Best Cities for Young Professionals in California

High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  California

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Income · 20% Educated Peers · 15% Young Demographic · 15% Jobs · 15% Transit · 10% Safety · 10% Broadband · 15%

Top 12 Young Professionals Cities in California

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 84.3
Piedmont, CA
11,012 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 86.8%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#2
Score 83.3
Orinda, CA
19,472 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 85.4%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#3
Score 83.2
Belvedere, CA
2,415 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 85.6%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#4
Score 83
Ross, CA
2,626 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 83.0%
Young Demographic 42 yrs
#5
Score 79.5
Lafayette, CA
25,277 residents
Income $222,393
Educated Peers 77.0%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#6
Score 79.4
Los Altos, CA
30,736 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 87.2%
Young Demographic 46 yrs
#7
Score 78.8
Atherton, CA
7,021 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 85.9%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#8
Score 78.1
Hillsborough, CA
11,122 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 82.7%
Young Demographic 47 yrs
#9
Score 78
Cupertino, CA
58,886 residents
Income $231,139
Educated Peers 83.1%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#10
Score 77.7
Los Altos Hills, CA
8,367 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 85.6%
Young Demographic 54 yrs
#11
Score 77.6
Dublin, CA
70,542 residents
Income $205,046
Educated Peers 69.5%
Young Demographic 37 yrs
#12
Score 77.2
Monte Sereno, CA
3,459 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 87.1%
Young Demographic 55 yrs

Full Ranking, California

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Piedmont CA 84.3
2 Orinda CA 83.3
3 Belvedere CA 83.2
4 Ross CA 83
5 Lafayette CA 79.5
6 Los Altos CA 79.4
7 Atherton CA 78.8
8 Hillsborough CA 78.1
9 Cupertino CA 78
10 Los Altos Hills CA 77.7
11 Dublin CA 77.6
12 Monte Sereno CA 77.2
13 Palo Alto CA 76.9
14 Moraga CA 76.7
15 Hidden Hills CA 76.4
16 Saratoga CA 75.8
17 Kensington CA 75.8
18 Danville CA 75.7
19 Menlo Park CA 75.2
20 Palos Verdes Estates CA 75.1
21 San Marino CA 74.9
22 Rolling Hills CA 74.8
23 Albany CA 74.3
24 San Ramon CA 74.1
25 Pleasanton CA 73.9
26 Sunnyvale CA 73.8
27 Tiburon CA 73.4
28 Belmont CA 73.4
29 Manhattan Beach CA 73.2
30 Los Gatos CA 72.2
31 San Francisco CA 72
32 Burlingame CA 72
33 Santa Clara CA 71.7
34 Mill Valley CA 71.7
35 Del Mar CA 71.5
36 Fremont CA 71.4
37 El Cerrito CA 71.1
38 Berkeley CA 70.9
39 Milpitas CA 70.3
40 San Mateo CA 69
41 Rolling Hills Estates CA 68.8
42 Alameda CA 68.8
43 Walnut Creek CA 68.1
44 La Habra Heights CA 68
45 Solana Beach CA 67.9
46 Irvine CA 67.9
47 Hermosa Beach CA 67.9
48 South Pasadena CA 67.8
49 Rancho Palos Verdes CA 67.8
50 Emeryville CA 67.7

Piedmont, CA tops the list with a composite score of 84.3 out of 100, followed by Orinda and Belvedere. CA dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for young professionals.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Income, Educated Peers, Young Demographic, Jobs, Transit, Safety, Broadband. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to young professionals, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Highest Income → Most Educated → Youngest Cities →