When one thinks of cheap places to live in the United States California is generally not even a consideration. After all California, the Golden State is notorious for being one of the most expensive states to live in, with only New York besting it.
So with that said, it is important to note that words like cheap and affordable are rather subjective terms. When picking a place to live there are several factors that a person must take into consideration. Is there a viable job market, what are the average or median housing prices, what is the cost of living like, would you prefer rural, suburban, or an urban setting? All of these factors play a part in whether or not a city/town is going to be affordable. It is common knowledge that bigger cities are usually more expensive to live in because that is where everyone wants to be. You have access to a variety shopping, dining, cultural outlets, and just overall convenience.
Some of the best cities to live in in California that offer these amenities are wildly expensive. Take for instance San Francisco, where the average salary is around 83,000 but the median cost for a home is 634,000. It is an amazing place to live but you pay a hefty price tag it. Rocklin, California (located north of Sacramento) was named by CNN in 2010 one of the best places to live in California and placed 65th in terms of the best places to live in the United States period because of its picturesque scenery and excellent school systems. However, if you still want to move to the Golden State but do not want to pay out the nose, you may have to sacrifice a few of the amenities California is famous for and move away from the bigger cities to more rural towns. Some of the cheapest places to live in California are Barstowe, Bakersfield, Fresno and a lot of northern California closest to Oregon.