Antioch, California

As noted Antioch is a bedroom community but those beds sit in a pretty wide variety of homes. There are plenty of single-family homes but also tons of apartment/condo and townhome options. Which means that while the city is geared towards families, the water culture and housing options bring a different energy to the city than most sleepy suburbs. Families have a lot to do here with the Antioch Water Park providing a fun escape from the summer heat.

There’s also access to beautiful outdoor spaces at the Down Wetlands Preserve and Black Diamond Mines. Both offering amazing hiking and trail walking options nearby. In addition to lots of smaller parks there is also the Antioch Community Park which has sports fields, playgrounds, camping, fishing, a wonderful beach and pool. You also have more adventurous entertainment options at the Antioch Speedway and Antioch Paintball Park. Perhaps even more important for singles, couples and families is the amazing water play options with paddle-boarding, kayaking, boating, swimming, and more all at your doorstep on the Delta.

Antioch is a pretty big school district with a mix of strong and weaker schools with an overall average of C+ on niche.com Geography is everything in terms of the quality of the schools for your kiddos. Most of the weaker schools are north and west and the southern and eastern neighborhoods have the pearls. It should be noted that even in some of the weaker areas and schools the teachers are generally praised for caring for the students and the knocks seem to come more from issues around resources for extracurricular activities.

Antioch is one of the least expensive cities in the Bay Area and that’s a huge plus in the craziness of Bay Area real estate. Add the fact that the city is on the Delta and gives you all the perks you get from living on a beautiful body of water and it makes Antioch worth a look.