Seven California cities on nationwide list of 30 safest and richest communities

Seven cities in California made a nationwide list of the 30 safest and richest communities.

According to the website GOBankingRates, the list was created using average household income, total population, total households, cost of living indexes, and crime rates .

None of the cities have a median household income under approximately $250,000, according to the website. California and Massachusetts have seven of the 30 cities listed.

Which California cities made the list?

The seven cities are in Northern California with two in Marin County (Ross and Mill Valley), two in Contra Costa County (Lafayette and Kensington) and three in Santa Clara County (Cupertino, Los Altos and Los Gatos).

They are:

• 10. Ross
• 20. Mill Valley
• 23. Lafayette
• 25. Cupertino
• 27. Los Altos
• 28. Kensington
• 30. Los Gatos

Ross, the smallest of the California cities with a population of 2,537, has an average household median income of about $430,000, according to the website. The total annual cost of living is about $300,000.

Mill Valley, with a population of 14,199, has an average household median income of more than $300,000. The total annual cost of living is about $180,000.

Lafayette has 25,310 residents and an average household median income of more than $310,000. The total annual cost of living is about $170,000.

Cupertino, probably the most well-known California city on this list as the location of Apple Inc. headquarters, has a population of 59,763. It has an average household median income of more than $283,000 and a total annual cost of living of more than $250,000.

Los Altos has 31,133 residents and an average household median income of more than $400,000. The total annual cost of living is more than $340,000.

Kensington, with a population of 5,309, has an average household median income of more than $250,000. The total annual cost of living is nearly $140,000.

Los Gatos, with 33,093 residents, has the largest population of a California city on this list. The city has an average household median income of $305,000. Its total annual cost of living is more than $220,000.

What are the top five cities?

• 1. Western Springs, Illinois
• 2. Kenilworth, Illinois
• 3. Lexington, Massachusetts
• 4. Winchester, Massachusetts
• 5. Winnetka, Illinois

The top-ranked city, Western Springs, Illinois, has a population of 13,557. It has an average household median income of more than $275,000 and an annual cost of living of nearly $80,000.

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com , 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes .

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Seven California cities on nationwide list of 30 safest and richest communities