Redondo Beach is the only city in Los Angeles County to land on U.S. News & World Report's 2026-27 list of California's best places to live, earning the No. 10 spot out of 161 cities evaluated statewide.
The ranking, published Thursday, Aug. 6, scored Redondo Beach at 5.7 out of 10 overall. Dublin, in the East Bay, topped the list at 6.2. Seven of the top 10 cities are in the Bay Area. Outside that region, only Folsom (5.8), Encinitas (5.8) and Redondo Beach made the cut.
How the ranking works
U.S. News evaluated cities across four categories: value (housing costs, cost of living), quality of life (healthcare access, schools, air quality, economic performance), desirability (crime rates, weather, restaurants, cultural attractions) and job market (unemployment rate, median household income). Data came from government agencies including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Commerce, the Federal Reserve and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Top-10 cities shared several traits: highly rated schools, relatively low crime, high household incomes and access to major employment hubs.
What it costs to live here
The recognition arrives as Redondo Beach home prices continue climbing. The city's median sale price hit approximately $1.53 million as of May 2026, with average home values up 2.6% year over year, according to Zillow data updated June 30. The city's annual operating budget stands at roughly $130.9 million, according to city budget data.
That price tag puts Redondo Beach in a different league from most of its top-10 peers. Folsom and Dublin, for instance, sit in regions where median prices run several hundred thousand dollars lower.
Housing pressures and what's ahead
The ranking lands amid significant housing activity in the city. The City Council voted in June 2026 to adopt an updated housing element after Redondo Beach lost multiple lawsuits over state housing compliance. The council also approved a mixed-use project at 401 Pacific Coast Highway in February 2026, reversing a Planning Commission rejection from December 2025, according to Urbanize LA.
The former AES power plant site on the waterfront remains the city's largest pending development question. Developer Leo Pustilnikov proposed a 2,300-unit mixed-use project called One Redondo in 2022, but the project has faced city opposition and legal disputes. Its current status is unclear.
No statement from Mayor James "Jim" Light or the city manager responding to the ranking was available as of Friday, Aug. 7.
The full top 10
- Dublin (6.2)
- Cupertino (6.1)
- Palo Alto (6.1)
- Sunnyvale (5.9)
- Folsom (5.8)
- Encinitas (5.8)
- San Ramon (5.8)
- Santa Clara (5.8)
- Fremont (5.7)
- Redondo Beach (5.7)
The next Redondo Beach City Council meeting is Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 415 Diamond St. Residents can attend or submit public comments through the city clerk's office.
