countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in California 2026

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

Top 5 Retirement Counties in California

1Sierra County
53.6
baseline 53.1
2Modoc County
51.2
baseline 48.9
3Shasta County
50.7
baseline 51.7
4El Dorado County
49.4
baseline 49.4
5Marin County
49
baseline 47.9

All 58 Retirement-Ranked Counties in California

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Sierra County, CA53.653.1+0.5
2Modoc County, CA51.248.9+2.3
3Shasta County, CA50.751.7-1
4El Dorado County, CA49.449.40
5Marin County, CA4947.9+1.1
6San Mateo County, CA4847.3+0.7
7Trinity County, CA47.346+1.3
8Placer County, CA46.946.2+0.7
9Sonoma County, CA45.944.7+1.2
10Alpine County, CA45.649.1-3.5
11San Francisco County, CA44.942.8+2.1
12Santa Clara County, CA44.842.4+2.4
13Nevada County, CA44.744.8-0.1
14San Benito County, CA44.542.9+1.6
15Ventura County, CA43.744.1-0.4
16Mendocino County, CA43.643.9-0.3
17Amador County, CA43.241.3+1.9
18Santa Cruz County, CA4341+2
19Plumas County, CA42.840.3+2.5
20Tuolumne County, CA42.741.8+0.9
21Mariposa County, CA42.544.8-2.3
22Orange County, CA42.344.1-1.8
23Mono County, CA41.940.3+1.6
24San Diego County, CA41.542.2-0.7
25Lassen County, CA41.440.8+0.6
26Alameda County, CA41.340.1+1.2
27San Luis Obispo County, CA40.942.8-1.9
28Calaveras County, CA40.642.3-1.7
29Napa County, CA40.543.3-2.8
30Santa Barbara County, CA40.543-2.5
31Contra Costa County, CA40.139.8+0.3
32Glenn County, CA39.741.7-2
33Inyo County, CA39.441-1.6
34Humboldt County, CA38.239.8-1.6
35Colusa County, CA3841.9-3.9
36Yuba County, CA37.737.4+0.3
37Butte County, CA37.538.5-1
38Sacramento County, CA37.538.2-0.7
39Yolo County, CA37.137.7-0.6
40Solano County, CA36.635.9+0.7
41Siskiyou County, CA36.237.1-0.9
42Monterey County, CA3639.2-3.2
43Los Angeles County, CA35.336.7-1.4
44Del Norte County, CA34.839-4.2
45Sutter County, CA34.134.9-0.8
46Kings County, CA33.837.7-3.9
47Tehama County, CA33.536.4-2.9
48Lake County, CA33.231.1+2.1
49Stanislaus County, CA33.135.1-2
50Riverside County, CA32.937.3-4.4
51San Joaquin County, CA32.132.9-0.8
52Imperial County, CA31.134.2-3.1
53Madera County, CA30.735-4.3
54San Bernardino County, CA30.233.4-3.2
55Fresno County, CA29.932.8-2.9
56Merced County, CA29.834.6-4.8
57Tulare County, CA29.235.2-6
58Kern County, CA24.227.8-3.6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in California?

Based on the Retiree lens, Sierra County ranks as the top retirement county in California with a County Fit Score of 53.6. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in California are ranked for retirement?

We rank 58 counties in California with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse California Counties For

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Retirement 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.