Some of the most expensive cities in California were listed in the recent “10 Best U.S. Cities to Move to for Raising Children in 2026” survey.
Four of the top municipalities listed in the survey were also among the most expensive in the Golden State, according to LA Homes.
Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose made the top 10 after the moving website HireAHelper reviewed 10 key factors to determine the best cities in the U.S. to raise a family.
Some of the factors in the survey included household salaries, median income, safety, child care costs, schools, work conditions, employee benefits, livability, and family friendliness.
Irvine
Some of the most expensive cities in California were listed in the recent “10 Best U.S. Cities to Move to for Raising Children in 2026” survey.
When the review dust settled, HireAHelper found that Irvine, in Orange County, Southern California, was the best city in the state to raise kids.
Irvine scored the highest based on the kid-friendly qualities measured in the area. The schools in Irvine are highly rated, earning an overall A+ and top marks in public education. The city also has an A+ rating for being “Good for Families.”
These A+ grades gave Irvine bonus points in the survey, which helped offset the penalties it faced due to a higher cost of living and more expensive childcare, the survey found.
Irvine was also ranked the 6th most expensive U.S. city to live in, based on The Council for Community and Economic Research.
The current median home sale price in Irvine was about $1.5 million, compared to the statewide price tag of nearly $ 830,000, according to the California Association of Realtors.
San Diego
A sailboat cruises past the San Diego skyline in San Diego Harbor on Jun. 15, 2015.
Known for decades as “America’s Finest City,” San Diego ranked 3rd in the HireAHelper survey, scoring high for its public schools, health, safety, and family fun.
But living in San Diego comes with a hefty price tag, ranking the home of SeaWorld and the San Diego Padres as the country’s 9th most expensive city to live in, according to The Council for Community and Economic Research.
For years, San Diego has been one of the most expensive cities in the U.S. But the city’s surging cost of living, which ticked up in 2025 to be nearly one-and-a-half times the national average, is fueling its rise in the rankings, according to Times of San Diego.
In February 2026, San Diego home prices were down 5.7% from last year, with a median price of $930,000.
San Francisco
Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose made the top 10 in HireAHelper’s review of the “10 Best U.S. Cities to Move to for Raising Children in 2026.”
The survey ranked San Francisco the 4th-best city for raising a family in 2026, with high scores for its public schools, median household income, parks, and places for working parents.
In February 2026, San Francisco home prices were up 7.7% from last year, with a median sale price of $1.5 million, according to Redfin.
The City by the Bay also ranked 5th by The Council for Community and Economic Research.
Some of the pros of living in San Francisco, according to Redfin, include the lovely scenery, mild weather, active, outdoor opportunities, the food scene, and its status as an innovation and technology hub.
The cons included limited outdoor space in some areas, high housing prices, challenging topography, traffic congestion, limited parking, and the known earthquake risk.
San Jose
Do you know the way to San Jose? HireAHelper does, and when it arrived in the “Capital City of Silicon Valley,” it ranked the municipality No. 7 as the best place to raise a family.
San Jose scored high for public schools, median household income, and health and safety, according to the survey.
In February 2026, San Jose home prices were down 7.4% from last year, with a median price of $1.3 million, Refin stated.
“San Jose offers a unique blend of innovation, culture, and natural beauty,” Redfin stated. “From the world-famous companies of Silicon Valley to the beautiful Municipal Rose Garden, there is something for everyone in this dynamic city.”
What other California cities made the top 55?
A pedestrian walks by a mural depicting the history, culture and economy of the California Central Valley city of Fresno;
The HireAHelper survey also listed the following California cities in its top 55:
Other highly ranked cities in the U.S. included:
No. 5: Seattle, Washington
No. 10: Madison, Wisconsin
To view the full study, visit blog.hireahelper.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Best places to raise a family in California in 2026