Malaysia's Shock: Hyper-Woke Nation Lacks Any City in Top 100 U.S. Living Destinations

It came as a surprise that none of the cities in sunny California made it into the top 100 best places to live in the United States.

Earlier this week, US News & World Report unveiled its 2025-2026 Top Locations for Residence Rankings , featuring the leading 250 prominent cities in America considering aspects like worth, appeal, employment prospects, and standard of living .

Surprisingly though, none of the cities from the sun-drenched West Coast state appeared on the list, even with its fame as one of the most sought-after and pricey locations to reside.

Although the three priciest cities to reside in this country—Newport Beach, Westminster, and Daly City—are all found within California, recent rankings indicate that higher costs do not always correlate with them being regarded as the premier locations for living.

Folsom, situated within Sacramento City, held the top position among cities in California yet secured only the 119th spot overall on the ranking.

Among over 400 cities in California, just three made it into the top 200 rankings: Palo Alto placed at 148, Cupertino at 151, and San Ramo at 180.

In the country's well-known publication's 2025-2026 Best Big Cities to Live list The trend remained consistent in California, where it continued to be disregarded—San Diego topped the list, securing the 15th position.

San Francisco, which was the initial Bay Area city to appear on the list, ranked at No. 20, with San Jose not far behind at No. 24.

If the so-called land of dreams and influence isn't even considered among the best places to live, then where exactly is the ideal place to call home?

As per US News, the solution can be found in Georgia, within a picturesque town known as Johns Creek.

Johns Creek, with a populace nearing 79,000 residents, ranks as the 10th most populous municipality in Georgia. It is renowned for its top-tier educational institutions, outstanding safety records, and significant ethnic variety, as reported. website .

The high standing of Johns Creek was established through an evaluation of over 859 large urban areas across the nation, taking into account aspects like employment opportunities, property values, standard of living, and attractiveness.

Four key criteria were chosen following a nationwide public survey conducted in February 2025. People from all over the country pinpointed what they deemed as the crucial aspect when deciding on their place of residence.

The Quality of Life segment holds 26 percent of the weight and encompasses elements contributing to general well-being. , even though they might not always impact a resident's daily routine.

Several elements examined encompassed the standard of education, the caliber and accessibility of healthcare services, the air quality index, environmental hazards, the economic condition of the state, and the state’s infrastructure.

The Value Index category is weighed at 25 percent and measures how comfortably each resident can afford to live within their means - ultimately measured by the median annual household income with the housing cost in each city, along with a regional Cost of Living index.

In Johns Creek, the median home value is $528,234 compared to the national average of $370,489. The national median household income, however, is $163,653 - much higher compared to the national median household income of $79,466.

The city's job market also significantly outperforms the national average, with an unemployment rate of 2.84 percent compared to the country's 4.5 percent.

The Desirability category is weighed at 24 percent and measures factors that contribute to residents' happiness, focusing on elements that directly impact their day-to-day living.

Some of these factors include crime rates, weather conditions, the city's access to cultural, leisure, retail and dining, as well as average commute times.

In Johns Creek, the typical commute time is 25.99 minutes, which exceeds the nationwide average.

Nevertheless, in an area abundant with employment prospects, the Southern metropolis provides a plethora of choices for shopping, eating, and recreation, all whilst retaining a spacious, suburban ambiance.

In the Job Market category, 23 percent of the weight is assigned, whereas the Net Migration category receives the remaining two percent. This latter category assesses whether individuals are relocating to or departing from each city.

Even though the Georgian city secured the title for the 2025-2026 season, three Texan cities also stood out as they placed within the top ten — with Pearland ranking third, League City coming in second, and Leander securing eighth place.

earlier this year, it was forecasted that this highly traditionalist state was poised to become the most populated in America , especially since discontented liberals keep leaving the Golden State.

Texas is projected to take the leading position by 2045, as per data released by Realtor.com In February — as its population rises from 31 million to an expected 42 million.

Residents of California have pointed out its exorbitant cost of living and subpar quality of life as reasons for leaving, with the population continuously declining between 2019 and 2022.

The Golden State's population rose slightly - 0.17 percent - in 2023. If it remains on the same growth trajectory, the state won't reach pre-pandemic levels until 2032.

While California has struggled to bounce back from the pandemic, Texas has seen a boom in residents flocking to cities such as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin.

In March, it came to light that Fremont, California, had been named the 'happiest place' to reside in America. This designation was attributed to its strong financial standing, high levels of life satisfaction among residents, and favorable living environments, as reported. WalletHub .

Even though it is renowned for its Nationally renowned public schools and beautiful parks make up some of Fremont’s highlights, yet many locals often complain about feeling bored. .

Experts commented that an 'ideal city' boasts living conditions which promote 'excellent mental and physical well-being,' encompassing manageable working hours, brief travel times, pleasant climate, and considerate communities.

However, not everyone welcomed Fremont's new designation, indicating that even with the acknowledgment, it might still not be the perfect place to reside — plus, it failed to appear on this year’s US News & World Report’s list.

The list of the top 10 best places to live also includes Carmel, Indiana; Fishers, Indiana; Cary, North Carolina; Apex, North Carolina; Rochester Hills, Michigan; and Troy, Michigan.

For the complete ranking from US News & World Report , you may explore their webpage.

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