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Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Stunning but hyper-woke state doesn't have single city in best 100 places to live in America
Surprisingly, not a single city in sunny California ranked among the top best 100 places to live in the United States. Earlier this week, US News & World Report released its 2025-2026 Best Places to Live rankings, showcasing the top 250 major cities in America based on factors such as value, desirability, job market and quality of life. In a unexpected twist, however, not a single city from the sunny West Coast state made the list, despite its reputation for being one of the most desirable and expensive places to settle down. While the top three most expensive living cities in the nation - Newport Beach, Westminster and Daly City - are all located in the Golden State, the latest rankings suggest the high cost doesn't necessarily equate to being considered the best places to live. Folsom, located in Sacramento City, was the highest-ranked California city, but still came in at a modest 119 on the list. With more than 400 cities in California, only three broke into the top 200: Palo Alto at 148, Cupertino at 151 and San Ramon at 180. In the nationally renowned publication's 2025-2026 Best Big Cities to Live list, the trend held true for California, which only continued to be overlooked - San Diego was the highest-ranked, coming in at No. 15. San Francisco, the first Bay Area city to make the list, came in at No. 20, followed closely behind by San Jose at No. 24. If the so-called land of dreams and influence isn't even considered among the best places to live, then where exactly is the ideal place to call home? According to US News, the answer lies in Georgia, in a charming town called Johns Creek. With a population of nearly 79,000, Johns Creek is the 10th largest city in Georgia, boasting nationally-ranked schools, consistently high safety ratings and strong cultural diversity, according to the website. Johns Creek top ranking was determined by analyzing 859 of the most populated cities in the country, considering factors such as job market, value, quality of life and desirability. The four main criteria were selected through a February 2025 public survey, in which people from across the country identified what they believed was the most important factor in making a decision on where to reside. The Quality of Life category is weighed at 26 percent and includes factors that contribute to overall well-being, though they don't always affect a resident's day-to-day life. Some of the factors analyzed included quality of education, quality and availability of health care, air quality index, environmental risk, state economy and state infrastructure. The Value Index category is weighed at 25 percent and measures how comfortably each resident can afford to live within their means - ultimately measured by the median annual household income with the housing cost in each city, along with a regional Cost of Living index. In Johns Creek, the median home value is $528,234 compared to the national average of $370,489. The national median household income, however, is $163,653 - much higher compared to the national median household income of $79,466. The city's job market also significantly outperforms the national average, with an unemployment rate of 2.84 percent compared to the country's 4.5 percent. The Desirability category is weighed at 24 percent and measures factors that contribute to residents' happiness, focusing on elements that directly impact their day-to-day living. Some of these factors include crime rates, weather conditions, the city's access to cultural, leisure, retail and dining, as well as average commute times. In Johns Creek, the average commute time is 25.99 minutes - more than the national average. However, in a place with plentiful job opportunities, the Southern city offers a wealth of shopping, dining and recreational options, all while maintaining a sparse, suburban feel. The Job Market category is weighed at 23 percent, while the remaining two percent is allocated to the Net Migration category, which measures whether people are moving to or away from each city. Although the Georgia city was crowned the winner for the 2025-2026 season, three Texas cities made it to the top 10 - Pearland at No. 3, League City at No. 2 and Leander at No. 8. Earlier this year, it was predicted that the deeply conservative state was on track to become America's most populous, particularly as disgruntled liberals continue to flee the Golden State. Texas is expected to claim the top spot by 2045 - according to data published by in February - as its population soars from 31 million to a projected 42 million. California residents have cited its high cost of living and poor quality of life as factors in driving them away, and from 2019 to 2022 the population continually plummeted. The Golden State's population rose slightly - 0.17 percent - in 2023. If it remains on the same growth trajectory, the state won't reach pre-pandemic levels until 2032. While California has struggled to bounce back from the pandemic, Texas has seen a boom in residents flocking to cities such as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. In March, it was revealed that Fremont, California, was crowned the 'happiest place' to live in America based on its financial stability, high life satisfaction and healthy living conditions, according to WalletHub. Despite being known for its nationally recognized public schools and gorgeous parks, some residents have a major gripe about Fremont - boredom. Analysts expressed that an 'ideal city' has living conditions that 'foster good mental and physical health', including reasonable work hours, short commutes, good weather and caring neighbors. Yet not everyone was thrilled with Fremont's title, suggesting that despite the recognition, it may still not be the ideal place to live - and it didn't even make it onto the US News & World Reports list this year. Also featured in the top 10 best places to live is Carmel, Indiana; Fisgers, Indiana; Cary, North Carolina; Apex, North Carolina; Rochester Hills, Michigan; and Troy, Michigan.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
What to know about California Gov. Gavin Newsom's move to ban encampments
California 's governor called upon the state's cities and counties to ban homeless encampments this week, even providing blueprint legislation for dismantling the tents lining streets, parks and waterways throughout much of the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, made homelessness a priority of his administration when he took office in 2019. It had previously been an issue primarily for mayors and other local officials, but Newsom pumped money into converting old motels into housing and launched other initiatives to tackle the issue. Still, he has repeatedly called out cities and counties to do their part, and on Monday, he unveiled draft language that can be adopted by local governments to remove encampments. Here is what to know: What does the model ordinance say? Newsom's model ordinance includes prohibitions on 'persistent camping' in one location and encampments blocking sidewalks and other public spaces. It asks cities and counties to provide notice and make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter before clearing an encampment. What do local governments say? Organizations representing California's cities and counties balked at the suggestion that they are to blame for street conditions. They say they need dedicated, sustained funding over multiple years for permanent projects instead of sporadic, one-time funding. Carolyn Coleman, executive director and CEO of the League of California Cities, said that eight in 10 cities have policies to address encampments but they need money to address the root causes of homelessness, such as more housing. The California State Association of Counties said the state has not provided as much money to address homelessness as it says it has and that half of the money has gone to housing developers. What do homeless advocates say? Studies have shown that encampment bans and other punitive measures make it even harder for people to find stable housing and work, said Alex Visotzky with the National Alliance to End Homelessness. People may lose critical documents or lose contact with a trusted case manager, forcing them to start all over again. In Los Angeles, Jay Joshua watches over a small encampment in which he also lives. He says encampments can be a safe space for those living there. What are California cities doing about encampments? Major cities with Democratic mayors have already started cracking down on encampments, saying they present a public health and safety hazard. In San Francisco, new mayor Daniel Lurie vowed to clean up city sidewalks. In San Jose, Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed arrests if a person refuses shelter three times. Do cities and counties have to adopt it? Newsom can't make cities and counties adopt an encampment ban. But the proposed encampment legislation was paired with an announcement of $3.3 billion in grant money for facilities to treat mental health and substance abuse disorders, suggesting that he could condition state funding on compliance. In 2022, he paused $1 billion in state money for local government, saying that their plans to reduce homelessness fell short of the acceptable.
