California is one of the most expensive states for retirees. But not every senior citizen is willing to leave the benefits of California life behind. The next best thing is to find a California city that’s at least somewhat affordable. There’s a lot that goes into that, so researchers at Insider Monkey crunched the data, coming up with a list of the most affordable cities based on housing, rent, and livability. See the rankings below.
15 Most Affordable California Cities for Retirees
1. Merced
Insider Monkey Score: 50
IM Cost of Living Index: 101.6
Median Home Price: $410,000
Median Rent: $1,095
Livability Score: 78
2. Visalia
Insider Monkey Score: 47
IM Cost of Living Index: 101.8
Median Home Price: $375,000
Median Rent: $1,100
Livability Score: 75
3. Fresno
Insider Monkey Score: 46
IM Cost of Living Index: 105.4
Median Home Price: $367,000
Median Rent: $950
Livability Score: 65
4. Clearlake
Insider Monkey Score: 41
IM Cost of Living Index: 102.4
Median Home Price: $210,000
Median Rent: $1,014
Livability Score: 61
5. Tulare
Insider Monkey Score: 41
IM Cost of Living Index: 102.3
Median Home Prices: $369,000
Median Rent: $1,000
Livability Score: 61
6. Yuba City
Insider Monkey Score: 40
IM Cost of Living Index: 107.6
Median Home Prices: $430,000
Median Rent: $1,225
Livability Score: 78
7. Eureka
Insider Monkey Score: 39
IM Cost of Living Index: 109.5
Median Home Price: $370,000
Median Rent: $1,090
Livability Score: 65
8. Fairfield
Insider Monkey Score: 32
IM Cost of Living Index: 128.9
Median Home Price: $610,000
Median Rent: $1,695
Livability Score: 70
9. Clovis
Insider Monkey Score: 31
IM Cost of Living Index: 103.9
Median Home Price: $480,000
Median Rent: $1,100
Livability Score: 77
10. Vacaville
Insider Monkey Score: 22
IM Cost of Living Index: 130.7
Median Home Price: $578,000
Median Rent: $1,750
Livability Score: 79
11. Citrus Heights
Insider Monkey Score: 18
IM Cost of Living Index: 117.6
Median Home Price: $467,000
Median Rent: $1,604
Livability Score: 63
12. Roseville
Insider Money Score: 18
IM Cost of Living Index: 126.2
Median Home Price: $590,000
Median Rent: $1,831
Livability Score: 77
13. Fontana
Insider Monkey Score: 18
IM Cost of Living Index: 121.8
Median Home Price: $642,000
Median Rent: $1,500
Livability Score: 65
14. Folsom
Insider Monkey Score: 14
IM Cost of Living Index: 124.1
Median Home Price: $812,000
Median Rent: $1,875
Livability Score: 72
15. Ontario
Insider Monkey: 14
IM Cost of Living Index: 123.3
Median Home Price: $631,000
Median Rent: $1,849
Livability Score: 64
List and data were compiled by Insider Monkey and do not necessarily represent statistics on all cities.