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
58.6
baseline 49.1
2Sierra County
57.6
baseline 53.1
3Shasta County
54.7
baseline 51.7
4El Dorado County
52.5
baseline 49.4
5Placer County
49.3
baseline 46.2

All 58 Family-Ranked Counties in California

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Alpine County, CA58.649.1+9.5
2Sierra County, CA57.653.1+4.5
3Shasta County, CA54.751.7+3
4El Dorado County, CA52.549.4+3.1
5Placer County, CA49.346.2+3.1
6Marin County, CA48.947.9+1
7San Mateo County, CA47.647.3+0.3
8Nevada County, CA47.444.8+2.6
9Napa County, CA46.943.3+3.6
10Mariposa County, CA46.644.8+1.8
11Orange County, CA46.244.1+2.1
12Sonoma County, CA45.644.7+0.9
13San Luis Obispo County, CA45.442.8+2.6
14Modoc County, CA45.148.9-3.8
15San Benito County, CA45.142.9+2.2
16Ventura County, CA45.144.1+1
17Calaveras County, CA4542.3+2.7
18Santa Barbara County, CA44.943+1.9
19Mendocino County, CA44.743.9+0.8
20Colusa County, CA44.241.9+2.3
21San Diego County, CA43.742.2+1.5
22Inyo County, CA42.141+1.1
23San Francisco County, CA41.942.8-0.9
24Glenn County, CA41.841.7+0.1
25Contra Costa County, CA41.739.8+1.9
26Riverside County, CA41.737.3+4.4
27Tuolumne County, CA41.741.8-0.1
28Trinity County, CA41.546-4.5
29Amador County, CA41.441.3+0.1
30Mono County, CA41.440.3+1.1
31Santa Clara County, CA41.242.4-1.2
32Monterey County, CA40.939.2+1.7
33Kings County, CA40.737.7+3
34Alameda County, CA40.340.1+0.2
35Santa Cruz County, CA39.741-1.3
36Lassen County, CA39.640.8-1.2
37Yolo County, CA39.537.7+1.8
38Sacramento County, CA39.238.2+1
39Humboldt County, CA38.739.8-1.1
40Plumas County, CA38.540.3-1.8
41Butte County, CA38.438.5-0.1
42Tulare County, CA3835.2+2.8
43Del Norte County, CA37.839-1.2
44Los Angeles County, CA37.436.7+0.7
45Madera County, CA37.435+2.4
46Yuba County, CA37.437.40
47Tehama County, CA36.536.4+0.1
48Solano County, CA36.435.9+0.5
49Stanislaus County, CA36.335.1+1.2
50Merced County, CA36.234.6+1.6
51Sutter County, CA35.634.9+0.7
52Imperial County, CA3534.2+0.8
53San Bernardino County, CA3533.4+1.6
54Siskiyou County, CA34.737.1-2.4
55Fresno County, CA33.432.8+0.6
56San Joaquin County, CA33.432.9+0.5
57Kern County, CA29.327.8+1.5
58Lake County, CA27.831.1-3.3

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 58.6. 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

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Family Rankings by State

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