Seven small towns that are booming in California bucking the exodus trend
Lured by cheaper homes and good schools, more Californians are embracing small-town life.Seven rural and suburban towns across the state are bucking California’s population loss — each growing more than 25% population-wise over the past 15 years, according to a new analysis by the San Francisco Chronicle.The communities have a few things in common, such as affordable real estate and amenities for families.And they’re far from California’s ultra-expensive coastal cities like Los Angeles, which suffered a massive exodus last year, losing roughly 54,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, according to the California Department of Finance.
The leafy Sacramento suburb has boomed since the Covid pandemic, when countless people living in cramped city quarters decided to flee to the burbs.The town’s population has grown by 15% to 165,455 since 2020, the Chronicle reported, and boasts much more affordable homes than in much of the Bay Area.
Median home prices hover at around $650,000, making it a popular destination for young families.Formerly rural Manteca, located in San Joaquin County, bills itself as “The Family City” and has welcomed new development over the past few decades.
Its population has more than doubled since the early 1990s, transforming Manteca from a quiet farming community to a family-friendly suburb of Stockton.Its popular amenities include Great Wolf Lodge, a recreational complex that includes a water park and hotel, and Big League Dreams, which features six baseball fields, the Chronicle reported.
Chico, home to Chico State University, has long been known as a college town.But it is increasingly a home for individuals in search of affordability, a friendly community and breathtaking natural beauty of rural Butte County.
Chico’s population has exploded 15% over 15 to 108,000 in 2026 — a 25% increase — partly due to the catastrophic fire in nearby Paradise, when some former residents resettled.The burgeoning city also added...