California—for better or worse—is often seen as both a trendsetter and a leader among the 50 states. Thanks to a history of policy failures and successes, an incredibly diverse demographic and altogether unique frame of mind, California is home to wide array of both positive and negative distinctions.
Below is a roundup of recent “Top 10” lists that rank California cities from the silly to the serious:
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San Diego was listed among Forbes’ list, “The Best Cities for Dog Lovers,” thanks to its abundance of pet-friendly accommodations. The city boasts 16 different off-leash dog parks and there is even an ice cream stand that offers a sugar-free, soy-based ice cream treat for man’s best friend. San Diego also placed 7th among the “Top 10 Cities Hardest Hit by the US Fed Government Shutdown,” with 10.9% of its workforce placed on leave.
San Jose topped the Center for Healthy Housing’ list, “Top Metro Cities for Healthy Housing.” The scorecard is based on 20 health-related housing characteristics in the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey. The list also includes rats, peeling paint, holes in walls and broken toilets. The Census surveys were done between 2004 and 2011. Orange County tied for 3rd and Sacramento and the San Bernardino/Riverside regions tied for 6th, San Diego placed 12th, San Francisco/Oakland placed 16th, and Los Angeles came in 34th. San Jose was also rated as the “Fittest City for Baby Boomers,” followed by San Francisco in 3rd and San Diego in 9th. San Jose and San Francisco also led the nation in the highest density of high-tech startups. It was also ranked as the 2nd “Best U.S. City for Newlyweds” and listed among the “Best Cities to Start Over.”
San Francisco is rated as the 9th best city to celebrate Halloween. According to The Celebrity Café, “For the past two years, Zillow has named San Francisco the best trick-or-treating town. Cities across the country were assessed for home value, population density, walkability, and crime rates, and The Golden Gate City has repeatedly come out on top.” Frisco was also listed among Forbes’ list, “The Best Cities for Dog Lovers,” placed 3rd among the most energy efficient cities in the nation, and ranked 9th among “The Best U.S. Cities for Newlyweds.” It was also ranked as number 8 on Bloomberg’s “Top 10 Cities Threatened with Disaster.”
Santa Barbara was ranked as the 9th “Most Expensive U.S. City to Stay In,” based on hotel room averages. San Francisco was ranked 8th. It was also listed among the “Top 20 Cities on the Rise.”
Sacramento placed 4th among the nation’s “Least Stressed Cities.”
Los Angeles was ranked number 6 on Bloomberg’s “Top 10 Cities Threatened with Disaster,” thanks to its prevalence of earthquakes and flash floods.
Oakland was rated as the 13th “Most Dangerous City in America.”
And finally, California dominated the “10 Best Dressed Small Cities in America” list, with Mission Viejo placing in 9th, Santa Barbara in 6th, San Mateo in 5th, Westminster in 4th, Newport Beach in 3rd and Santa Monica topping the list.
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Any ideas for a Top 10 list exclusively for CA Cities? Email Justin@PublicCEO.com.