If you already had plans to move to the West Coast, the recent wildfires are a valid reason to hesitate. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, more than 16,200 structures and at least 9,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton fires. But as is the case in Maui’s Lahaina, structures can be rebuilt and locals are determined to move back to their beloved towns. However, that still leaves people who were already planning to move to California wondering where are the best places to live in California right now, knowing that there’s still work to be done in wildfire-torn areas.
10 Historical Facts About California
Last year, California celebrated its first satellite campus, which was spearheaded by Huston-Tillotson University (HT) in Austin, Texas. Majority of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are in the southern part of the United States. This satellite campus was set up to give West Coast students an opportunity to experience HBCU life. And this is one of many historical moments that have happened in California. Here are 10 more Black History Californian facts.
- Oakland, California native Kamala Harris has been a “first” in many categories: Harris is the first woman, the first Black American and the first Asian-American to become the 2024 Democratic Party presidential nominee. In 2010, she won the election to be the attorney general of California — winning by less than 1% — and became the first woman and the first Black American to hold the post. She also received the third-highest number of popular votes of any U.S. presidential nominee following her boss, former President Joe Biden, in 2020 and current President Donald Trump in 2024.
- Although she was involved in a controversial lawsuit that may have hurt her character, Mary Ellen Pleasant still managed to become a millionaire and the co-owner of a boarding house with a business partner. However, she had to hide her success under the guise of being the family’s domestic servant to public onlookers.
- Edward Parker Duplex migrated to California during the Gold Rush and used his profits to start his own barbershop in Marysville, where he employed other Black barbers. Approximately three decades later, he became the first Black mayor in California.
- Lt. Col. Allen Allensworth was the first African-American to become a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army as a member of the Buffalo Soldiers in the West. After serving in the U.S. Army for 20 years and retiring, he co-founded the town of Allensworth with Professor William Payne in 1908 as the first community established, financed and governed by African Americans. This is now the Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.
- Frederick Madison Roberts, a great-grandson of Sally Hemings and President Thomas Jefferson, was the first Black man elected to the California State Assembly. He also was a newspaper owner of The New Age Dispatch newspaper (later called New Age), which he edited until 1948.
- Augustus Hawkins co-sponsored more than 300 pieces of legislation. In 1991, at age 100, he retired as the oldest living person ever to have served in Congress. He was succeeded by Maxine Waters.
- Thomas Bradley was a police officer who went on to become the first Black mayor of Los Angeles.
- As the largest Black film and arts festival in the United States, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival (PAFF) brings together filmmakers and entertainers from more than 40 countries and six continents to Los Angeles annually.
- Nicolás Rolando Gabaldón was credited as being California’s first documented surfer of African-American and Latino descent even when many beaches in Southern California were segregated.
- Poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, who moved to the Bay Area at the age of 14, became the first African-American woman to present a poem at a presidential inauguration in 1993 when former President Bill Clinton won. Angelou also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama in 2010. In 2019, she was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.
Most Populated Neighborhoods in California
Los Angeles is by far the most populous city in California with approximately 3.8 million people, followed by San Diego (1.38 million), San Jose (956K), San Francisco (788K), Fresno (546K), Sacramento (526K), Long Beach (444K), Oakland (435K), Bakersfield (416K) and Anaheim (338K). While being the biggest city has added perks of being a networking haven and a place where something fun is happening 24/7 (and with sunny weather for more than three-quarters of the year), the best neighborhoods to move into will depend on budget, safety and atmosphere.
While public transportation isn’t relied on in the same manner as a New Yorker or a Chicagoan would, access to public transportation if needed is also a significant reason to pick some Los Angeles cities over others. For example, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista and San Francisco have better access to public transportation than San Diego, Long Beach and San Diego.
Best Job Markets in California
Majority of the top jobs in California are under the health care umbrella, with nurse anesthetists at the top followed by emergency medicine physicians, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, family medicine physicians, general internal medicine physicians and general pediatricians. Outside of health careers, the other highest paying jobs in California (and around $200K) are airline pilots, copilots, flight engineers, judges, magistrate judges and chief executives.
Still in the six-figure salary, $100K jobs include post-secondary teachers, general and operations managers, computer programmers, physical scientists, fundraising managers, construction managers, and wholesale and manufacturing representatives. California is known as an artsy state, and there are well-paying jobs such as multimedia artists and animators ($129K) and art directors ($130K).
Cost of Living in California
According to Rocket Mortgage, California is in the top 20 for the lowest ranking property taxes: 0.75%. The median home value is $715,900 with the average annual property taxes of $5,347.48. While the property tax rate is much higher than Hawaii‘s annual property tax rate of $937.29 but is much lower than Illinois‘ annual property tax rate of $9,006.07. For non-homeowners, the rental rates may take some getting used to. For example, a Chicagoan making $50,000 would have to make $65,833 to live the same lifestyle. On the other end, a Honolulu resident moving to Los Angeles could earn $41,056 to match a prior $50,000 lifestyle.
Lifestyles in California
California singles may enjoy living in Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, San Diego, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco, West Hollywood, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Hermosa Beach, Malibu, South Lake Tahoe, Big Bear and Palm Springs.
For affordable living with a young family, Beaumont, Solana Beach, San Marino, Carmel-By-the-Sea, Clovis and Sacramento are the way to go.
For the best places to live in California when it comes to green living, San Francisco, San Diego, Long Beach and Irvine should get special attention while house shopping.
Pretty much any event you’re interested in will be somewhere in California. If you’re into strawberry-infused tamales, beer, nachos and chocolate-dipped strawberries, check out the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. For a safe space that is LGBTQ+, enjoy the San Francisco Pride Parade & Celebration. For the love of dance, check out San Francisco’s Black Choreographers Festival. Support Black History Month at the Black Joy Parade in Oakland.
Crime Rates While Living in California
California has room for improvement when it comes to crime. Cali currently has a D- in violent crime and a D in property crime. The rate of crime in California is 78.41 per 1,000 residents each year, although the northern region of California is considered to be safer (one in 22 chance) than the southern region (one in eight chance). Theft is the most common crime followed by vandalism and drug crimes. Some neighborhoods have questionable rates when it comes to crime too. When California Governor Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao reported lower crime rates in Oakland’s “crime triangle,” there were questions about whether that was just a matter of less potential victims because of an increase in business closures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What part of California does not have earthquakes?
Northern California, primarily the northern Sacramento Valley and the Sierra Nevada foothills, is considered the safest place in the state to avoid large earthquakes.
What is the most affordable place to live in California?
Porterville and Clearlake are two places listed as the most affordable in California, with home prices ranging from $216K to $355K.
Does California get snow in the winter?
The last time California had snow was in the late winter season of 2023, with about 56 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The only record to ever beat that was a little more than 67 feet in 1952.
