A question regarding California rent.... (San Francisco, Sacramento: housing, condo, income)

[info_seeker]

Where can you find the cheapest rent in California (for a single person)? and how much would that rent generally be?

[Saphyre]

Well, that's kind of hard to answer. California is a huge state. There are vast differences between northern and southern CA. Your best bet is to find a general area that you're interested in and go from there. Even within certain counties, you'll find major price differences. The further you are from the ocean, the less you're likely to pay.

[info_seeker]

How about northern California?
(preferably around Modesto, Sacramento, or further north...)

[greatbasinguide]

Cheapest rent in CA? my guess,,, trailerparks along the Colorado River

[Tinpal1]

Originally Posted by info_seeker

Where can you find the cheapest rent in California (for a single person)? and how much would that rent generally be?

Rent in Modesto is going to be cheaper than Sacto (Sacramento) or The City (San Francisco), but there are cheaper cities. However, depending on where you are going to be working, the commute can be difficult. The Central Valley with some larger cities like Stockton, Modesto and Turlock (200K+ populations) are going to be a long 1 1/2 to 2 hour commute to the Bay Area or Sacto.
If the commute isn't an issue and you want cheap rent, smallish towns just outside of the larger ones are worth checking out. I can only tell you about the Central Valley: Try Riverbank, Ripon and Manteca (all near Modesto with under 30K population). Personally, I wouldn't live in Stockton if you paid me. Tracy is worth a look. Turlock is growing up nicely and would be a consideration. I don't particularly care for Ceres, Denair, Escalon, Hughson, Waterford or Keyes, they are generally old with a high percentage of lower income areas.
Hope this helps! Good luck!

[dennismpat]

Originally Posted by greatbasinguide

Cheapest rent in CA? my guess,,, trailerparks along the Colorado River

Not too far from Death Valley. In another post I mentioned Imperial County, specifically El Centro and Calexico. With those two cities, fluency in Spanish is a BIG plus.

[info_seeker]

Why don't you recommend Stockton?

[Need_affordable_home]

I wouldnt want to rent if I have to commute 2 hours. The cost in gas and time would cancel out what you save in rent. Id rather rent a 2 bedroom condo with a roomate a 5-10 min commute from work

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by info_seeker

Why don't you recommend Stockton?

Because it pretty much sucks. It's not the worst place in the world, and there are some decent neighborhoods, but it definitely would not be my first (or third, fourth, etc.) choice. I lived there for college, and in a nutshell, it's really hot, crime is very high, the scenery is minimal, and it even smells bad in parts. Sorry to anyone who lives there and likes it, but I left the second I finished school (UOP)... if you did choose to move there, stick to the West and North sides of town - i.e. campus area, Brookside, Grouse Run, etc.

To answer your original question, like others said, it's a huge state with lots of places to choose from. As for Northern Calif., basically the smaller towns in San Joaquin valley, Redding/Red Bluff, and North coast are the cheapest. I love the town of Arcata, if you don't mind being isolated, and there are also some cute towns in Mendocino county. Tahoe/Truckee is fairly inexpensive, but once again quite isolated... I lived in South Lake Tahoe for 2 years, and it's a gorgeous place, but you have to drive to Reno or Sac for real amenities. You could also consider Marin and Sonoma Counties, such as Santa Rosa, San Rafael, Novato, Sebastopol, Petaluma, and so on. These all still aren't be cheap by other state's standards, but you can probably find a place for around $650-900 (1 bdr.) in these areas. If you go to a really small & out-of-the-way town, you might get something nice for less than that!

Just keep in mind, you get what you pay for in California... it it's really cheap to live somewhere, there's usually a good reason. Now some of those reasons might not bother you (like isolation or bad weather), but definitely find them out first! You're doing the right thing by asking locals, and you should also check craigslist to compare housing costs and/or talk to more people. Good luck!

[greatbasinguide]

Tahoe/Truckee is fairly inexpensive, but once again quite isolated...

Actually, extremely expensive, figure a rent on a room in a house will set you back at least $500 and up. A home? cheapest home for sale in Truckee is $300,000 960 square feet, no garage.