This Sacramento-area city is one of the most livable in the U.S., study says. Here’s why

A Sacramento-area city is one of the most livable places in the United States, according to Livability.com.

Elk Grove landed on the site’s 2024 list of the Top 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. , which ranked small to mid-sized cities based on factors including housing, education and environment. Each city was then given a quality-of-life score.

“What makes a city a great place to live?” Livability said on its site. “The most livable cities in the U.S. offer a combination of affordability, opportunity and quality of life factors.”

Carmel, Indiana, topped the list of the best 100 places to live in the nation with a score of 875 out of a possible 1,000.

Cary, North Carolina, and Columbia, Maryland, tied for second place with a score of 874, and Fishers, Indiana, came in third place with a score of 864.

Elk Grove scored the highest out of four California cities on the list, with a score of 799.

Redding, Clovis and Murrieta also earned strong quality-of-life scores.

Why is Elk Grove one of the most livable cities in US?

Elk Grove , which has a population of nearly 182,000, got high marks for environment, health and economy, according to Livability.

“Elk Grove attracts people from all over the country with its welcoming community and celebratory spirit,” the site said. “Putting down roots here is easy thanks to the city’s low crime rates, family-friendly atmosphere, and wealth of good schools, green spaces and recreational activities for children.”

The city is on track to become a health care center with a new Dignity Health hospital slated to open in 2026, the site said.

Elk Grove is also “a leader in sustainable building practices and environmental stewardship,” Livability said.

The city has more than 90 parks and averages 269 sunny days a year.

Here are some other factors Livability looked at:

• Median home value: $497,689
• Median property tax: $3,613
• Average commute: 27 minutes
• Median household income: $115,804
• Average high and low temperatures: 74 degrees and 49 degrees, respectably
• Average annual rainfall: 19 inches
• Average annual snowfall: 0 inches

How did other California cities fare?

Redding had a quality-of-life score of 751, while Clovis had a score of 751 and Murrieta scored a 730.

How did Livability rank cities?

Livability partnered with Applied Geographic Solutions to create its 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. list.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the perfect place to live,” Livability stated on its website, which is why the cities were not ranked in numerical order.

Livability limited its list to more than 2,000 cities that fit its population parameters of 75,000 to 500,000 people.

Only cities with a median home value of $500,000 or less were included in the Top 100 Best Places to Live list.

Livability based its scores on about 100 data points measuring eight broad categories:

• Economy, including unemployment rate
• Housing and cost of living, including tax rates and home and rental affordability
• Amenities, such as museums, parks, golf courses and shopping
• Transportation, including walkability and median commute time
• Environment, including population density, air quality and natural disaster risks
• Safety, including crime rates
• Education, such as school quality
• Health, including life expectancy and access to doctors and hospitals