California placed 10 of 27 analyzed cities in the rankings’ top half, yet none reached the national top 10 for renters overall.
Irvine led California at No. 20, followed by Fremont at No. 26, showing the state’s strongest renter performance still sat outside elite territory.
Other higher-ranked California cities included SF at No. 42, San Diego at No. 58, Sacramento at No. 61, and Fontana at No. 62.
Lower-ranked California cities included Santa Rosa at No. 140, Oceanside No. 142, Glendale No. 145, Santa Ana No. 151, and Oakland No. 169.
The study weighed rental affordability, vacancy, renter share, tenant-friendly laws, plus quality-of-life measures like jobs, traffic, recreation, resident satisfaction, and driving ease.