{"id":446749,"date":"2026-08-29T02:06:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T02:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/446749\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T02:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T02:06:09","slug":"most-desirable-us-cities-to-live-fresno-ranked-low-on-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/446749\/","title":{"rendered":"Most desirable US cities to live? Fresno ranked low on list"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite its status as California\u2019s fifth-largest city<\/a>, Fresno continues to struggle with its reputation.<\/p>\n

The Central Valley city recently landed near the bottom of Clever\u2019 Real Estate\u2019s new ranking of the best places to live in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The real estate platform surveyed 1,000 Americans to discover where people want to live most \u2014and the qualities that make these places appealing.<\/p>\n

What truly makes a community desirable, and why does Fresno lag behind other major metropolitan areas?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the Clever study discovered:<\/p>\n

What makes a city a desirable place to live?<\/p>\n

Although nearly 59% of survey respondents told Clever that they could be persuaded to relocate to a new city or state in pursuit of better opportunities, nearly three-quarters of Americans expressed satisfaction with where they live up now.<\/p>\n

\u201cNearly two-thirds of Americans agree the most desirable places to live have low crime rates and a low cost of living,\u201d Clever content writer Jaime Dunaway-Seale wrote in an Aug. 10 article.<\/p>\n

Other sought-after qualities include good weather<\/a>, cleanliness, low tax rates and affordable housing costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the Clever study, what Americans value can depend on their age group.<\/p>\n

\u201cYounger generations tend to prioritize affordability, while baby boomers are considerably more likely than millennials and Generation Z to view low crime rates as a nonnegotiable quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the flip side, high crime rates, high costs of living and heavy tax burdens are among the primary reasons a city becomes undesirable, Clever found.<\/p>\n

Why is Fresno one of America\u2019s least desirable cities?<\/p>\n

Fresno was No. 41 on Clever\u2019s 2026 list of the most desirable cities in the United States.<\/p>\n

Conversely, the Central Valley city placed 36th on the real estate platform\u2019s ranking of the least desirable cities in the nation.<\/p>\n

The study analyzed multiple factors to measure public perception, taking quality of life, geography and even manners into account.<\/p>\n

Fresno ranked among the 15 most boring cities in the United States.<\/p>\n

When it came to the cities with the nicest residents and the best food, Fresno ranked in the bottom 10.<\/p>\n

It also ranked relatively low in Clever\u2019s list of spots with the prettiest scenery.<\/p>\n

Out of 50 cities considered \u201con the rise,\u201d Fresno ranked 49th, according to the Clever study.<\/p>\n

However, Fresno has still plenty to offer would-be residents.<\/p>\n

Fresno is centrally located, culturally diverse and offers \u201csignificantly more home for your money<\/a>\u201d compared to other major California cities, Clovis-based Realtor Lynette Baker wrote in a March blog post.<\/p>\n

\u201cFresno offers all of the amenities of big city living<\/a> enjoyed with small-town ease,\u201d Fresno real estate agent Caitlyn Peck wrote in a November blog post.<\/p>\n

The Central Valley city boasts an \u201camazing restaurant scene\u201d with \u201cworld-class\u201d produce, plus a \u201cbooming\u201d economy and plenty of family-friendly activities, Peck said.<\/p>\n

How desirable is California?<\/p>\n

Florida earned the title of most desirable state in the United States for the third consecutive year, edging out California.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite both states having lots of sunshine, California\u2019s high cost of living may be a major turnoff as inflation climbs<\/a> to its highest point in years,\u201d Dunaway-Seale said.<\/p>\n

California also topped Clever\u2019s list of the most undesirable states in the nation, followed by New York<\/p>\n

\u201cThe haters far outweigh the supporters in California and New York, although no state is universally loved,\u201d Dunaway-Seale said.<\/p>\n

About 33% of Americans surveyed categorized California as an undesirable place to live, compared with 24% who considered it desirable.<\/p>\n

What are the 10 most desirable cities in the US?<\/p>\n

According to Clever Real Estate, Nashville, Tennessee, was the most desirable city in the United States to live in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic City hits all the right notes, with a growing number of job opportunities, an iconic food scene with its signature hot chicken dish, and a vibrant entertainment district packed with bars and live music,\u201d Dunaway-Seale said.<\/p>\n

NashvilleDenverSan DiegoCharlotteSeattleTampaRaleighAustinBostonOrlandoWhat are the least desirable places to settle down?<\/p>\n

Chicago topped Clever Real Estate\u2019s list of the least desirable cities to live in the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cChicago manages to check every box that makes a city undesirable,\u201d Dunaway-Seale said, with high crime rates, cold winters, a high cost of living and hefty property and sales taxes.<\/p>\n

According to Clever, these were the least desirable places to settle down in 2026:<\/p>\n

ChicagoNew YorkDetroitLos AngelesSan FranciscoBirminghamBaltimoreAtlantaWashington, DCTampaHow did Clever Real Estate rank best places to live?<\/p>\n

To determine the best and worst places to live in 2026, Clever Real Estate commissioned an online survey that polled 1,000 American adults from June 24 and June 25.<\/p>\n

Each respondent completed 25 questions evaluating their current living situation, regional preferences, and key priorities regarding city and state desirability.<\/p>\n

The researchers also analyzed U.S. Census Bureau migration patterns at both state and metro levels.<\/p>\n

Loading\u2026<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Gagandeep Singh<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fresno Bee<\/p>\n

Gagandeep Singh is a service journalism reporter for The Fresno Bee. He holds a master\u2019s degree in politics and global affairs from Columbia University. Prior to working at The Bee, he worked as a freelancer for CalMatters, BBC News and the Los Angeles Times. He focuses on migration, education, criminal justice and the South Asian diaspora in California.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite its status as California\u2019s fifth-largest city, Fresno continues to struggle with its reputation. The Central Valley city…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":446750,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[112,114,113],"class_list":["post-446749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fresno","tag-fresno","tag-fresno-headlines","tag-fresno-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/446750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}