U.S. News & World Report just dropped its 2026–2027 Best Places to Live in the U.S. list, and a small East Bay city has quietly come out on top for California: Dublin.
For Angelenos used to thinking about the Bay Area in terms of San Francisco and Oakland, Dublin is more of a suburban powerhouse. Thanks to its robust job market and high incomes, it’s now ranked the best place to live in the state.
Here’s how it stacks up.
Dublin: California’s top-ranked city
Dublin took the #1 spot in California largely because of its connection to the Bay Area’s huge economy, while offering a calmer residential vibe than the big cities across the bay. It sits about 40 minutes from downtown San Francisco, with easy access to tech and corporate jobs but a more low-key, family-oriented feel.
The city has around 71,400 residents with a median age of 37, and the community trends strongly toward families and professionals building their careers. U.S. News highlights Dublin’s median household income of $211,868 and a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, both better than national figures. That said, the median home value is $1,283,390, which gives Dublin a very low “Value Index” score of 0.9 out of 10.
The average commute is about 31 minutes, and the city is served by both I-580 and BART, making it attractive for folks who want Bay Area-level job opportunities without living in the urban core.
How U.S. News ranked the cities
For the 2026–2027 list, U.S. News evaluated 250 major U.S. cities using data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Each city was scored in four buckets: quality of life, value (housing and cost of living), job market strength, and desirability, which factors in migration trends and survey responses from residents.
Nationwide, the top spots went to cities that balance strong economies with relatively lower costs of living, with Carmel, Indiana landing the #1 position overall. Other high performers were spread across Texas, Iowa, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri.
Dublin may be the top-ranked city in California, but on the national list it landed at #119 out of the 250 places studied. The closest highly-ranking city to Los Angeles was Encinitas at #6 in California, although it was only #235 overall.
🌐 Learn more: U.S. News & World Report: 250 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2026-2027
