Apartments for Rent in California

California

There are more California apartments per resident than in any other state, due in large part to the population and explosive growth of this Pacific coast state. There are 36 million people in California, more than in any other state, spread out over 164,700 square miles. Although the state is high in population, residents tend to be concentrated in specific areas clustered around major cities and along the coast line that runs the length of the state.

The largest cities are Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. If you're looking for apartments in California, you'll need to snap up a good one quickly in any of these cities where real estate is always at a premium. Interestingly, most people don't realize that much of the wealth of the state is based on agriculture – one-third of all of the United States' food is produced in California's Central Valley! The population explosion in cities is based on the rise of regions like Silicon Valley and the Tech Coast, where giants in the computer and electronic industries are established.

Tourism is also a big draw, especially with the original Disney World and the enormous entertainment industry based in Hollywood. Movies, television programming and music are all major contributors to the economy as well.

Outdoor Attractions

California has some of the most beautiful mountains in the country – the Sierra Nevada's – along with the impressive Mt. Whitney at almost 14,500 feet above sea level. Skiing and mountain climbing are incredibly popular due to the challenging nature of the mountains here. With forest land covering about 35% of the state, hiking, camping and caving are also popular activities.

For those who love the ocean, California is a paradise – hundreds of miles of Pacific coast ranging from the rocky northern coastline with crashing waves to the warm, sandy beaches of the south ideal for boating, fishing and swimming.

If you prefer the stark beauty of the desert, Death Valley, the Mojave Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park harbor cactus, yucca and an incredible range of desert animals that are on the endangered or protected species lists.

Colleges and Universities

California's higher education system is one of the most comprehensive in the country with multiple campuses for three different university systems – the University of California (with 10 campuses), California State University (which over 400,000 students each year on multiple campuses) and the California Community Colleges (109 currently). Numerous private colleges such as Stanford, Caltech and the University of Southern California offer incredible diversity. California's primary and secondary schools also tend to be quite good, with a full 40% of state revenues going toward public schools.

Large campuses encourage living in California apartments for upperclassmen due to the always growing student body. Fortunately, college towns have plenty of apartments in California every year.

Real Estate and Housing

California apartments don't come cheap. Although there are about five million California apartments being occupied at any given time, the demand is always there for more. The cost of an apartment in California is about double what it is in Texas and is on par or slightly higher than most major cities. The variety and quality are both excellent, but be prepared to pay for them.