Six cities in California have been named among the 10 worst places to rent in 2025 − and Stockton didn’t fare so well.
The apartment-search website RentCafe published its annual “Best Cities for Renters to Live” report on June 26, finding Stockton, Anaheim, Sunnyvale, Bakersfield, San Jose, and Los Angeles are among the worst cities for renters in the West.
Anaheim ranked last in the report. Home to a Disneyland theme park and the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, Anaheim scored near the bottom of the list for housing and cost of living (144th), local economy (122nd), and quality of life (117th), according to the report.
Researchers took 150 cities across the nation and ranked them based on 20 indicators, including “apartment quality, economic strength, traffic, air quality, and access to natural amenities,” according to the report. The report also looked at communities where affordability intersected with a “strong sense of community” and good job prospects.
Overall, McKinney, Texas, was ranked as the best city for renters in the country due to its mix of affordability, quality of life, and consistent job growth, according to RentCafe. But the report also ranked the top 10 cities by region.
Here’s more on the report and what to know about the best places for renters in the nation.
Where are the best places for renters to live in California?
The study found San Diego was the best city to live in California, coming in 95th of the 150 cities in the survey, but first in the state. The city ranked high in quality of life and the strength of the local economy.
Oakland (105th) and Fresno (112th) were California’s next-best overall cities, ranking high in California for (relative) affordability and natural amenities.
However, Sunnyvale and San Francisco finished No. 3 and 4 in the nation for quality of life, only trailing Washington D.C. and Arlington, Virginia in that metric.
Which cities ranked as the best places to rent in the nation and the west?
According to RentCafe, the 10 best cities for renters to live in the western U.S. in 2025 are:
Where are the best places for renters to live in the US?
According to RentCafe, the five best places for renters to live in the United States in 2025 are:
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Stockton among worst places to live for renters in the nation, RentCafe ranking shows
Reporting by Andre Byik and James Ward, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
