San Joaquin County, which celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2025 after being established in 1850, has earned a place on Niche’s rankings and grades for California counties.
The county, a major Northern California agricultural and economic hub between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada, is home to the Port of Stockton, University of the Pacific and what is often noted as the most diverse city in the U.S., Stockton.
“San Joaquin County has been defined for 175 years by the heart and spirit of a community built on resilience, innovation, and determination,” San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors Chair Paul Canepa said in the 2025 State of the County Address on Oct. 16, 2025.
The county, celebrating “175 Years of Growing Greatness,” hosted a series of community celebrations and launched a commemorative exhibit at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum.
Niche, a website that evaluates schools and communities, recently released rankings of the state’s counties based on overall livability. Here’s what to know about Niche’s findings for California and how San Joaquin County fared.
Niche’s methodology
To determine each county’s grade and ranking, Niche evaluated 13 factors using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CDC, and other sources.
The thirteen factors — which were given different weights ranging from 5% to 15% — Niche considered when calculating counties’ overall grades were:
Based on these combined factors, Niche assigned each county an overall grade ranging from “A+” to “D-.”
Top-rated California counties
The four highest-rated counties, each earning an “A+,” are all in Northern California. With the exception of Marin County (#4), the other three top-ranked counties — Alameda (#1), Santa Clara (#2), and San Mateo (#3) — are located in Silicon Valley.
Alameda County, the highest-ranked county in the Golden State per Niche’s report, earned high marks across most categories but scored lower in cost of living and housing, patterns which were also seen among the next three top-ranked counties.
Orange (#5), Contra Costa (#6), and Santa Cruz (#7) counties each earned an “A” in Niche’s report, with strong overall performance but lower marks in cost of living, housing, and job opportunities.
The lowest-rated California counties
The six counties at the bottom of Niche’s list — Kings, Merced, Imperial, Lake, Alpine, and Sierra —received grades ranging from “D+” to “D.” They tend to be less affluent and more rural, with fewer economic opportunities compared to higher-ranking counties.
Kings County, the lowest-ranked on Niche’s list, scored poorly in jobs and housing and received average marks for cost of living, public schools, and family-friendliness. However, the Central Valley county performed well in diversity and weather.
The other lower-ranked counties showed similar patterns, with weak scores in housing, cost of living, and job opportunities.
Full California county rankings
At No. 28, San Joaquin County earned a C+ from Niche. Here is a full list of Niche’s rankings and grades for 58 California counties.
In an emailed statement, a Niche spokesperson clarified that San Francisco County was not included in its “county rankings because it is classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a consolidated city-county, meaning the city and county are effectively the same geographic entity. To avoid duplicate listings, the spokesperson said the company instead categorized San Francisco as a city rather than a separate county. Niche’s findings for San Francisco are available here.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Niche ranks California’s best counties. Here’s where San Joaquin lands
Reporting by Daniella Segura and Elizabeth Roberts, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Daniella Segura and Elizabeth Roberts, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
