Counties with the lowest cost of living in California
With inflation still eating into American household budgets, middle-class Americans are paying keen attention to their finances and finding ways to reduce spending.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans surveyed by financial services provider Primerica at the end of 2022 said they are not able to save for their future due to rising costs. Home prices, rent, and food inflation as well as higher prices for gas in the last couple of years are making it so that each dollar earned has even less purchasing power than before.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the lowest cost of living in California using 2022 rankings from Niche.
#30. San Joaquin County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D-
- Population: 771,406
#29. El Dorado County
- Overall Grade: B+
- Public School Grade: A
- Cost of living grade: D-
- Population: 190,568
#28. Humboldt County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D-
- Population: 137,014
#27. Mono County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: D
- Population: 13,291
#26. Stanislaus County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D
- Population: 550,842
#25. Butte County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 217,884
#24. Amador County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 40,095
#23. Sutter County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 99,080
#22. Fresno County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 1,003,150
#21. Mariposa County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 17,225
#20. Tuolumne County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 55,243
#19. Shasta County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: A
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 181,935
#18. Merced County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: D+
- Population: 279,150
#17. Lake County
- Overall Grade: C-
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 67,749
#16. Yuba County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 80,404
#15. Trinity County
- Overall Grade: C-
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 15,818
#14. Madera County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 156,304
#13. Tehama County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 65,345
#12. Kern County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 905,644
#11. Tulare County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 470,999
#10. Inyo County
- Overall Grade: B-
- Public School Grade: B
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 18,804
#9. Del Norte County
- Overall Grade: C-
- Public School Grade: C-
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 27,655
#8. Colusa County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: C
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 21,780
#7. Glenn County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 28,675
#6. Plumas County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 19,631
#5. Kings County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 151,887
#4. Imperial County
- Overall Grade: C-
- Public School Grade: C+
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 180,051
#3. Siskiyou County
- Overall Grade: C+
- Public School Grade: B+
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 44,151
#2. Lassen County
- Overall Grade: C
- Public School Grade: B-
- Cost of living grade: C-
- Population: 32,949
#1. Modoc County
- Overall Grade: C-
- Public School Grade: C
- Cost of living grade: C+
- Population: 8,723
