Best Cities For Singles In California For 2020


We used science and data to determine which cities in California have the best set up for singles: no kids, no old people, and a lot to do.

Chris Kolmar, About HomeSnacks
December 27, 2019 - 25,105 views
Editor’s Note: We updated this article for 2020. This is our sixth time ranking the best cities for singles in California.

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Are you trying to find love in California?

Or are you just looking to hook up?

Either way, we've got you covered here. At least, we'll point you in the right direction - which is why you came here in the first place, right?

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of Americans who have remained single (not married) is growing. That means, people are dating a lot longer than they used to.

There are many reasons for that, including financial and cultural. And, we suspect smartphones and social media has a lot to do with it, too. After all, we're all a lot more distracted these days.

If you live in California, there's a pretty good chance there are a lot of singles in your area. The Golden State ranks in the top 10 when it comes to number of people over the age of 18 who aren't married, or in a serious relationship. That's great news for people looking for their match.

So, where are the best cities for singles in California? We've got the answers here.

These are the best cities for singles in California for 2020:

  1. Berkeley (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  2. Los Angeles (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  3. Huntington Park (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  4. Imperial Beach (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  5. Bell Gardens (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  6. San Francisco (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  7. Cudahy (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  8. Hawaiian Gardens (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  9. Davis (Photos | Homes For Sale)
  10. Maywood (Photos | Homes For Sale)

So, what was the best city for singles in California? Berkeley ranks as the best place for singles in California if you care about things singles care about like night life, affordable housing, and other singles.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how each city ranked. If you live in or really close to one of these cities, and you're single, you should probably get out more often. And stop staring at your phone. Just sayin'.

The most boring place in california? That would be Lafayette.

And after you find a mate, you'll no doubt want to start a family and buy a home right? Don't forget to check out the best places to live in california or the safest places to live in california.

For more California reading, check out:

The 10 Best Cities For Singles In California For 2020

1. Berkeley

Berkeley Location In California

Berkeley, CA

Source: Wikipedia User User:Introvert | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 120,926
Median Age: 30.8
Married households: 10.0%
Households with kids: 20.6%
More on Berkeley: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Berkeley is a city on the east shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryville to the south and the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington to the north. Its eastern border with Contra Costa County generally follows the ridge of the Berkeley Hills. The 2010 census recorded a population of 112,580.

2. Los Angeles

Los Angeles Location In California

Los Angeles, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Nserrano | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,959,657
Median Age: 35.4
Married households: 9.0%
Households with kids: 29.9%
More on Los Angeles: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Review Of Los Angeles by HomeSnacks User

I hated being LA. The people in the city are awful, it's hot, it stinks. I can go on and on. There's nice places with jerky people. There's scummy places with even worse people. Trash in the streets everywhere. Everything is expensive.

Watch out for people trying to hustle you for money and people trying to sell you drugs.

Review Your Area

3. Huntington Park

Huntington Park Location In California

Huntington Park, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Jmiles92 | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 58,694
Median Age: 30.7
Married households: 6.0%
Households with kids: 51.9%
More on Huntington Park: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Huntington Park is a city in the Gateway Cities district of southeastern Los Angeles County, California.

4. Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach Location In California

Imperial Beach, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Kotoviski photo | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 27,290
Median Age: 32.4
Married households: 12.0%
Households with kids: 35.1%
More on Imperial Beach: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

5. Bell Gardens

Bell Gardens Location In California

Bell Gardens, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 42,641
Median Age: 29.1
Married households: 7.0%
Households with kids: 59.8%
More on Bell Gardens: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Bell Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census.

6. San Francisco

San Francisco Location In California

San Francisco, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Bernard Gagnon | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 870,044
Median Age: 38.2
Married households: 9.0%
Households with kids: 18.7%
More on San Francisco: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Review Of San Francisco by HomeSnacks User

I believe that San Francisco, CA is an awesome place to live! There is never a shortage of things to do, from shopping in China Town to taking a ride down the crookest street in America on the Trolley, it truly is a fun place to be. There are so many different people and cultures in the city that you truly get to learn and appreciate this divers city.

What stands out are the people and the care free attitude of the city. You learn to appreciate all types of people and the cuisines that they offer. I love China town and the food is like no other.

Review Your Area

7. Cudahy

Cudahy Location In California

Cudahy, CA

Source: Flickr User [email protected] | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 24,016
Median Age: 29.1
Married households: 7.0%
Households with kids: 58.5%
More on Cudahy: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Cudahy is a city located in southeastern Los Angeles County, California. In terms of area, Cudahy is the second smallest city in Los Angeles County, after Hawaiian Gardens, but with one of the highest population densities of any incorporated city in the United States. It is part of the Gateway Cities region. Cudahy is populated predominantly by Latino non-citizen immigrants and has a population of 23,805 as of the 2010 U.S. Census.

8. Hawaiian Gardens

Hawaiian Gardens Location In California

Hawaiian Gardens, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 14,411
Median Age: 31.7
Married households: 9.0%
Households with kids: 52.3%
More on Hawaiian Gardens: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Hawaiian Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the smallest city in the county and was incorporated on April 9, 1964. The population was 14,254 at the 2010 census, down from 14,779 at the 2000 census.

9. Davis

Davis Location In California

Davis, CA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 67,988
Median Age: 25.6
Married households: 13.0%
Households with kids: 23.3%
More on Davis: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Davis formerly Davisville is a city in the U.S. state of California and the most populous city in Yolo County. It had a population of 65,622 in 2010, not including the on-campus population of the University of California, Davis, which was over 9,400 in 2016. The city is a suburb of California's capital, Sacramento.

10. Maywood

Maywood Location In California

Maywood, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Justefrain | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 27,542
Median Age: 29.7
Married households: 7.0%
Households with kids: 55.7%
More on Maywood: Photos | Homes For Sale | Data

Maywood is a small city in southeast Los Angeles County, California. At 1.18 square miles, Maywood is the third-smallest incorporated city in Los Angeles County. It is bordered by the cities of Bell on the south, Vernon on the north and west, Huntington Park on the southwest, and Commerce on the east. It is the most densely-populated city in California, and has the highest proportion of Latinos, immigrants, and undocumented immigrants in the county.

How do you determine which city is best for singles in california anyways?

To give you the places in california which are best for singles to find one another, we have to look at a handful of metrics. Of course, we want to measure the type of people who live in each city, and make some assumptions about what single people like.

So we researched the internet for a database that contains all that information.

These Are The 10 Best Counties To Live In California

How we crunched the numbers for the Golden State

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the 2014-2018 American Community Survey Census data produced for the state of california, we looked at every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:

  • Population density
  • % of population that's male vs. female (closer to a 50-50 ratio is better)
  • % of households with kids
  • Median age
  • Number of unmarried people in each city

We then gave each city a Singles Score.

The higher the score, the better the city is for singles to find one another. We also limited our results to cities with populations over 10,000 people. For california, that meant a total of 360 cities. You can download the data here.

Read on to see why Berkeley is the talk of the town while Lafayette is probably a bit on the boring side.

There You Have It - The Best Cities for Singles in california for 2020

If you're looking for a breakdown of cities in california ranked by criteria that most would agree make a place a great spot for finding a single person (and potentially love), this is an accurate list.

Here's a look at the most boring cities in california according to the data:

  1. Lafayette
  2. Orinda
  3. Norco

For more California reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Best Cities For Singles In California

Rank City Population Median Age
1 Berkeley, CA 120,926 30.8
2 Los Angeles, CA 3,959,657 35.4
3 Huntington Park, CA 58,694 30.7
4 Imperial Beach, CA 27,290 32.4
5 Bell Gardens, CA 42,641 29.1
6 San Francisco, CA 870,044 38.2
7 Cudahy, CA 24,016 29.1
8 Hawaiian Gardens, CA 14,411 31.7
9 Davis, CA 67,988 25.6
10 Maywood, CA 27,542 29.7
11 Paramount, CA 54,776 30.6
12 El Monte, CA 115,669 35.3
13 Long Beach, CA 468,883 34.6
14 Santa Monica, CA 92,078 39.9
15 Santa Cruz, CA 64,273 28.7
16 Costa Mesa, CA 113,198 35.0
17 San Diego, CA 1,401,932 34.7
18 Parlier, CA 15,120 27.8
19 San Luis Obispo, CA 47,160 26.2
20 East Palo Alto, CA 29,633 29.7
21 Hawthorne, CA 87,370 33.4
22 Emeryville, CA 11,724 35.3
23 Salinas, CA 156,550 30.5
24 Baldwin Park, CA 76,222 34.2
25 Garden Grove, CA 174,010 38.3
26 San Pablo, CA 30,839 33.0
27 San Mateo, CA 104,035 38.5
28 Santa Barbara, CA 91,325 38.5
29 Tustin, CA 80,140 34.5
30 Rosemead, CA 54,417 41.4
31 Stanton, CA 38,509 34.5
32 Norwalk, CA 105,886 35.4
33 Santa Ana, CA 333,499 31.4
34 Fullerton, CA 139,866 35.3
35 Oakland, CA 421,042 36.5
36 Compton, CA 97,301 30.7
37 Bell, CA 35,809 30.5
38 Arcata, CA 18,050 25.9
39 Lawndale, CA 33,007 35.7
40 San Jose, CA 1,026,658 36.5
41 Escondido, CA 151,115 33.8
42 Lynwood, CA 71,022 29.8
43 South Gate, CA 95,103 31.6
44 Alhambra, CA 84,974 40.6
45 Pomona, CA 152,494 31.5
46 Seaside, CA 34,077 32.3
47 Anaheim, CA 349,668 34.3
48 El Cajon, CA 103,285 34.0
49 West Hollywood, CA 36,384 39.9
50 Buena Park, CA 82,781 36.3
51 Bellflower, CA 77,529 34.1
52 Santa Maria, CA 105,483 29.4
53 Santa Clara, CA 126,209 33.9
54 Sunnyvale, CA 152,323 35.0
55 Mountain View, CA 80,993 34.9
56 Arvin, CA 21,005 25.0
57 Westminster, CA 91,417 42.3
58 Chico, CA 91,998 29.8
59 Oxnard, CA 207,568 32.1
60 Oceanside, CA 175,389 37.6
61 Mendota, CA 11,393 28.1
62 Sacramento, CA 495,011 34.4
63 San Bruno, CA 43,114 39.6
64 Campbell, CA 42,470 39.4
65 La Palma, CA 15,733 43.2
66 La Puente, CA 40,268 32.9
67 Orange, CA 139,873 35.2
68 Inglewood, CA 110,327 35.3
69 Watsonville, CA 53,616 30.3
70 Redondo Beach, CA 67,700 40.1
71 Goleta, CA 30,790 37.2
72 Kerman, CA 14,649 28.6
73 Montebello, CA 63,099 36.1
74 Monterey Park, CA 60,792 44.8
75 South San Francisco, CA 67,294 40.0
76 Santa Paula, CA 30,258 32.8
77 San Bernardino, CA 215,182 29.7
78 Port Hueneme, CA 22,215 31.7
79 South El Monte, CA 20,727 34.3
80 Hayward, CA 158,241 35.1
81 Riverside, CA 323,935 31.4
82 Milpitas, CA 77,457 36.5
83 Albany, CA 19,758 35.7
84 Huntington Beach, CA 200,606 41.8
85 Chula Vista, CA 266,468 34.9
86 Belmont, CA 27,110 39.8
87 San Fernando, CA 24,585 34.3
88 Pasadena, CA 141,246 38.1
89 Signal Hill, CA 11,538 36.8
90 Atwater, CA 29,197 31.1
91 Montclair, CA 38,865 31.8
92 Monterey, CA 28,512 36.9
93 Fresno, CA 522,277 30.8
94 Downey, CA 112,901 35.6
95 Merced, CA 82,289 29.6
96 Irvine, CA 265,502 34.1
97 Glendale, CA 200,372 41.8
98 Azusa, CA 49,544 29.3
99 El Centro, CA 43,898 32.3
100 Reedley, CA 25,493 32.1
Download The Entire California Ranking Data

How Is The Area In ?

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Rankings, Singles

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