California’s state capital is prosperous and proud, ranking well for its natural attributes, including epic weather that nourishes this self-declared “Farm-to-Fork Capital” and its fertile surroundings. The city is putting its investment money where its well-fed mouth is. May’s ribbon‑cutting for UC Davis’s $1.15-billion Aggie Square opened wet labs, classrooms and mixed‑income housing that will host 3,200 permanent life science jobs. Up the rail line, Kaiser Permanente has begun building a 310-bed hospital in the Railyards (bolstering the city’s #15 Healthcare ranking), where the 12,000-seat Republic FC stadium also breaks ground this year. Hotels are also trying to keep up with the demand, with an AC Hotel Downtown, Aloft Sacramento Airport and Residence Inn Cal Expo all having recently opened. Midtown’s Ice Blocks keeps locals fed and the #29 Restaurants ranking solid: Urban Roots’ new Good Neighbor just opened and is firing up must-try pizza, joining Shake Shack on the buzzing R Street corridor. Sacramento International just landed a federal TIFIA loan that keeps its $1.3‑billion SMForward expansion—new walkways, parking garage and Terminal A rebuild—on schedule, cementing the airport’s role as a gateway to the capital region and its 2.5 million residents.