San Jose is knee-deep in torrential rains right now, but on brighter days it’s one of the best places to live in the country. So says U.S. News & World Report which recently ranked the 100 best places to live in the United States for 2017.
San Jose was No. 3 on the list, coming in behind Austin, TX (No. 1) and Denver, CO (No. 2).
Local expert Jennifer Lin explains why San Jose is so great:
Nicknamed the capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose is a diverse area with an innovative spirit. While it has a distinct downtown, San Jose is a sprawling metro area that is as much defined by its suburban neighborhoods and large tech campuses as it is by the high-rises in its business district. San Jose's proximity to other tech headquarters in Silicon Valley, including Google in Mountain View and Apple in Cupertino, cements San Jose's position in the tech hub. But the metro area also retains its character with quirky attractions like the 160-room, maze-like Winchester Mystery House; a 120-acre flea market complete with ponies; and a larger-than-life-size Monopoly board listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
A low unemployment rate and high salaries pushed San Jose to the top three.
Several other California cities made the list too, including San Francisco (No. 16), San Diego (No. 22), Santa Rosa (No. 52), Sacramento (No. 66), Los Angeles (No. 88), Fresno (No. 96), Bakersfield (No. 97), Stockton (No. 98), and Modesto (No. 99). Check out the full rankings and methodology here.
Data is compiled and reported by U.S. News & World Report and does not reflect statistics on all U.S. cities.