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
52.9
baseline 52.4
2Modoc County
52.2
baseline 49.7
3Shasta County
51.1
baseline 52.3
4El Dorado County
49.9
baseline 49.8
5Trinity County
49.4
baseline 48.3

All 58 Retirement-Ranked Counties in California

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Sierra County, CA52.952.4+0.5
2Modoc County, CA52.249.7+2.5
3Shasta County, CA51.152.3-1.2
4El Dorado County, CA49.949.8+0.1
5Trinity County, CA49.448.3+1.1
6Marin County, CA48.347.4+0.9
7San Mateo County, CA48.347.6+0.7
8Alpine County, CA47.851.2-3.4
9Placer County, CA47.246.5+0.7
10Sonoma County, CA46.144.8+1.3
11San Francisco County, CA45.943.6+2.3
12Nevada County, CA45.445.2+0.2
13San Benito County, CA4543.3+1.7
14Santa Clara County, CA44.642.2+2.4
15Mendocino County, CA44.144.10
16Amador County, CA4441.8+2.2
17Ventura County, CA43.944.3-0.4
18Santa Cruz County, CA43.841.6+2.2
19Plumas County, CA43.241+2.2
20Tuolumne County, CA4341.7+1.3
21Orange County, CA42.644.3-1.7
22Alameda County, CA4240.6+1.4
23San Diego County, CA41.642.3-0.7
24Mariposa County, CA41.543.9-2.4
25Lassen County, CA41.440.4+1
26Calaveras County, CA41.243-1.8
27San Luis Obispo County, CA41.142.9-1.8
28Napa County, CA40.943.6-2.7
29Santa Barbara County, CA40.643-2.4
30Contra Costa County, CA40.440.1+0.3
31Mono County, CA40.138.5+1.6
32Inyo County, CA39.841.1-1.3
33Glenn County, CA39.341.8-2.5
34Humboldt County, CA38.240-1.8
35Yuba County, CA38.237.7+0.5
36Butte County, CA3839.3-1.3
37Colusa County, CA37.641.8-4.2
38Sacramento County, CA37.638.3-0.7
39Yolo County, CA37.438-0.6
40Solano County, CA37.136.4+0.7
41Siskiyou County, CA3737.9-0.9
42Monterey County, CA35.839-3.2
43Del Norte County, CA35.739.9-4.2
44Los Angeles County, CA35.636.9-1.3
45Kings County, CA34.338.2-3.9
46Sutter County, CA34.335-0.7
47Lake County, CA33.931.6+2.3
48Tehama County, CA33.936.7-2.8
49Stanislaus County, CA33.735.6-1.9
50Riverside County, CA32.837.2-4.4
51San Joaquin County, CA32.233.1-0.9
52Madera County, CA31.235.5-4.3
53San Bernardino County, CA30.633.7-3.1
54Imperial County, CA30.533.7-3.2
55Fresno County, CA30.333-2.7
56Merced County, CA30.335.3-5
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 52.9. 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

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.