Sign In Register

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 85.7
Piedmont, CA
11,012 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 86.8%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#2
Score 84.6
Ross, CA
2,626 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 83.0%
Young Demographic 42 yrs
#3
Score 84.5
Orinda, CA
19,472 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 85.4%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#4
Score 83.5
Belvedere, CA
2,415 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 85.6%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#5
Score 83.1
Castle Hill, CA
1,303 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 79.2%
Young Demographic 43 yrs
#6
Score 82.9
Mountain View, CA
82,363 residents
Income $179,917
Educated Peers 74.3%
Young Demographic 35 yrs
#7
Score 82.2
La Honda, CA
1,094 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 86.0%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#8
Score 82.1
Fairbanks Ranch, CA
2,794 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 82.2%
Young Demographic 43 yrs
#9
Score 81.9
Camino Tassajara, CA
6,395 residents
Income $250,001
Educated Peers 70.0%
Young Demographic 42 yrs
#10
Score 81.6
San Miguel CDP (Contra Costa County), CA
3,991 residents
Income $224,219
Educated Peers 67.5%
Young Demographic 47 yrs
#11
Score 81.5
Pepperdine University, CA
2,772 residents
Income $179,868
Educated Peers 91.9%
Young Demographic 20 yrs
#12
Score 81.1
Lafayette, CA
25,277 residents
Income $222,393
Educated Peers 77.0%
Young Demographic 45 yrs

Full Ranking, California

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

1 Piedmont CA 85.7
2 Ross CA 84.6
3 Orinda CA 84.5
4 Belvedere CA 83.5
5 Castle Hill CA 83.1
6 Mountain View CA 82.9
7 La Honda CA 82.2
8 Fairbanks Ranch CA 82.1
9 Camino Tassajara CA 81.9
10 San Miguel CDP (Contra Costa County) CA 81.6
11 Pepperdine University CA 81.5
12 Lafayette CA 81.1
13 Los Altos CA 81
14 Lexington Hills CA 80.9
15 Kentfield CA 80.6
16 Atherton CA 80.6
17 Loyola CA 80.4
18 Tamalpais-Homestead Valley CA 80.3
19 West Menlo Park CA 80.2
20 Emerald Lake Hills CA 80
21 Hillsborough CA 80
22 Cupertino CA 79.8
23 Alamo CA 79.8
24 Woodside CA 79.7
25 Highlands CA 79.6
26 Contra Costa Centre CA 79.4
27 Dublin CA 79.2
28 Palo Alto CA 79.2
29 Harmony Grove CA 79.2
30 Reliez Valley CA 79.1
31 Los Altos Hills CA 79.1
32 Corte Madera CA 79
33 Moraga CA 78.8
34 Monte Sereno CA 78.7
35 San Carlos CA 78.2
36 Hidden Hills CA 78.1
37 Kensington CA 78.1
38 Blackhawk CA 77.8
39 Saratoga CA 77.7
40 Menlo Park CA 77.3
41 Albany CA 77.2
42 Portola Valley CA 77.1
43 Danville CA 77.1
44 Palos Verdes Estates CA 76.9
45 Ladera CA 76.8
46 Foster City CA 76.5
47 San Francisco CA 76.5
48 San Marino CA 76.4
49 La Cañada Flintridge CA 76.4
50 Tiburon CA 76.1

Piedmont, CA tops the list with a composite score of 85.7 out of 100, followed by Ross and Orinda. 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 →