The company used U.S. Census Bureau statistics covering a wide range of information to arrive at the rankings. The information was gathered in the following categories:
- Unemployment rate (the lower the better)
- Median household income (the higher the better)
- Median rent (the higher the better, to indicate area’s desirability)
- Median home price (the higher the better, to indicate desirability)
- Percent of families below the poverty line (the lower the better)
- High school graduation rate (the higher the better)
- Average Commute Time (the lower the better)
Considering that high rents and home prices are included in the rankings, it’s not so bad to finish out of the Top 10.
The Top 10 of California’s 58 counties:
1. Marin County
2. San Mateo County
3. Santa Clara County
4. San Luis Obispo County
5. Ventura County
6. Placer County
7. Napa County (tie)
7. Orange County (tie)
9. Santa Barbara County
10. San Francisco County
~Kristin
“Sometimes I’m terrified of my heart; of its constant hunger for whatever it is it wants. The way it stops and starts.” Edgar Allan Poe