countyscore

Best Counties for Families in California 2026

58 counties ranked with the Family lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Family Counties in California

1Alpine County
59.6
baseline 51.2
2Sierra County
57.2
baseline 52.4
3Shasta County
55.2
baseline 52.3
4El Dorado County
52.7
baseline 49.8
5Placer County
49.5
baseline 46.5

All 58 Family-Ranked Counties in California

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Alpine County, CA59.651.2+8.4
2Sierra County, CA57.252.4+4.8
3Shasta County, CA55.252.3+2.9
4El Dorado County, CA52.749.8+2.9
5Placer County, CA49.546.5+3
6Marin County, CA48.747.4+1.3
7San Mateo County, CA47.747.6+0.1
8Nevada County, CA47.345.2+2.1
9Napa County, CA4743.6+3.4
10Orange County, CA46.244.3+1.9
11Mariposa County, CA4643.9+2.1
12Sonoma County, CA45.744.8+0.9
13Calaveras County, CA45.543+2.5
14San Luis Obispo County, CA45.442.9+2.5
15Modoc County, CA45.349.7-4.4
16San Benito County, CA45.243.3+1.9
17Ventura County, CA45.244.3+0.9
18Santa Barbara County, CA4543+2
19Colusa County, CA44.541.8+2.7
20Mendocino County, CA44.444.1+0.3
21San Diego County, CA43.742.3+1.4
22Trinity County, CA43.248.3-5.1
23Glenn County, CA42.541.8+0.7
24San Francisco County, CA42.243.6-1.4
25Contra Costa County, CA41.840.1+1.7
26Inyo County, CA41.841.1+0.7
27Riverside County, CA41.737.2+4.5
28Amador County, CA41.441.8-0.4
29Tuolumne County, CA41.241.7-0.5
30Santa Clara County, CA41.142.2-1.1
31Kings County, CA4138.2+2.8
32Monterey County, CA40.839+1.8
33Alameda County, CA40.540.6-0.1
34Mono County, CA40.438.5+1.9
35Santa Cruz County, CA39.941.6-1.7
36Yolo County, CA39.638+1.6
37Butte County, CA39.239.3-0.1
38Plumas County, CA39.241-1.8
39Sacramento County, CA39.238.3+0.9
40Humboldt County, CA39.140-0.9
41Lassen County, CA38.940.4-1.5
42Del Norte County, CA38.539.9-1.4
43Tulare County, CA38.135.2+2.9
44Madera County, CA37.735.5+2.2
45Yuba County, CA37.637.7-0.1
46Los Angeles County, CA37.436.9+0.5
47Merced County, CA36.935.3+1.6
48Tehama County, CA36.736.70
49Solano County, CA36.636.4+0.2
50Stanislaus County, CA36.535.6+0.9
51Sutter County, CA35.535+0.5
52Siskiyou County, CA35.137.9-2.8
53San Bernardino County, CA3533.7+1.3
54Imperial County, CA34.933.7+1.2
55Fresno County, CA33.533+0.5
56San Joaquin County, CA33.433.1+0.3
57Kern County, CA29.227.8+1.4
58Lake County, CA27.931.6-3.7

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for families in California?

Based on the Family lens, Alpine County ranks as the top family county in California with a County Fit Score of 59.6. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in California are ranked for families?

We rank 58 counties in California with the Family lens, using independent importance values for schools, safety, affordability, health, income, taxes, and disaster risk.

Also Browse California Counties For

RetirementRemote WorkersBest Overall

Family Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.