 156
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Centro | 92 | $938/mo | $54,922 | 44K | Compare → |
| 2 | Merced | 98 | $1,197/mo | $59,233 | 88K | Compare → |
| 3 | Los Banos | 98 | $1,433/mo | $76,164 | 46K | Compare → |
| 4 | Tulare | 100 | $1,260/mo | $65,933 | 69K | Compare → |
| 5 | Porterville | 100 | $1,086/mo | $55,785 | 62K | Compare → |
| 6 | Visalia | 100 | $1,289/mo | $75,658 | 141K | Compare → |
| 7 | Delano | 102 | $1,075/mo | $53,639 | 50K | Compare → |
| 8 | Redding | 102 | $1,278/mo | $67,323 | 93K | Compare → |
| 9 | Bakersfield | 102 | $1,283/mo | $73,827 | 404K | Compare → |
| 10 | Hanford | 103 | $1,194/mo | $73,819 | 58K | Compare → |
| 11 | Chico | 103 | $1,360/mo | $65,932 | 103K | Compare → |
| 12 | Madera | 104 | $1,188/mo | $61,626 | 67K | Compare → |
| 13 | Fresno | 104 | $1,227/mo | $63,001 | 542K | Compare → |
| 14 | Clovis | 105 | $1,482/mo | $98,554 | 121K | Compare → |
| 15 | Turlock | 109 | $1,389/mo | $74,559 | 73K | Compare → |
| 16 | Modesto | 109 | $1,497/mo | $73,375 | 218K | Compare → |
| 17 | Yuba City | 110 | $1,336/mo | $70,412 | 70K | Compare → |
| 18 | Ceres | 110 | $1,570/mo | $70,191 | 49K | Compare → |
| 19 | Stockton | 112 | $1,417/mo | $71,612 | 320K | Compare → |
| 20 | Lodi | 113 | $1,473/mo | $78,468 | 67K | Compare → |
| 21 | Manteca | 114 | $1,803/mo | $89,966 | 84K | Compare → |
| 22 | Tracy | 115 | $2,162/mo | $111,717 | 94K | Compare → |
| 23 | San Bernardino | 116 | $1,319/mo | $61,323 | 221K | Compare → |
| 24 | Apple Valley | 116 | $1,297/mo | $62,898 | 76K | Compare → |
| 25 | Indio | 116 | $1,344/mo | $68,436 | 90K | Compare → |
| 26 | Highland | 116 | $1,343/mo | $72,222 | 57K | Compare → |
| 27 | Hemet | 117 | $1,357/mo | $49,901 | 90K | Compare → |
| 28 | Palm Springs | 117 | $1,397/mo | $67,451 | 45K | Compare → |
| 29 | Hesperia | 117 | $1,436/mo | $67,698 | 100K | Compare → |
| 30 | Beaumont | 117 | $1,437/mo | $102,469 | 54K | Compare → |
| 31 | Cathedral City | 117 | $1,445/mo | $63,209 | 52K | Compare → |
| 32 | Victorville | 117 | $1,461/mo | $65,746 | 134K | Compare → |
| 33 | Colton | 117 | $1,462/mo | $66,725 | 54K | Compare → |
| 34 | Yucaipa | 117 | $1,465/mo | $85,075 | 54K | Compare → |
| 35 | San Jacinto | 117 | $1,495/mo | $73,682 | 54K | Compare → |
| 36 | Riverside | 117 | $1,711/mo | $83,448 | 316K | Compare → |
| 37 | Rialto | 117 | $1,553/mo | $80,750 | 104K | Compare → |
| 38 | Perris | 117 | $1,563/mo | $78,352 | 79K | Compare → |
| 39 | Palm Desert | 117 | $1,564/mo | $75,691 | 51K | Compare → |
| 40 | Fontana | 117 | $1,616/mo | $93,230 | 209K | Compare → |
| 41 | Jurupa Valley | 117 | $1,618/mo | $91,562 | 106K | Compare → |
| 42 | Ontario | 117 | $1,826/mo | $78,070 | 176K | Compare → |
| 43 | Arden-Arcade | 117 | $1,385/mo | $64,479 | 96K | Compare → |
| 44 | West Sacramento | 117 | $1,384/mo | $87,044 | 54K | Compare → |
| 45 | Florin | 117 | $1,401/mo | $62,677 | 50K | Compare → |
| 46 | North Highlands | 118 | $1,431/mo | $62,156 | 48K | Compare → |
| 47 | Woodland | 118 | $1,436/mo | $84,494 | 61K | Compare → |
| 48 | Redlands | 118 | $1,755/mo | $94,473 | 73K | Compare → |
| 49 | Carmichael | 118 | $1,480/mo | $80,138 | 78K | Compare → |
| 50 | Lake Elsinore | 118 | $1,802/mo | $89,788 | 70K | Compare → |
| 51 | Upland | 118 | $1,841/mo | $93,994 | 79K | Compare → |
| 52 | Moreno Valley | 118 | $1,858/mo | $82,637 | 210K | Compare → |
| 53 | Sacramento | 118 | $1,592/mo | $78,954 | 524K | Compare → |
| 54 | Rancho Cordova | 118 | $1,599/mo | $85,099 | 79K | Compare → |
| 55 | Citrus Heights | 118 | $1,657/mo | $75,022 | 87K | Compare → |
| 56 | Menifee | 118 | $1,946/mo | $87,871 | 104K | Compare → |
| 57 | Chino | 118 | $2,001/mo | $99,385 | 91K | Compare → |
| 58 | Murrieta | 119 | $2,150/mo | $106,925 | 112K | Compare → |
| 59 | Rancho Cucamonga | 119 | $2,184/mo | $105,534 | 175K | Compare → |
| 60 | Davis | 119 | $1,927/mo | $83,592 | 67K | Compare → |
| 61 | Antelope | 119 | $1,937/mo | $92,117 | 48K | Compare → |
| 62 | Roseville | 119 | $1,940/mo | $112,265 | 149K | Compare → |
| 63 | Lincoln | 119 | $2,067/mo | $99,434 | 50K | Compare → |
| 64 | Elk Grove | 120 | $2,076/mo | $115,864 | 176K | Compare → |
| 65 | Rocklin | 120 | $2,109/mo | $116,006 | 72K | Compare → |
| 66 | Folsom | 120 | $2,164/mo | $134,935 | 81K | Compare → |
| 67 | El Dorado Hills | 120 | $2,366/mo | $156,126 | 49K | Compare → |
| 68 | Eastvale | 121 | $2,965/mo | $151,615 | 70K | Compare → |
| 69 | Corona | 123 | $2,020/mo | $103,727 | 158K | Compare → |
| 70 | Santa Rosa | 123 | $2,024/mo | $92,604 | 178K | Compare → |
| 71 | Rohnert Park | 124 | $2,131/mo | $93,322 | 44K | Compare → |
| 72 | Vallejo | 124 | $1,894/mo | $86,112 | 125K | Compare → |
| 73 | San Luis Obispo | 124 | $1,850/mo | $65,000 | 48K | Compare → |
| 74 | Temecula | 124 | $2,222/mo | $111,881 | 110K | Compare → |
| 75 | Petaluma | 124 | $2,361/mo | $108,527 | 60K | Compare → |
| 76 | Chino Hills | 124 | $2,575/mo | $117,548 | 78K | Compare → |
| 77 | Salinas | 125 | $1,795/mo | $84,250 | 163K | Compare → |
| 78 | Lompoc | 125 | $1,395/mo | $66,947 | 44K | Compare → |
| 79 | Santa Maria | 127 | $1,768/mo | $81,237 | 110K | Compare → |
| 80 | Santa Barbara | 128 | $2,209/mo | $98,346 | 89K | Compare → |
| 81 | Fairfield | 129 | $2,047/mo | $98,857 | 119K | Compare → |
| 82 | Vacaville | 130 | $2,141/mo | $106,764 | 102K | Compare → |
| 83 | Pomona | 131 | $1,631/mo | $73,515 | 150K | Compare → |
| 84 | Watsonville | 132 | $1,733/mo | $72,295 | 52K | Compare → |
| 85 | Covina | 132 | $1,777/mo | $89,650 | 51K | Compare → |
| 86 | Azusa | 132 | $1,783/mo | $81,516 | 50K | Compare → |
| 87 | Glendora | 133 | $2,083/mo | $106,718 | 52K | Compare → |
| 88 | Santa Cruz | 133 | $2,232/mo | $105,491 | 61K | Compare → |
| 89 | Huntington Park | 135 | $1,352/mo | $54,073 | 55K | Compare → |
| 90 | Oxnard | 135 | $1,907/mo | $90,409 | 202K | Compare → |
| 91 | East Los Angeles | 135 | $1,369/mo | $64,119 | 117K | Compare → |
| 92 | Florence-Graham | 135 | $1,393/mo | $58,200 | 63K | Compare → |
| 93 | San Buenaventura (Ventura) | 135 | $1,942/mo | $96,036 | 110K | Compare → |
| 94 | South Gate | 135 | $1,400/mo | $67,188 | 92K | Compare → |
| 95 | Compton | 135 | $1,464/mo | $69,728 | 95K | Compare → |
| 96 | Lynwood | 135 | $1,488/mo | $67,350 | 66K | Compare → |
| 97 | Long Beach | 135 | $1,698/mo | $78,995 | 462K | Compare → |
| 98 | Lancaster | 136 | $1,576/mo | $71,367 | 171K | Compare → |
| 99 | El Monte | 136 | $1,605/mo | $59,929 | 109K | Compare → |
| 100 | Palmdale | 136 | $1,625/mo | $78,414 | 167K | Compare → |
| 101 | Gardena | 136 | $1,638/mo | $75,443 | 60K | Compare → |
| 102 | Hawthorne | 136 | $1,641/mo | $72,298 | 87K | Compare → |
| 103 | Los Angeles | 136 | $1,791/mo | $76,244 | 3.9M | Compare → |
| 104 | Rosemead | 136 | $1,660/mo | $70,073 | 51K | Compare → |
| 105 | Inglewood | 136 | $1,666/mo | $67,563 | 107K | Compare → |
| 106 | Bellflower | 136 | $1,686/mo | $75,379 | 78K | Compare → |
| 107 | Paramount | 136 | $1,699/mo | $67,197 | 53K | Compare → |
| 108 | Montebello | 136 | $1,701/mo | $72,317 | 62K | Compare → |
| 109 | Pico Rivera | 136 | $1,702/mo | $82,539 | 62K | Compare → |
| 110 | Whittier | 136 | $1,725/mo | $89,686 | 86K | Compare → |
| 111 | Baldwin Park | 136 | $1,757/mo | $76,002 | 72K | Compare → |
| 112 | South Whittier | 136 | $1,758/mo | $94,149 | 57K | Compare → |
| 113 | Alhambra | 136 | $1,788/mo | $80,234 | 82K | Compare → |
| 114 | Monterey Park | 136 | $1,791/mo | $76,892 | 60K | Compare → |
| 115 | Anaheim | 136 | $1,958/mo | $88,538 | 347K | Compare → |
| 116 | Downey | 136 | $1,814/mo | $84,236 | 113K | Compare → |
| 117 | Carson | 136 | $1,815/mo | $103,045 | 94K | Compare → |
| 118 | Norwalk | 136 | $1,860/mo | $91,259 | 102K | Compare → |
| 119 | Simi Valley | 136 | $2,402/mo | $112,144 | 126K | Compare → |
| 120 | Rowland Heights | 136 | $1,868/mo | $85,842 | 47K | Compare → |
| 121 | La Habra | 136 | $1,876/mo | $93,801 | 63K | Compare → |
| 122 | Santa Ana | 136 | $1,885/mo | $84,210 | 311K | Compare → |
| 123 | Garden Grove | 136 | $1,887/mo | $86,139 | 172K | Compare → |
| 124 | La Mirada | 137 | $1,927/mo | $104,130 | 48K | Compare → |
| 125 | Thousand Oaks | 137 | $2,483/mo | $125,399 | 127K | Compare → |
| 126 | Camarillo | 137 | $2,483/mo | $105,141 | 71K | Compare → |
| 127 | Westminster | 137 | $1,977/mo | $80,271 | 91K | Compare → |
| 128 | Fullerton | 137 | $1,989/mo | $99,279 | 142K | Compare → |
| 129 | Arcadia | 137 | $1,997/mo | $108,214 | 56K | Compare → |
| 130 | Glendale | 137 | $2,002/mo | $81,219 | 195K | Compare → |
| 131 | Burbank | 137 | $2,004/mo | $91,455 | 106K | Compare → |
| 132 | Buena Park | 137 | $2,012/mo | $101,586 | 84K | Compare → |
| 133 | West Covina | 137 | $2,054/mo | $96,219 | 108K | Compare → |
| 134 | Hacienda Heights | 137 | $2,084/mo | $101,420 | 55K | Compare → |
| 135 | Pasadena | 137 | $2,100/mo | $97,818 | 138K | Compare → |
| 136 | Torrance | 137 | $2,132/mo | $109,554 | 145K | Compare → |
| 137 | Orange | 137 | $2,148/mo | $109,335 | 139K | Compare → |
| 138 | Placentia | 137 | $2,166/mo | $106,155 | 52K | Compare → |
| 139 | Santa Clarita | 137 | $2,315/mo | $116,186 | 226K | Compare → |
| 140 | Tustin | 137 | $2,205/mo | $102,065 | 80K | Compare → |
| 141 | Brea | 137 | $2,218/mo | $120,226 | 47K | Compare → |
| 142 | Santa Monica | 137 | $2,227/mo | $106,797 | 92K | Compare → |
| 143 | Lakewood | 137 | $2,233/mo | $113,030 | 81K | Compare → |
| 144 | Costa Mesa | 138 | $2,268/mo | $104,981 | 111K | Compare → |
| 145 | Cypress | 138 | $2,309/mo | $117,461 | 50K | Compare → |
| 146 | Huntington Beach | 138 | $2,318/mo | $114,747 | 197K | Compare → |
| 147 | Diamond Bar | 138 | $2,332/mo | $106,881 | 55K | Compare → |
| 148 | Fountain Valley | 138 | $2,412/mo | $108,860 | 57K | Compare → |
| 149 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 138 | $2,441/mo | $150,146 | 48K | Compare → |
| 150 | Redondo Beach | 138 | $2,464/mo | $134,033 | 71K | Compare → |
| 151 | Lake Forest | 138 | $2,482/mo | $128,358 | 86K | Compare → |
| 152 | Yorba Linda | 138 | $2,523/mo | $148,325 | 68K | Compare → |
| 153 | San Clemente | 138 | $2,289/mo | $134,730 | 64K | Compare → |
| 154 | Mission Viejo | 139 | $2,622/mo | $136,570 | 93K | Compare → |
| 155 | Aliso Viejo | 139 | $2,625/mo | $131,708 | 52K | Compare → |
| 156 | National City | 139 | $1,504/mo | $59,850 | 56K | Compare → |
| 157 | Laguna Niguel | 139 | $2,736/mo | $135,822 | 64K | Compare → |
| 158 | Cerritos | 139 | $2,743/mo | $124,460 | 49K | Compare → |
| 159 | Irvine | 139 | $2,749/mo | $122,948 | 305K | Compare → |
| 160 | El Cajon | 139 | $1,686/mo | $64,128 | 106K | Compare → |
| 161 | Newport Beach | 140 | $2,920/mo | $149,471 | 85K | Compare → |
| 162 | La Mesa | 140 | $1,819/mo | $83,649 | 61K | Compare → |
| 163 | Escondido | 140 | $1,833/mo | $77,554 | 151K | Compare → |
| 164 | Santee | 140 | $1,982/mo | $101,777 | 59K | Compare → |
| 165 | Vista | 140 | $2,002/mo | $88,715 | 98K | Compare → |
| 166 | Chula Vista | 140 | $2,035/mo | $101,984 | 276K | Compare → |
| 167 | San Marcos | 140 | $2,064/mo | $99,413 | 94K | Compare → |
| 168 | Oceanside | 140 | $2,078/mo | $86,701 | 174K | Compare → |
| 169 | San Diego | 141 | $2,080/mo | $98,657 | 1.4M | Compare → |
| 170 | Poway | 141 | $2,165/mo | $135,605 | 49K | Compare → |
| 171 | Brentwood | 142 | $2,451/mo | $134,689 | 64K | Compare → |
| 172 | Carlsbad | 142 | $2,477/mo | $134,139 | 115K | Compare → |
| 173 | Encinitas | 142 | $2,480/mo | $142,506 | 62K | Compare → |
| 174 | Richmond | 142 | $1,853/mo | $86,618 | 116K | Compare → |
| 175 | Pittsburg | 143 | $2,134/mo | $98,408 | 76K | Compare → |
| 176 | Concord | 143 | $2,137/mo | $107,789 | 125K | Compare → |
| 177 | Antioch | 143 | $2,150/mo | $90,709 | 115K | Compare → |
| 178 | Novato | 143 | $2,323/mo | $110,948 | 53K | Compare → |
| 179 | San Rafael | 143 | $2,257/mo | $113,839 | 61K | Compare → |
| 180 | Oakland | 145 | $1,849/mo | $94,389 | 438K | Compare → |
| 181 | Napa | 146 | $2,051/mo | $100,273 | 79K | Compare → |
| 182 | San Francisco | 146 | $2,316/mo | $136,689 | 851K | Compare → |
| 183 | Gilroy | 148 | $2,245/mo | $127,391 | 59K | Compare → |
| 184 | San Leandro | 148 | $1,997/mo | $97,141 | 90K | Compare → |
| 185 | Berkeley | 148 | $2,067/mo | $104,716 | 121K | Compare → |
| 186 | Hayward | 149 | $2,260/mo | $105,371 | 161K | Compare → |
| 187 | Alameda | 149 | $2,301/mo | $129,917 | 78K | Compare → |
| 188 | Castro Valley | 149 | $2,383/mo | $132,174 | 65K | Compare → |
| 189 | Livermore | 150 | $2,482/mo | $152,590 | 87K | Compare → |
| 190 | Walnut Creek | 150 | $2,503/mo | $129,971 | 70K | Compare → |
| 191 | Daly City | 150 | $2,554/mo | $114,910 | 104K | Compare → |
| 192 | Union City | 150 | $2,593/mo | $138,013 | 70K | Compare → |
| 193 | Newark | 150 | $2,644/mo | $159,465 | 47K | Compare → |
| 194 | South San Francisco | 150 | $2,649/mo | $127,062 | 66K | Compare → |
| 195 | San Ramon | 150 | $2,768/mo | $190,829 | 86K | Compare → |
| 196 | Pleasanton | 151 | $2,815/mo | $181,639 | 79K | Compare → |
| 197 | Fremont | 151 | $2,824/mo | $169,023 | 229K | Compare → |
| 198 | San Mateo | 151 | $2,971/mo | $149,152 | 104K | Compare → |
| 199 | Dublin | 151 | $3,094/mo | $191,039 | 71K | Compare → |
| 200 | Redwood City | 151 | $2,899/mo | $145,620 | 83K | Compare → |
| 201 | Morgan Hill | 152 | $2,249/mo | $152,199 | 45K | Compare → |
| 202 | San Jose | 153 | $2,526/mo | $136,010 | 1.0M | Compare → |
| 203 | Milpitas | 153 | $2,981/mo | $166,769 | 79K | Compare → |
| 204 | Santa Clara | 154 | $2,841/mo | $165,352 | 128K | Compare → |
| 205 | Mountain View | 154 | $2,855/mo | $174,156 | 82K | Compare → |
| 206 | Sunnyvale | 154 | $2,990/mo | $174,506 | 155K | Compare → |
| 207 | Palo Alto | 155 | $3,169/mo | $214,118 | 68K | Compare → |
| 208 | Cupertino | 156 | $3,501/mo | $223,667 | 60K | Compare → |
If you're weighing a move to California, the case usually comes down to a few specific things — most clearly a high-income state, by us standards and los angeles pulls major-metro weight, plus 2 more. Here's the detail.
Median household income averaged across California cities lands at about $99,079, well above the US median of roughly $75k. California's economy leans heavily on industries that pay well — and the income distribution reflects it.
Los Angeles (population about 3,881,041) gives California a genuine major-city anchor. Big airports, headquartered employers, professional sports, specialty hospitals, and the kind of job market you don't get in mid-sized towns — and you can live close to it or an hour away, depending on the lifestyle you want.
We track 208 California cities with full cost data, ranging from small towns to major metros. That means you can actually pick a fit — urban density vs. small-town quiet, expensive vs. cheap, big-job-market vs. easier-commute — instead of having "the state's one big city" be your only option.
California has Pacific coastline — meaning the ocean is reachable without a flight, and for plenty of residents it's reachable in under an hour. That changes the rhythm of a year: summer plans default to the water, the weather is moderated by being near it, and a lot of the state's culture is tied to fishing, ports, or beach towns.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for California (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across California, El Centro is the most affordable city we track (cost index 92, with median rent around $938/mo), while Cupertino sits at the top of the range with an index of 156—roughly 69% pricier than El Centro. Use the table above to compare any California city directly against El Centro.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.