Among counties with a population of more than 1,500
Roseville, Calif. – There are many factors that determine those tangible and intangible things that make for best places to live lists. Be it geography, weather, education, or other amenities on your checklist, those marketing and PR compilations citing “best places” often make for a great read. However, while they gladly share the “what”, they seem to miss the “why.” We offer up a theory.
Exploring many of the amazing places to live throughout California and looking at far too much statistical data, we often stumble upon common threads. The Northern California counties of Marin and Placer always bubble to the top across countless metrics, including health and quality of life to name a couple. Placer and Marin also rank #1 and #2, for the lowest crime rate, respectively.
⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦
⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦
⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦
⤥ Summer Fun Starts Here ⤦
Voter registration
Another is voter registration and engagement. Placer County has more registered voters as a percentage of its population in California than all counties, except for Marin and Alpine (total population of under 1,500). Here’s a look across the Golden State of which counties have the highest to lowest voter registrations.
California Unregistered Voters by county
| County | Not Registered | % Unregistered Voters |
| Alpine | 52 | 5.24% |
| Marin | 11,262 | 6.22% |
| Placer | 21,044 | 6.95% |
| El Dorado | 12,431 | 8.67% |
| Nevada | 7,361 | 9.03% |
| Plumas | 1,407 | 9.18% |
| Amador | 2,969 | 10.31% |
| Contra Costa | 85,697 | 10.77% |
| Ventura | 66,674 | 11.56% |
| Calaveras | 4,248 | 11.67% |
| Santa Cruz | 23,041 | 12.01% |
| Napa | 12,000 | 12.55% |
| Los Angeles | 901,852 | 13.76% |
| Sonoma | 49,798 | 14.13% |
| San Mateo | 75,192 | 14.72% |
| Monterey | 37,210 | 15.03% |
| Solano | 50,909 | 16.20% |
| Mariposa | 2,217 | 16.20% |
| Orange | 357,921 | 16.45% |
| Alameda | 187,199 | 16.61% |
| Tuolumne | 7,043 | 16.83% |
| San Benito | 7,442 | 17.09% |
| San Diego | 402,198 | 17.24% |
| Shasta | 24,132 | 17.62% |
| Santa Clara | 229,814 | 18.32% |
| Sierra | 481 | 18.34% |
| Mono | 1,690 | 18.35% |
| San Luis Obispo | 41,615 | 19.03% |
| Riverside | 314,954 | 19.18% |
| Sutter | 12,769 | 19.54% |
| Tehama | 8,990 | 19.55% |
| Mendocino | 13,141 | 19.81% |
| Siskiyou | 6,889 | 19.84% |
| Santa Barbara | 59,540 | 19.97% |
| Modoc | 1,337 | 20.44% |
| Stanislaus | 73,906 | 20.54% |
| Imperial | 22,702 | 20.56% |
| San Bernardino | 302,836 | 20.61% |
| Madera | 19,808 | 20.95% |
| Fresno | 136,518 | 21.23% |
| Kern | 119,872 | 21.37% |
| Humboldt | 22,900 | 21.64% |
| Colusa | 2,848 | 21.66% |
| Sacramento | 241,203 | 21.72% |
| Del Norte | 4,153 | 22.01% |
| San Francisco | 147,744 | 22.76% |
| Yolo | 38,841 | 25.39% |
| Tulare | 74,134 | 25.74% |
| Kings | 22,112 | 25.97% |
| Yuba | 15,020 | 26.34% |
| Merced | 45,797 | 26.49% |
| Inyo | 3,894 | 26.79% |
| Lassen | 5,567 | 27.25% |
| Lake | 13,716 | 27.26% |
| San Joaquin | 144,348 | 28.17% |
| Glenn | 5,359 | 28.66% |
| Butte | 48,991 | 28.97% |
| Trinity | 5,897 | 45.07% |
Pragmatism over Politics
There are surprisingly many commonalities among these and other politically divergent counties. One of the most vital is engaged voters. It lays a groundwork for accountability and pragmatic community governance. Choosing pragmatism over blind political allegiance always seems to deliver the best results wherever you look. Placer County and Marin County remind us that there is more that unites us than divides us. That’s something worth celebrating.
Welcome to the brighter side!
related
- Placer County Voter Registration Stats
- ❤️ Top 10 reasons we love Roseville
- ❤️Top Reasons We Love Auburn
- ❤️ 8 Reasons We Love Placer County
(21+ years strong)
Welcome to the brighter side!
Get in front of local customers! 24/7 (365)
