17 Pros and Cons of Living in California

From sun-soaked beaches to startups and side hustles, California has long sold the dream. The weather’s hard to beat, the opportunities feel endless, and yeah, those incredible views are real. But behind every palm tree and oat milk latte is a reality check: sky-high rents, wildfire season, and traffic that tests your soul.

So is life in California worth it? We’re breaking down the biggest pros and cons, from housing costs to lifestyle perks, so you can decide if the Golden State is your perfect match, or just a great place to visit.

A Note on Data: We used internal Apartment List data and cross-referenced it with housing and neighborhood data from Rent.com and Apartments.com to provide the most accurate snapshot of California living as of September 2025. Crime data is sourced from CrimeGrade.org and Weichert.

Key Insights

• Housing costs: California’s average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is around $2,204, while a two-bedroom apartment averages $2,630, depending on location. Home prices remain steep—$733,500.
• Jobs: California retains the largest economy in the U.S.. Unemployment rose slightly to 5.5% in July 2025, after the addition of 15,000 new jobs.
• Lifestyle: The state remains a global leader in innovation, job creation, and culture. Areas like the Inland Empire are growing due to relatively affordable housing and rising construction. Riverside County added over 6,000 rental units in 2025.
• Challenges: California struggles with housing affordability, fueled by regulatory hurdles and low permitting rates. That shortage contributes to the state’s high homeless population. Additionally, wildfire and seismic risks, high insurance and tax burdens, and persistent income inequality compound affordability and quality-of-life pressures

Quick Facts About California

1. Pro - Epic Natural Landscapes

California is home to nine national parks, more than any other U.S. state. You’ll find dramatic deserts (Death Valley), enchanted forests (Sequoia & Kings Canyon), surreal Joshua Tree terrain, volcanic landscapes (Lassen), rugged redwoods, coastal islands, and more. Diversity in geography means there's a breathtaking view or adventure around every corner.

2. Con - Wildfires

Wildfires are increasingly routine. In 2025 so far, over 515,605 acres have burned (compared to 471,863 in 2024), with destructive megafires like Palisades, Eaton, and others scorching tens of thousands of acres and impacting communities. Climate-driven extremes show no sign of easing.

3. Pro - Diverse Cuisine

From Korean BBQ and Oaxacan tlayudas in LA to fresh seafood in the Bay Area and farm-to-table produce across the Central Coast, California's food scene is wildly creative. Unique local staples, like fish tacos, avocado toast, Meyer lemon desserts, and artisanal sourdough, make it a global dining playground.

4. Con - Consistent Drought

Drought impacts water availability, agriculture, and daily life. Residents must conserve water. Strict irrigation rules, rebates for drought-resistant landscaping, and periodic restrictions are part of life now. The years-long dry spells are documented across major state publications.

5. Pro - Great Weather

Much of California basks in sunshine. Cities like Bakersfield and Sacramento enjoy 188–194 sunny days annually, while San Diego averages 251. Average temperatures stay mild in coastal zones, although inland valleys and deserts see hotter extremes. The overall climate invites outdoorsy, feel‑good living.

6. Con - High Tax Rates

California has steep state tax brackets, from 1% to 12.3%, and up to 13.3% with the mental health services surcharge on millionaires. Property taxes average around 0.71%, while combined sales taxes top 8.85% in many areas. Erosion of take-home pay is real.

7. Pro - Endless Job Opportunities

California leads in high-demand sectors like tech (Silicon Valley, San Francisco), entertainment (Los Angeles), biotech, agriculture, and clean energy. Even outside headline fields, there’s growing work in tourism, startups, craft industries, and public health, making California a dynamic job market with options for many industries.

8. Con - High Cost of Living

From housing to groceries, California is expensive. For instance, Los Angeles’s cost of living is ~49–50% higher than the national average, and housing alone is over 130% costlier. Overall, California ranks with one of the nation’s highest cost-of-living indexes, roughly 142.2.

9. Pro - Laid-Back Living

The relaxed lifestyle lives up to the hype, with ocean breezes, laid-back architecture, casual outdoor cafe culture, and a focus on well-being. Coastal towns and suburbs foster a slower pace, encouraging weekend hikes, beach bonfires, and effortless meeting‑for‑coffee vibes.

10. Con - Summer Heat

If you're inland in places like Riverside, Palm Springs, Bakersfield, Sacramento, or the Mojave Desert, you’ll experience brutal summers. Record-breaking highs are common. In Death Valley, temperatures routinely exceed 120°F, which can be oppressive and dangerous.

11. Pro - Wide Variety of Activities and Attractions

Boredom is nearly impossible in California. You can surf in the morning, hike in the afternoon, watch a concert at night, and visit a theme park on the weekend. Add in wine country, world-class sporting events, hiking trails, national monuments, and cultural festivals, and you’ve got endless escape routes.

12. Con - Terrible Traffic

The car is king across most cities in California. Freeways are crowded. People in LA, the Bay Area, and San Diego know the drill. San Francisco’s public transit is an exception, but for most regions, expect long commutes and car dependency.

13. Pro - Airport Access

With 12 international airports statewide, including LAX, the second‑busiest in the nation, California is well-connected. Whether you're flying for business, visiting family, or heading overseas, air travel convenience is a serious quality‑of‑life win.

14. Con - Homelessness Epidemic

California has one of the highest homelessness rates in the nation. Over 187,000 people were experiencing homelessness in 2024. Nearly 24% of all homeless people in the nation reside in the Golden State. LA alone sees tens of thousands in need, with deep equity gaps, and despite some recent progress, solutions remain elusive

15. Pro - Diversity

California overflows with people from all walks of life. Immigrants, multigenerational families, and fresh transplants mix effortlessly. In 2023, roughly 27% of Californians were born outside the United States, more than double the national average of around 14%.

Fun fact: California is one of just a handful of states where no single race or ethnic group holds a majority. Hispanic or Latino residents make up about 40%, non‑Hispanic white around 34%, and Asian Americans about 15%. This level of demographic mix means you're just as likely to meet a neighbor from another continent as one from across the street.

16. Con - Unrealistic Home-Buying Expectations

Buying a home feels out of reach. The statewide median sits around $775K, and in the state’s most desirable cities, such as San Francisco, the median prices are well over $1,000,000, more than double the national mid-tier cost.

17. Pro - There’s a Place for Everyone

Whether you crave surf towns (Santa Cruz), desert rather than wine country (Palm Springs), or smaller inland cities (Redding, Chico), California offers fitting communities. You can find the lifestyle vibe you want, urban, rural, beachy, laid-back, or fast-paced, without leaving state lines.

Is California a Good Place to Live?

Yes, California can be a great place to live if the perks line up with your priorities. You’ll find unmatched natural beauty, top-tier job markets, and endless things to do. But you’ll also face a high cost of living, climate risks, and dense urban sprawl.

Renters are drawn to cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego for work and lifestyle—think film, tech, sunshine, and sushi. Average rents for one-bedrooms range around $2,204, while two-bedroom apartments tend to average around $2,630.

However, more affordable options exist in places like Sacramento, Fresno, or Riverside, where you’ll still find solid jobs and amenities.

If you're looking for variety, whether it's surf towns, desert solitude, or fast-paced city life, California delivers. Just make sure your budget does too.

What’s It Like Living in California?

Living in California means having front-row access to just about everything, including tech, film, food, beaches, mountains, and more. One day you’re hiking in the Sierra Nevadas, the next you’re grabbing late-night tacos in LA or wine tasting in Paso Robles. Whether you're chasing career moves, creative energy, or coastal calm, California’s got a city that fits.

Each city brings its own vibe:

• Los Angeles blends Hollywood hustle with laid-back beach energy and endless global cuisine.
• San Francisco offers tech innovation, rich history, and scenic escapes—all in one compact, walkable city.
• San Diego serves up sunshine, surfing, and a slower pace that still feels connected.
• Sacramento has become a hot spot for remote workers and young families looking for value and community.
• Fresno and Bakersfield appeal to renters who want space, affordability, and access to California’s agricultural heartland.
• Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Redding show off the quieter, more scenic sides of the state.

Yes, rent can be high and traffic is a pain, but for many renters, California’s lifestyle and career potential make the tradeoffs worth it.

What’s the Culture Like in California?

California culture is a mix of redwood hikes and red-carpet premieres, street tacos and tasting menus, surfboards and symphonies. It’s laid-back and loud, artsy and athletic, deeply rooted and constantly evolving.

You’ve got icons like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Hollywood Sign, and Griffith Observatory. However, culture here goes way beyond postcards. Spend a Saturday wandering murals in San Francisco’s Mission District, browsing indie galleries in Oakland’s Uptown, or hitting a night market in Los Angeles' Koreatown. Venice Beach is a whole scene with skaters, street artists, musicians, while Encinitas still gives off that old-school surf-town soul.

California is home to some of the most dedicated sports fans around. You’ll hear roars for the Warriors, Dodgers, 49ers, and Lakers from city blocks to dive bars. The Bay Area’s newest team, the Golden State Valkyries, just broke WNBA records for ticket sales, proof that the energy here isn’t just big, it’s growing.

Food is a cultural pillar, not a side note. Think Oaxacan tlayudas in East Hollywood, dim sum in Monterey Park, uni pasta in Little Italy, and fresh peaches at a farm stand in Clovis. The state’s farm-to-table movement was born here—and so was In-N-Out.

From Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park to the Monterey Jazz Festival, from street parades to silent discos on the beach, California turns everyday moments into cultural events. Art pops up on utility boxes. A backyard show might feature the next Grammy winner. Whether you're in a tiny wine town or a tech capital, creativity is part of daily life.

What’s the Cost of Living in California?

California is undeniably expensive—about 49.9% more costly to live in than the national average, primarily driven by housing, according to cost-of-living data over the past decade.

Housing remains the biggest impact. As of 2025, the typical median house value is over $733,00, almost double the US median of $338,100.

Here’s how cost-of-living categories compare between California and the U.S.:

How Is the Job Market in California?

California’s job market is a story of regional contrast. Some cities pulse with opportunity while others hum with steady growth. As of mid‑2025, the state's unemployment rate rose to 5.5%, matching the levels from January and tying for the highest rate in the nation.

In the Bay Area, where tech giants and startups still dominate, unemployment in San Francisco now runs around 4.2%, a bump from previous months as layoffs ripple through sectors like professional services. Nearby, the San Jose metro has a slightly less healthy job market, with July 2025 unemployment rates hovering around 4.9%.

Southern California shows a mixed picture. San Diego’s job growth slipped this year—short‑term gains sit at 1–1.4%, with only about 4.7% growth since 2018. Tourism and hospitality are rebounding, but high-tech slowed down.

Further inland, cities like Sacramento are gaining momentum. Government, healthcare, education, and construction sectors are driving job gains, with healthcare alone accounting for over 280,000 jobs statewide in the capital region.

Smaller cities, such as Fresno, Bakersfield, and Stockton, lean heavily on agriculture, healthcare, and logistics. For example, Fresno employment clusters include farmworkers, health aides, and registered nurses, while Stockton relies on freight, warehousing, and care-aide jobs

How Safe Is California?

Safety in California isn’t a one-size-fits-all. It’s deeply local. Beach towns, suburbs, and inland valleys each carry their own reality. Let’s start with San Francisco to anchor the picture, then widen the view.

CrimeGrade.org issues a D grade for overall crime, meaning San Francisco is safer than only about 17–21% of U.S. cities, with the remaining 79–83% ranked safer. Violent crime lands at 5.38 incidents per 1,000 residents—higher than the national average. Refrigerating property crime is even more common: the city clocks a D‑ grade there, safer than just 14% of cities.

Safety can shift block by block. In Downtown, crime earns a strong F, placing it in the 4th percentile for overall safety, meaning only 4% of neighborhoods nationwide are less safe. Violent crime is even more concerning, at the 3rd percentile. By comparison, parts of the east side fare much better. For violent crime, your odds of being a victim vary from about 1 in 374 in East neighborhoods to 1 in 111 in West zones.

The same thing can be said about every major city in California.

What Are Schools Like in California?

California's educational scene is as varied as its landscapes. Whether you're looking at high-performing public high schools, elite private options, or top-tier universities, the quality and fit shift dramatically depending on the city and community. Smart parents and renters know to dive into district-level research before writing that lease.

For higher education, San Francisco is home to institutions like the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University, along with nearby options such as Stanford University and UC Berkeley, both within commuting distance. This mix makes the Bay Area a hub for education and research across fields.

Is California a Good Place to Raise a Family?

California family-friendly communities vary dramatically, but some cities and neighborhoods consistently rise to the top for safety, schools, affordability, and lifestyle. These spots give renters both peace of mind and practical value.

Top Family-Friendly Cities & Neighborhoods

• Fremont (Bay Area) consistently tops U.S. family‑friendly rankings in 2025, thanks to strong schools, low child poverty, minimal food stamp usage, and nearly half of households having kids under 18. It also ranks high for parkland per capita and healthcare access.
• Irvine (Orange County) sits near the top as well, praised for outstanding public schools, low crime, diverse communities, outdoor spaces, and overall family livability.
• Santa Monica City Center earned a breakout spot among Niche’s top 5 best places to live in California in 2025, boosted by improved rent‑to‑income ratios, high-quality schools, affordable housing, and strong cultural offerings.
• La Cañada Flintridge, South Pasadena, Redondo Beach, and several Palo Alto neighborhoods (like Evergreen Park and College Terrace) all received A+ overall and family‑friendly grades from Niche, highlighting safety, school quality, and tight‑knit community appeal.
• Menifee, in Southern California’s inland area, ranks among the 20 safest cities in the state, with violent and property crime rates well below both state and national averages.
• Coastal gems like Del Mar, Solana Beach, and Encinitas in North County San Diego are beloved for calm beach town vibes, excellent local schools, clean walkable downtowns, and abundant family-friendly outdoor activities.

What Are Some Popular Places to Live in California?

California isn’t one place. It’s many. From beach towns and metro hubs to quiet inland cities, each area brings its own personality, lifestyle vibe, and rent reality.

Here’s how some of the most talked-about places stack up:

Is Living in California Right for You?

California might be your dream match if you're looking for sunshine, industry-leading job markets, iconic landscapes, and a cultural scene that never slows down. You can surf before work, hike after dinner, and eat global cuisine without leaving your ZIP code.

From sleek apartments in tech hubs like Mountain View to relaxed rentals in beach towns like Encinitas, or family-friendly finds in places like Irvine and Sacramento, there’s truly a place for everyone. Just know the trade-offs: high housing costs, climate concerns, and car-heavy commutes come with the territory.

Still curious if California fits your lifestyle and budget? Dive into our Renter Life guides to compare cities, or take our Apartment List quiz and get matched with your perfect rental today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Living in California

What are the downsides of living in California?

The biggest downsides are the high cost of living, not just in housing, but also in groceries, utilities, and healthcare, often well above national averages. You’ll also encounter heavy traffic, climate risks like wildfires and smog, high taxes, and a persistent homelessness crisis tied to a major affordable housing shortage

Why are people moving to California?

Many are drawn by California’s diverse job markets in tech, entertainment, healthcare, and green energy, plus innovation hubs like Silicon Valley and Hollywood. Others come for the diverse culture, natural scenery, lifestyle options, and the ability to shape a life that’s part surf, part startup, part artsy.

What are the biggest risks of living in California?

Financial stress tops the list: steep housing costs and economic inequality pose real challenges. Environmental risks include wildfire smoke, earthquakes, droughts, and heatwaves. Safety and livability can vary widely across neighborhoods. Data shows serious disparities from one community to the next.

What salary do you need to live comfortably in California?

According to MIT Living Wage, a single adult in California needs about $59,740 to live comfortably, while a family of four needs around $143,745 per year. For more accuracy, however, you’re better off looking at city or county data.