Davis Best College Town in California

Downtown Davis on Halloween

Davis #1 College Town in California.

It is official, Davis has made the top spot among college towns in California.  According to Paul Shigley, author of the California Planning and Development Report, ideal college towns have a high integration between town and campus.  Other California cities that made the list included, Chico, Berkeley and San Luis Obispo.

Why Davis made the top of the list:

• Proximity to downtown.  UC Davis, unlike many west coast colleges is located next to the downtown. Downtown Davis is  full of movie theaters, restaurants, bike shops, art galleries and of course coffee shops.
• Bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  The ability to easily walk or bike extends way beyond the campus and downtown.  Davis is a very accessible city where all neighborhoods are easy to navigate either on foot or bike.  Davis is known worldwide for being a progressive bicycle friendly community.
• The University is truly the center of the community. Everything from the types of restaurants to the local housing market is highly dependent on the University, its schedule and  its students, faculty and staff. 

What makes Davis special

Davis is a very interesting place even if you are not a student or directly associated with the University.   Davis also claims to have the second highest number of Ph D's in the country and much of the adult population is highly educated. This leads to a huge focus on public schools and makes Davis a very family friendly town. 

All major University events have a direct impact on the town and blur the lines between town and campus.  Parades for Homecoming  or the annual spring Picnic Day are almost as much a town event as University.  Even town events like the Downtown Davis Business Trick or Treating that is primarily for children gives the university students who haven't lost the Halloween spirit a chance to dress up and be a part of the greater Davis community.

The university also creates a cushioning influence on the local housing market.  As there has been restriction on growth for the better part of the decade, it could be argued there is a housing shortage in Davis. With the University expanding this means there are more students and faculty looking for housing. The University is in the final development stages for a housing development, West Village, but that will not relieve the pressure soon.  While the rest of the region is swamped with distressed and bank owned properties, Davis is kind of sheltering that storm.  For more information on the best college town in California, click to explore Davis Real Estate.

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