Every day, thousands of people pack up their belongings and move to a new community to either accept a position or look for a job. California’s Silicon Valley is considered by many to be the most desirable place to pursue a career in technology.
According to a 2017 list of “happiest places to work,” compiled by CareerBliss, Santa Clara and San Jose rank the highest, overall, in job-satisfaction. Co-founder Heidi Golledge said that high paying jobs in technology are helping to make these cities home to some of the happiest employees. The rankings were based on reviews that focused on things like company culture, compensation, growth opportunities, the quality of work relationships, and the amount of control employees have over their daily tasks. Other California cities that made it onto the list include San Francisco (#5), San Diego (#10), Los Angeles (#11), and Irvine (#19).
Besides an abundance of high-paying technology jobs, other factors that make California a desirable place to live (or move to) are reflected in a 2016 report called the Gallup-Healthways State of American Well-Being series. Based on thousands of telephone interviews, the communities that received the highest grades from survey respondents included Santa Cruz–Watsonville (#3), San Luis Obispo–Paso Robles–Arroyo Grande (#7), and Santa Maria–Santa Barbara (#12). Not too far behind were Santa Rosa (#17) and Salinas (#19). San Diego–Carlsbad ranked #22 and Visalia–Porterville is #25. The criteria includes factors like whether the respondents enjoy good health, have supportive relationships, financial security, a sense of pride in their community, and feelings of safety and well being.
According to the website Livability, Palo Alto ranks high as one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live. It earned the #7 slot in its 2017 list, based on factors like the quality of local hospitals, desirability of historic neighborhoods, proximity to major technology employers, number of public parks, abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities, and availability of high-end shopping locations.
U.S. News & World Report also comes out with an annual list, based on factors like the strength of the job market, cost of living, and quality of life metrics, including crime rate, average commuting time, and the reputation of area hospitals and schools. Using U.S. Census data, it also factors in “net migration,” which reflects whether a city is gaining or losing residents. Surveys on resident satisfaction and the desirability of cities were also used to tabulate the rankings. California cities which fared especially well on the list include San Jose (#3), San Francisco (#16), and San Diego (#22).
While everyone has different criteria when it comes to choosing a desirable place to life in California or elsewhere, most would agree that employment opportunities, the quality of education, recreational opportunities, and the availability of excellent health care services are all important things to consider when searching for a great place to live.