Best counties in California

Ranked by composite score — 58 counties

See detailed California county rankings with scores →

Rank	County	Score	Tax	Cost	Income
1	Alpine County	72.8	83	55.6	55.7
2	Modoc County	72.8	83.1	83.7	20.4
3	Trinity County	70.3	87.1	81.3	18.3
4	Sierra County	69.2	80.5	66	22.6
5	Inyo County	67.3	82.4	72.2	30.7
6	Plumas County	67	82	71.8	25.8
7	Lassen County	66.3	82	72.2	25.4
8	Siskiyou County	65.9	83.7	76.3	19.6
9	Glenn County	64.8	84.1	68.7	29.4
10	Amador County	64.7	82.7	60	36.6
11	Colusa County	64.7	83.7	68.2	32.4
12	Mono County	64.7	80.7	46.5	40.1
13	Del Norte County	64.5	85.8	73.3	27
14	Mariposa County	63.9	83.1	65	26.1
15	Tehama County	63.9	84.5	68.7	23.8
16	Tuolumne County	63.8	83.3	60.8	30.6
17	Shasta County	63	82.5	63.9	30.3
18	Humboldt County	62.9	83.9	66.1	23.3
19	Lake County	62.4	81.9	66.8	21.7
20	Butte County	62.1	82.9	62	28.2
21	Yuba County	62.1	81.1	61.2	31.2
22	Mendocino County	61.8	82.7	64.3	25.6
23	Calaveras County	61.6	82.2	54.5	35.5
24	Sutter County	61.4	80.4	61.1	32.6
25	El Dorado County	61.3	82.5	45.1	52.7
26	Kings County	60.9	81.2	63.8	28.3
27	Imperial County	60.7	78.6	71.4	20.2
28	Tulare County	60.4	81.7	65.3	28.7
29	Madera County	60.1	82.6	61.2	32.7
30	Stanislaus County	59.9	82.3	55.6	35.4
31	Fresno County	59.7	81.3	61.1	30
32	Merced County	59.7	83.3	63.7	25.8
33	Nevada County	59.7	81.4	47.8	38.8
34	Kern County	58.7	76.6	64	27.6
35	Sacramento County	58.7	81	48.6	41.3
36	Yolo County	58.6	80.6	46.1	41.4
37	San Luis Obispo County	58.3	82.5	42.1	44.3
38	Placer County	58	78.4	36.2	58.2
39	San Joaquin County	57.7	80.8	49.5	41.2
40	San Bernardino County	57	82.5	49.7	37
41	Santa Barbara County	56.5	83.7	38.6	46
42	Riverside County	56.3	79.2	44.9	41.9
43	Sonoma County	56.2	82.1	34.6	50.5
44	Santa Cruz County	56.1	84.8	31.4	54.7
45	Napa County	56	82.7	34.4	54.5
46	Solano County	55.7	81.2	36.2	48.6
47	Monterey County	54.9	83.7	39.7	45.1
48	San Benito County	54.8	79.5	31.2	54.1
49	Los Angeles County	54.4	82.7	37	40.7
50	San Diego County	54.3	82.6	30.7	50.1
51	Ventura County	54	82.8	30	53.4
52	Orange County	53.8	83.5	25.8	57.6
53	Contra Costa County	53.5	78.9	24.6	65.4
54	Alameda County	53.3	80.8	21.3	65.8
55	San Francisco County	53.3	83.1	14.8	75.7
56	San Mateo County	51.3	85	4.6	85.2
57	Santa Clara County	51.3	82.4	6.8	87.6
58	Marin County	51	82	5.9	76.6