Relating to discovering the proper place to reside, climate performs an enormous function; in any case, nobody needs to be caught inside for half the 12 months. Whereas some are drawn to crisp chilly or each day drizzle, most favor heat, sunny climate for a lot of the 12 months – a choice backed up by analysis.
A light Mediterranean local weather, an indicator of the Southern California coast, typically produces probably the most nice climate year-round (and it exhibits). That’s a serious cause why Mediterranean international locations like Italy, Spain, and Greece are famend for his or her climates.
In the meantime, Solar Belt cities like Phoenix, Tampa, and Austin have drawn homebuyers in recent times with their sunny winters and decrease housing prices. Nevertheless, scorching summers and extreme storms will be main drawbacks.
So, which U.S. cities have the most effective climate? On this Redfin article, we’ll rank the highest cities with a inhabitants of at the very least 50,000 with probably the most nice climates year-round. Trace: they’re all in California.
We ranked cities based mostly on a variety of local weather components, favoring cities with comfy temperatures, restricted seasonal change, low humidity, and year-round sunshine.
Because it turned out, each metropolis on the listing was located on the California coast between San Francisco and San Diego – a area lengthy identified for its near-perfect climate.
The listing focuses on month-to-month and annual averages over a few years to realize a extra full image of every metropolis’s local weather. Nevertheless, all cities on our listing have skilled excessive climate, similar to warmth waves and heavy storms. Because the local weather modifications, ensure that to analysis climate extremes and the way a metropolis is adapting earlier than making the transfer.
Prime 10 cities with the most effective climate within the U.S.
Oxnard, CA
Carlsbad, CA
Oceanside, CA
Irvine, CA
San Clemente, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Huntington Seaside, CA
Thousand Oaks, CA
Salinas, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
1. Oxnard, California
Summer time excessive/low: 71.6°F – 60.7°F
Winter excessive/low: 65.2°F – 48.3°F
Dew level: 54.7°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.58 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 132.4 hours
The town with the most effective climate within the U.S. is Oxnard, CA. Delicate, sunny, dry climate dominates the forecast for a lot of the 12 months, with zero days that get beneath freezing and hardly any which can be too scorching. The world is thought for its browsing, seashores, proximity to the Channel Islands, and year-round strawberries.
Oxnard sits on the Southern California coast simply half-hour from Santa Barbara, sheltered by the Santa Monica Mountains to the south and Santa Ynez to the north. Due to its location, warmth waves are normally staved off by cool sea breezes. And in contrast to many coastal areas, it’s not humid – a dew level of 55°F or beneath is taken into account dry and cozy.
Some fog and cloudy climate is frequent within the early summer season, however most days are near-perfect. For reference, Yuma, AZ, the sunniest metropolis on the planet, sees a median of 142.8 sunshine hours monthly. Seattle – one of many cloudiest cities within the nation – sees a median of 83.7 sunshine hours monthly. 132.4 month-to-month sunshine hours is about 4.4 hours of sunshine per day, solely measured throughout daylight.
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2. Carlsbad, California
Summer time excessive/low: 73.3°F – 65°F
Winter excessive/low: 64.9°F – 49.4°F
Dew level: 54.6°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.56 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 130.8 hours
Carlsbad, simply north of San Diego, is a beachside haven. With heat, comfy temperatures year-round and hardly any rain, the local weather virtually begs you to spend your days outdoors. Fortunately, there’s lots to do within the space. You’ll be able to surf at Tamarack Surf Seaside, go to LEGOLAND, discover the Flower Fields, and take in a seaside sundown all in at some point.
Southern California is known for its microclimates, and Carlsbad isn’t any exception. Fixed sea breezes stave off inland warmth (generally only some miles away), making for nearly completely excellent climate – even when it’s 90°F+ elsewhere.
The attractive climate is normally solely damaged up by the Santa Ana winds, which might happen from September to Could. These mountain hole winds shuttle scorching, dry desert air to the coast, normally in robust breezes that may final days.
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3. Oceanside, California
Summer time excessive/low: 76.4°F – 62.8°F
Winter excessive/low: 66.3°F – 42.7°F
Dew level: 54.6°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.49 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 130.8 hours
Simply north of Carlsbad, Oceanside is a laid-back coastal metropolis on the northern fringe of San Diego County. It gives the identical sun-soaked allure and Mediterranean local weather as its neighbors: gentle winters, heat summers, and a near-constant ocean breeze that retains issues comfy all 12 months lengthy. Temperatures get a bit hotter within the inland parts of the town.
The Oceanside Pier is probably the most well-known spot on the town, however there’s much more to the realm. Hike at Guajome Regional Park, go to a few museums, and discover the quaint downtown full of scrumptious meals and ocean views.
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4. Irvine, California
Summer time excessive/low: 78.8°F – 66.4°F
Winter excessive/low: 67.9°F – 50.8°F
Dew level: 49.2°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.41 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 130.8 hours
A part of the Los Angeles metropolitan space, Irvine is a master-planned neighborhood identified for its college, parks, and purchasing. Whereas not a very coastal metropolis, it nonetheless advantages from sea breezes and heat sunshine that plenty of L.A. is known for, serving to hold temperatures cool and climate calm. The additional inland you get, although, the warmer it will get.
Nevertheless, the Santa Ana Winds are a winter common, bringing fireplace hazard and unsightly warmth a number of occasions per 12 months. Most rainfall additionally happens within the late winter months – normally just some occasions monthly.
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5. San Clemente, California
Summer time excessive/low: 73.8°F – 64.3°F
Winter excessive/low: 64.3°F – 50.8°F
Dew level: 49.2°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.32 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 130.8 hours
Tucked between Los Angeles and San Diego, San Clemente is named the “Spanish Village by the Sea,” and its local weather is simply as dreamy as its nickname. 6.8 miles of ridgeline trails, 2.3 miles of coastal trails, an enormous pier, and iconic Spanish structure span throughout hills, canyons, and shoreline. Browsing is a mainstay amongst residents and guests – not in contrast to most coastal California cities.
Like each different metropolis on the listing, San Clemente enjoys a quintessential Mediterranean really feel. Temperatures hover within the 60s and 70s a lot of the 12 months, rain is uncommon, and sunshine is considerable.
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6. Santa Monica, California
Summer time excessive/low: 75.1°F – 64°F
Winter excessive/low: 66.8°F – 50.2°F
Dew level: 50.5°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.97 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 135.1 hours
Santa Monica, the westernmost metropolis alongside the larger Los Angeles coast, has the sixth-best climate within the nation. An iconic pier, year-round browsing, and easy accessibility to the most effective of L.A. assist make Santa Monica probably the greatest seaside cities on the planet and a real coastal haven. Health buffs particularly benefit from the well-known Santa Monica Stairs and intensive beachside trails.
The local weather is right for taking advantage of every little thing Santa Monica has to supply: biking the Marvin Braude Bike Path, exploring the outlets and eateries alongside Third Avenue Promenade, or catching golden-hour views alongside 3.5 miles of shoreline. Heat temperatures and regular sunshine create a simple indoor-outdoor life-style that brings hundreds of thousands of individuals to the town yearly.
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7. Huntington Seaside, California
Summer time excessive/low: 80°F – 63.4°F
Winter excessive/low: 67.5°F – 46°F
Dew level: 54.6°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.46 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 130.8 hours
One other coastal L.A. mecca, Huntington Seaside is known for its browsing and top quality of life – it’s referred to as Surf Metropolis, in any case. Discover the Worldwide Browsing Museum, stroll round Huntington Harbour, or take a dip within the ocean at Huntington Seaside Pier. Huntington Seaside Central Park is a hub for these much less ocean-inclined.
Summer time temperatures in Huntington Seaside can attain into the 80s, however that’s primarily as a result of the town stretches nicely inland. Alongside the coast, you’ll wrestle to discover a scorching or cloudy day.
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8. Thousand Oaks, California
Summer time excessive/low: 77.2°F – 61.7°F
Winter excessive/low: 67.9°F – 46.5°F
Dew level: 50.5°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.62 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 135.1 hours
Located between the Santa Monica Mountains and rolling oak-dotted hills, Thousand Oaks gives a peaceable suburban retreat simply minutes from the coast. Loads of facilities, easy accessibility to main cities, and a top quality of life make Thousand Oaks an ideal place to reside. That’s earlier than even attending to the local weather.
Summers are heat however not sweltering, due to coastal affect, and winters are sunny and funky—excellent for mountain climbing, biking, or having fun with the numerous parks and open areas the town is thought for.
Importantly, fireplace hazard is usually a main challenge within the space, as was evident through the Woolsey Hearth in 2018 and Palisades Hearth in 2025. It’s made worse through the Santa Ana Winds and particularly throughout droughts, which have gotten extra frequent.
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9. Salinas, California
Summer time excessive/low: 72.5°F – 56.5°F
Winter excessive/low: 64°F – 43.2°F
Dew level: 50.6°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 0.88 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 126.4 hours
Salinas, the one metropolis on our listing within the Bay Space, has the ninth-best climate within the nation. Nestled within the fertile Salinas Valley only a brief drive from Monterey Bay, it enjoys a cool, coastal local weather that not often will get too scorching or too chilly – making it some of the temperate locations to reside in Northern California.
This cooler marine local weather is ideal for the floral, wine, and vegetable industries. Actually, Salinas is named the Salad Bowl of the World due to its huge lettuce farms. Much like San Francisco, morning fog is a mainstay in the summertime, which helps hold temperatures nice within the afternoon.
This year-round consolation makes it simple to benefit from the space’s pure magnificence, like Toro Park, Massive Sur State Park, and Pinnacles Nationwide Park.
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10. Santa Barbara, California
Summer time excessive/low: 74.4°F – 58.2°F
Winter excessive/low: 65.8°F – 42.6°F
Dew level: 47.7°F
Month-to-month rainfall: 1.2 inches
Month-to-month sunshine: 132.4 hours
On the finish of our California parade is Santa Barbara – a daily on “best weather” lists. It’s simple to see why individuals like it a lot. With its Mediterranean local weather, light sea breeze, and historic beachside downtown, the town gives near-perfect climate for a lot of the 12 months. Ocean affect retains summers gentle and winters pleasantly cool, creating preferrred circumstances for spending a lot of the 12 months open air.
Nevertheless, just a few too many days above 90°F and barely greater rainfall nudged Santa Barbara to the tenth spot in our rankings. Nonetheless, it comfortably outperformed many different well-known California cities and boasts an ultra-comfortable dew level. San Diego, as an illustration, got here in twenty sixth because of its hotter summer season temperatures.
Santa Barbara’s setting on the base of the Santa Ynez Mountains provides much more to the attraction. On uncommon winter days, you would possibly spot snow on the peaks whereas having fun with a gentle morning on the seaside.
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What about cities not in California?
The highest 32 cities with the most effective climate within the U.S. are alongside the Central and Southern California coast. Heat, nice climate dominates the forecast for a majority of the 12 months right here, with gentle seasonal differences, little rain, and loads of sunshine. Nevertheless, these cities can price a reasonably penny. So, if Cali isn’t in your finances or doesn’t resonate with you, there are different nice choices.
Exterior of California, 5 cities with nice year-round climate are:
Florida cities additionally rank fairly extremely, however they take care of humidity, rain, wind, and warmth from late spring by means of fall. Different Solar Belt cities like Hampton and Savannah take pleasure in nice winters however can get hotter and extra humid in the summertime. Lastly, Seattle might look like a shock, with cool, constant rain from October by means of March, however it in any other case has a really gentle local weather.
How are the climates in these cities altering?
Whereas the highest cities for climate within the nation have extremely nice climates, they’re additionally extremely prone to drought, wildfires, and coastal storms. Essentially the most well-known hazard for cities alongside the SoCal coast are the Santa Ana Winds, that are robust, dry, scorching winter winds from the desert. Atmospheric rivers are one other rising threat. Extreme and protracted drought additionally impacts almost each SoCal metropolis.
Plus, local weather change has thrown norms into disarray and fueled stronger, extra intense climate occasions. The January 2025 L.A. wildfires are only one instance of how these stunning areas will be affected as temperatures rise and cities wrestle to adapt.
The cities with the most effective climate within the nation promise comfy temperatures and many sunshine. Residing in them is usually a dream, however it’s vital to organize for a altering local weather.
Methodology
To seek out the cities with the “best” climate, we analyzed and aggregated publicly out there local weather knowledge from Meteostat (which makes use of knowledge from the Nationwide Oceanic and Environment Administration) and NASA POWER (which takes satellite tv for pc readings). We averaged 10 years of information from 2014 to 2023, then matched it to U.S. cities with populations of fifty,000 or extra, based mostly on 2023 Census estimates. All knowledge was calculated each day and averaged over a month or season.
We centered on seven local weather classes, every weighted equally and scored from 1 (greatest) to 100 (worst). A decrease rating meant higher climate.
Common summer season excessive temperature: decrease = higher
Common winter low temperature: greater = higher
Common month-to-month dew level temperature: nearer to 55°F = higher
Common month-to-month days ≥ 90°F (“hot days”): fewer = higher
Common month-to-month days ≤ 32°F (“cold days”): fewer = higher
Common month-to-month sunshine hours (throughout daylight): extra = higher
Common month-to-month precipitation: much less = higher
We prioritized gentle climates with low humidity, little rainfall, extra sunshine, and fewer occurrences of scorching or chilly climate. There are research displaying that chilly climate and rain can enhance individuals’s well being, however we went with the favored definition of “perfect” climate.
Humidity was measured utilizing the typical “dew point,” which is a extra correct technique to measure how muggy the air really feels. Dew factors at or beneath 55°F are thought of most comfy.
