The 10 Worst Places To Live In California For 2023


The worst places to live in California are Barstow and Commerce for 2023 based on Friday Night Science.

California. The American dream. The state where you can get the sun, surf, mountains and deserts. Where dreams are made and movie stars bask in the glory of their own self worth.

Where you have to ration your water. Sit in traffic. Pay too much for your house.

While California is overall, a glorious state, it has some serious, glaring issues, just like most other states. But most of the people reading this live there, and are already aware of this fact, so we won’t dwell on it.

Instead, let’s have some fun and look at only certain areas where things are the absolute worst.

After analyzing all 411 cities with a population over 5,000, we came up with this list as the 10 worst places to live in California:

The 10 Worst Places To Live In California For 2023

  1. Barstow
  2. Commerce
  3. Avenal
  4. Adelanto
  5. Clearlake
  6. Mendota
  7. Dos Palos
  8. Huntington Park
  9. Victorville
  10. Perris

Where are these places, you wonder? And before you get all riled up and say we’re picking on small towns in California, that’s not the case.

We understand there’s a lot of good in every place. For example, the best place to live in California is Los Altos.

However, according to data (which doesn’t measure things like beauty and ‘friendly people’), the state has far better options for making a place home. And the worst place to live in California? The worst place to live in California is Barstow.

Read below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your city fared in 2023.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

For more California reading, check out:


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


The 10 Worst Places To Live In California For 2023

Barstow, CA

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 25,123
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 5)
Median Home Value: $147,000
Unemployment Rate: 11.2%
More on Barstow:  Data | Photos

Commerce, CA

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 12,459
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 3)
Median Home Value: $455,700
Unemployment Rate: 7.5%
More on Commerce:  Data | Photos

We’re heading to Los Angeles’ worst suburb to reach California’s 2nd worst city overall, Commerce.

For starters, Commerce is one of the most dangerous cities in California, with an overall crime rate 260% above the national average.

The median household income in Commerce is also nearly 40% lower than the statewide average. On the bright side, things are more affordable in Commerce than the rest of the state, and unemployment and poverty rates are basically on par with California as a whole.

And if you’re feeling especially gloomy about living here, at least Disneyland is just 20 minutes down the road.

Avenal, CA

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 13,881
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Median Home Value: $180,200
Unemployment Rate: 12.8%
More on Avenal:  Data | Photos

Avenal ranks as the 3rd worst place to live in California for several reasons.

60.3% percent of the population is male, but here’s the catch: Avenal is home to an all-male state prison, and inmates make up nearly a third of the “residents.” So it makes sense that more than a quarter of residents have less than a 9th-grade education.

The median household income in Avenal went up by over 10% from last year, but it’s still $52,080; far below the statewide average.

Ironically (for a city with a large prison population), Avenal’s crime rate is actually 60% below the national average. Not to mention that the cost of living in Avenal is about 30% cheaper than the rest of California.

Adelanto, CA

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 37,229
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $239,100
Unemployment Rate: 12.1%
More on Adelanto:  Data | Photos

Adelanto has the exact same problems that Lucerne Valley has, and it’s located only a half hour away. Except, the crime in Adelanto is far worse than it is in Lucerne Valley. Its residents most likely work in nearby Victorville or make the trek through the Cajon Pass to shlep into San Bernardino or Riverside.

Most people have only been to Adelanto while driving on 395 on their way up north, or because they got talked into attending a baseball game at Maverick Stadium.

Or, they were desperate because Apple Valley’s Del Taco was closed.

Clearlake, CA

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 16,468
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 4)
Median Home Value: $155,200
Unemployment Rate: 16.9%
More on Clearlake:  Data | Photos

Most people have never heard of Clearlake. A Google map search determined it’s on the banks of Clear Lake, in the middle of nowhere north of Sacramento. Apparently, things aren’t too fabulous there, as the incomes here are almost on the poverty level, and 1 in 10 people are unemployed. While it could be considered a bit of a weekend getaway for city slickers (maybe?), almost half of the city’s roads are unpaved. Not a good sign.

And the nearest Del Taco is an hour and a half away.

Mendota, CA

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 12,534
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 3)
Median Home Value: $202,900
Unemployment Rate: 11.7%
More on Mendota:  Data | Photos

Mendota is a tiny place wedged between the 5 Freeway and Fresno in Central California. This region of California, to put it nicely, is pretty isolated, hot, and sprinkled with farms and all other sorts of agriculture. It’s an important place, economically speaking, since a lot of the nation relies on California grown crops.

However, when you consider how hard central California has been hit with water-related issues, it isn’t surprising that at least one city in this region topped this list. Crime in the area is way above normal, and residents are underemployed and way underpaid. Simply speaking, there really isn’t anything charming about Mendota.

Dos Palos, CA

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 5,651
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $252,800
Unemployment Rate: 11.4%
More on Dos Palos:  Data

Situated a half-hour south of Merced, Dos Palos is a city of 5,651 that ranks as the 7th worst place to call home in California.

The poverty is moderately high, unemployment is nearly double the statewide average, and criminal activity (especially violent crime) is all too common.

On a positive note, Dos Palos is one of the most affordable cities in California, with a cost of living below the national average (that’s rare in the Golden State).

Also, it’s easy to get away from it all if you’re a fan of nature; both the San Luis and Merced National Wildlife Reguges are just a short drive away.

Huntington Park, CA

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 55,439
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $452,300
Unemployment Rate: 10.0%
More on Huntington Park:  Data | Photos

Victorville, CA

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 132,924
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 6)
Median Home Value: $257,400
Unemployment Rate: 10.6%
More on Victorville:  Data | Photos

Perris, CA

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 78,106
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $333,900
Unemployment Rate: 7.2%
More on Perris:  Data | Photos

Methodology: How we determined the worst places to live in California for 2023

To figure out the worst places to live in California, we only needed to know what kinds of things people like and then decide what cities have the least amount of those things.

We don’t think it’s a stretch to assume that people like the following things:

  • Good education
  • Lots of jobs
  • Low crime
  • Low poverty
  • Nice homes
  • High incomes
  • High population density (Lots of things to do)
  • Short work commutes
  • Health insurance

The data comes from the Census’s most recent American Community Survey and the FBI Uniform Crime Report.

We broke crime down into violent crime and property crime to give violent crime a more significant weight. If you did a simple calculation of all crimes per capita, property crimes are typically 7x more common and bias that ranking.

Furthermore, only cities with at least 5,000 people were considered — leaving 411 cities.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 411 for all the criteria, with a #1 ranking being the worst for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the rankings into one “Worst Place To Live Score.”

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Worst Place To Live Score,” with the lowest score being the worst city in California — Barstow. Read on for a detailed look at the ten worst cities in California.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts meant as infotainment. We updated this article for 2023. This is our tenth time ranking the worst places to live in California.

Summary: Wrapping Up The Worst In California

If you’re looking at areas in California with the worst economic situations, where there’s higher than average crime and little to do, this is an accurate list.

And in the end, Barstow ranks as the worst city to live in California for 2023.

If you’re curious enough, here are the best cities to live in California:

  1. Cupertino (Pop. 60,681)
  2. Villa Park (Pop. 5,864)
  3. Los Altos (Pop. 31,562)

For more California reading, check out:

Worst Places To Live In California?

Rank City Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Barstow 25,123 11.2% $147,000
2 Commerce 12,459 7.5% $455,700
3 Avenal 13,881 12.8% $180,200
4 Adelanto 37,229 12.1% $239,100
5 Clearlake 16,468 16.9% $155,200
6 Mendota 12,534 11.7% $202,900
7 Dos Palos 5,651 11.4% $252,800
8 Huntington Park 55,439 10.0% $452,300
9 Victorville 132,924 10.6% $257,400
10 Perris 78,106 7.2% $333,900
11 Wasco 27,505 9.5% $187,100
12 San Bernardino 220,821 8.4% $293,000
13 Hesperia 99,287 10.1% $279,600
14 Lathrop 28,078 9.5% $430,800
15 Hemet 88,903 10.6% $226,000
16 Desert Hot Springs 31,988 9.7% $231,500
17 South Gate 93,308 8.6% $470,200
18 Huron 6,277 18.3% $190,000
19 San Jacinto 53,299 8.8% $291,100
20 Los Banos 44,421 9.5% $340,800
21 Montclair 37,871 7.8% $423,300
22 Rialto 103,799 10.1% $350,000
23 Merced 85,993 11.9% $268,600
24 Arvin 19,568 11.4% $193,100
25 Compton 96,083 8.2% $423,000
26 Richmond 115,677 6.9% $557,900
27 Lynwood 67,497 9.5% $449,300
28 Atwater 31,401 11.7% $265,200
29 Blythe 18,125 8.0% $167,800
30 Stockton 317,818 8.0% $324,600
31 Moreno Valley 208,371 8.0% $353,400
32 Madera 66,173 11.9% $255,500
33 Lompoc 44,232 9.0% $353,100
34 Red Bluff 14,557 9.4% $213,200
35 Lake Elsinore 68,822 7.3% $392,200
36 Apple Valley 75,311 10.1% $292,500
37 Palmdale 167,987 7.6% $332,400
38 Oroville 20,409 8.9% $216,800
39 Coachella 42,123 14.9% $262,200
40 Pomona 151,592 6.6% $446,300
41 Firebaugh 8,040 17.7% $185,200
42 Corcoran 22,616 11.1% $176,900
43 San Pablo 31,975 7.0% $413,000
44 Antioch 114,750 8.8% $467,500
45 Calipatria 7,247 15.0% $148,800
46 Banning 29,664 7.5% $255,300
47 Lindsay 12,551 20.5% $212,200
48 Marysville 12,451 6.3% $228,100
49 Jurupa Valley 104,684 7.2% $416,300
50 Eureka 26,763 10.2% $296,500
51 Bakersfield 398,756 7.5% $272,000
52 Vallejo 125,350 7.4% $434,800
53 Los Angeles 3,902,440 7.6% $705,900
54 South El Monte 19,860 5.6% $478,800
55 Inglewood 108,206 7.8% $603,900
56 Riverside 314,858 6.4% $418,000
57 Tehachapi 13,346 8.4% $243,400
58 Palm Springs 44,799 8.4% $423,200
59 Ontario 175,223 6.2% $438,300
60 Gustine 5,990 16.9% $322,300
61 Yucca Valley 21,663 10.2% $230,100
62 Willits 5,008 13.0% $301,000
63 Santa Fe Springs 18,817 4.7% $490,200
64 Big Bear Lake 5,068 4.8% $446,500
65 Livingston 14,078 10.1% $242,400
66 Bell 33,915 6.6% $450,900
67 Cudahy 23,003 8.6% $434,200
68 Colton 53,894 7.4% $325,800
69 Brawley 26,431 20.7% $225,300
70 Orange Cove 9,680 12.8% $191,300
71 Pittsburg 75,701 7.2% $456,300
72 Ceres 49,132 10.8% $305,000
73 Arcata 19,038 14.6% $364,100
74 Shafter 19,897 7.2% $207,400
75 Fresno 538,678 9.3% $273,900
76 Selma 24,545 9.1% $209,500
77 Lancaster 171,820 7.3% $303,400
78 Dinuba 24,383 10.1% $226,700
79 Highland 56,733 6.3% $356,700
80 Santa Maria 109,309 6.4% $376,100
81 Corning 8,156 6.0% $186,500
82 Tulare 68,395 7.5% $245,900
83 Maywood 25,477 5.7% $481,800
84 Shasta Lake 10,399 7.9% $220,800
85 Williams 5,520 10.6% $270,700
86 Modesto 217,728 8.0% $330,000
87 Hawthorne 87,863 7.7% $644,600
88 Anderson 11,208 6.5% $222,100
89 Watsonville 52,966 8.1% $542,900
90 Chino 90,279 5.6% $503,800
91 Indio 88,542 8.7% $311,700
92 Long Beach 466,565 6.8% $614,900
93 Turlock 72,494 8.3% $345,200
94 Paramount 53,904 5.0% $412,300
95 Bellflower 79,070 7.8% $535,300
96 Taft 8,730 6.0% $184,600
97 Porterville 62,164 12.4% $208,400
98 Fort Bragg 7,049 6.7% $393,300
99 Montebello 62,828 6.8% $557,400
100 Hanford 57,359 8.4% $249,800

About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.