These are the most unaffordable cities in California
LOS ANGELES - The cost of living in the average American city is $5,111.17 per month - or about $61,334 per year.
That's according to GOBankingRates, which used rental data from ApartmentList, cost-of-living data from Sperling’s Best and average expenditure data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nine of the ten cities on the national list are - of course - in California:
Emeryville, California
EMERYVILLE, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 17: The Emeryville Marina is seen from this drone view in Emeryville, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,631.29
Home to Pixar Animamtion Studios, the annual cost of living in Emeryville is $94,147.69, or $7,845.64 per month. The tradeoff is a comparably low livability score of 67, which is considered just average and the lowest on the list.
Marina del Rey, California
Buildings of the Marina City Club condominium development, an iconic feature of the waterfront of Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles, California, October 23, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $4,471.14
On the other end of the livability spectrum is Marina del Rey — at 84, only one other city can boast a higher score. It, too, offers a sub-six-figure annual cost of living. You can carve out a life there for $98,931.74, or $8,244.31 per month.
Lake Forest, California
SHAVER LAKE, CA - JULY 14: In an aerial view, forest that was burned by the Creek Fire, which began on September 4, 2020 and was fully contained on December 24, abuts Shaver Lake on July 14, 2021 near Shaver Lake California. The 379,895-acre fire was
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,544.00
Lake Forest has the third-lowest livability score on the list at 77. The tradeoff is the second-lowest rent in the ranking, with the annual cost of living there $102,979.79, or $8,581.65 per month.
Irvine, California
IRVINE, CA - April 28: Sage Park is an affordable, for-sale housing development in Irvine, CA. "nJust six out of 197 Southern California cities and counties met a Feb. 11 deadline to adopt state-certified housing plans, state officials say. Buyers mu
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,675.57
Irvine lands a 79, which is still considered exceptional. Its $114,755.91 annual cost of living breaks down to $9,562.99 per month, making Irvine the last city on the list where you can get by on less than $10,000 per month.
Union City, California
Industrial area of the Carpenter neighborhood and BART yard is visible in an aerial view of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay area, Union City, California, January 8, 2020. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,497.29
Union City’s livability score of 68 is the No. 2 worst on the list behind only Emeryville. The tradeoff is that it has the lowest rent out of all 10 cities. With a $122,054.66 annual cost of living, you’ll need $10,171.22 per month to make a life there.
Dublin, California
People use a skatepark at Emerald Glen park, with new housing visible in the background, a public park in the rapidly-developing San Francisco Bay Area city of Dublin, California, January 4, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,753.29
You’ll have to pay to enjoy Dublin’s exceptional livability — the city boasts a score of 82. Nearly on par with Union City, the annual cost of living in Dublin is $122,115.99, or $10,176.33 per month.
Foster City, California
An estimated 9,000 properties in Foster City, California, are protected by a levee that runs near the San Mateo Bridge as seen on Fri. May 6, 2016, the homes behind the structure could be identified as at risk of flooding. City officials are consider
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $3,085.14
One of only two cities with an average rent above $3,000, housing in Foster City is second only to Marina del Rey. That will buy you an enviable cost of living score of 80, but rent is hardly the only financial consideration. The cost of living in Foster City is $176,764.59 per year, or $14,730.38 per month.
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California, The neighborhood of Corona Del Mar, beach scene on the Pacific ocean. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,664.00
Newport Beach is one of only two cities on the list with an annual cost of living above $200,000 — $216,693.02, to be exact. That's about $18,057.75 per month.
Cupertino, California
Sign with green colored logo amid landscaping, with facades of buildings in background, near the headquarters of Apple Computers in the Silicon Valley, Cupertino, California, August 26, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
- 2022 1-bedroom rent: $2,996.00
To live in the birthplace of Apple, you’ll have to come up with $18,124.20 every month, or $217,490.36 per year. Cupertino’s 83 livability score lands the city a spot in the top three.
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