San Francisco’s housing market is notoriously competitive, and median rents and home prices, at $1,673 and $768,517, respectively, are higher than the most other parts of the U.S. It's a stretch to describe nearly any part of the California coast as affordable. Walnut Creek. The town itself is known as being an art haven, with plenty of galleries and boutiques to check out. It's family friendly with lots of parks, great schools and those good old weekend farmer's markets. 7 spot on the overall Best Places to Live list, San Francisco is the highest-ranked West Coast metro area, but only the seventh-most affordable. The study only considered cities with 30,000 or more residents that … 10 Beach Towns You Can Actually Afford to Buy a House In. But the town of Oxnard has listings that make the location between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara practical and well worth the investment. South San Francisco, the study found, topped the list, followed by San Bruno and San Rafael. Distance to San Francisco: 23 miles; Average rent for a one-bedroom apartment: $2,024; Walnut Creek is a quaint town that has a mix of suburban homes, lots of high-end shopping and restaurants with a warmer climate than its San Francisco counterpart.. 12 Best Small Beach Towns in California (And Where to Stay) Laguna Beach. By Jessica Ritz. Located in Orange County, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, Laguna Beach is seven miles of coves and beaches that lay claim to tide pools, boardwalks, and bluffs. 2. Taking the No.