Santa Rosa makes US News & World Report list of ‘Best Places to Live in the US in 2023-2024’

Santa Rosa was listed among the best places to live in the country, according to a report out this week by U.S. News & World Report.

Santa Rosa was on the lower half of U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2023-2024,” and was ranked number 125 out of 150 cities, listed between Santa Barbara and Salem, Oregon.

To assemble its list, U.S. News & World Report said it analyzed the 150 most populous metro areas with data related to quality of life, value, job market and desirability.

The list’s quality of life index includes data regarding crime rates, commuter time averages, availability of health care and quality of education. Housing costs and rental costs were analyzed for the list’s value index, while unemployment rates and average salaries were analyzed for the job market index. Desirability was ranked according to surveys the report sent out asking people whether they want to live in a specific area.

Santa Rosa scored highest in terms of the job market and quality of life, achieving an 6.8 out of 10 in each category. The city’s desirability was scored 5.7 out of 10, while its value score was 3.9 of 10. Overall, Santa Rosa scored a 5.9 rating.

“Santa Rosa, the hub of economic activity in northern California's wine country, welcomes artists of all ages, as well as young people, retirees, professionals and those especially interested in wine and high-tech manufacturing,” U.S. News & World Report contributor Jessica Zimmer wrote.

The city’s favorable weather, access to outdoor activities, public art and museums and live theater and live music options were also contributing factors to its ranking, the report said.

However, Santa Rosa offers a lower value than similarly sized metro areas in terms of housing costs compared to median household income, the list said.

According to U.S. News & World Report, Green Bay, Wisconsin, is the best place to live in the country, followed by Hunstville, Alabama; Raleigh & Durham, North Carolina; Boulder, Colorado and Sarasota, Florida.

San Jose was the top California city on the list at 13, followed by San Francisco (45), and San Diego (93).

California cities ranked below Santa Rosa include Sacramento (127), Los Angeles (139), Vallejo and Fairfield (142), Salinas (143), Modesto (145), Fresno (146), Visalia (147), Stockton (148) and Bakersfield (149).

San Juan, Puerto Rico, was ranked at the bottom of the list at 150.

Santa Rosa also ranked on U.S. News & World Report’s lists of “Best Places to Retire” (148), “Best Places to Live in California” (5) and “Most Expensive Places to Live” (8).

For more information, go to realestate.usnews.com.