Looking for a taste of midwest in California (San Francisco, Sacramento: fit in, rentals)

[Dad01]

Hello people thanks for replies
Im looking for a gang free area , no diversity was sarcastic all communities that have no gang or low crime are fine.
Don't have anything against anyone but have a little boy who is half white i dont want him bullied or lured towards drugs
In other words no compton and oakland type areas ive heard they are pretty bad

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Hello people thanks for replies
Im looking for a gang free area , no diversity was sarcastic all communities that have no gang or low crime are fine.
Don't have anything against anyone but have a little boy who is half white i dont want him bullied or lured towards drugs
In other words no compton and oakland type areas ive heard they are pretty bad

You can't do much better than Compton or Oakland when it comes to drugs and gangs. The gang issue is moderate and present in the central valley. You have to pick your neighborhood and school district. Gang issue is near zero in the foothills. Law enforcement and the locals don't tolerate that sort of activity. It takes apathy to allow gangs to take hold. Not how things are here.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Dad01

Hello people thanks for replies
Im looking for a gang free area , no diversity was sarcastic all communities that have no gang or low crime are fine.
Don't have anything against anyone but have a little boy who is half white i dont want him bullied or lured towards drugs
In other words no compton and oakland type areas ive heard they are pretty bad

Ah, that's clearer. I only know northern CA, but in my experience, the gangs really only thrive in lower-income areas. Drugs, on the other hand, cost money.

It was ironic that my parents, who were lower middle-class, actually worked two jobs (my dad) to afford to send me to a private school, which as it turned out, had a lot more drugs than the public schools, simply because the kids could afford them. Did our parents know? Heck no.

But, a more affluent area will have more resources - which means more cops, more social workers, more watch-dogs.

I also found that the smaller towns that I moved to, actually had more problems with drugs and crime and domestic violence. And if your kids are going to school with kids from homes where there is domestic violence, those kids are more likely to be into drugs and violence themselves.

So, full circle, you're probably better off closer to Alamo than you thought.

The black gangs will be nearer poorer areas with a higher black population, the hispanic gangs will nearer the poorer areas with higher hispanic populations. Gangs thrive where there are kids that are hurting, who are looking for a replacement family.

As far as drugs, even in affluent areas, there is no guarantee your kids won't be exposed to drugs. The only real weapon against that, is giving your kids good self-esteem and a safe and calm home life, so they don't need to "escape" their lives. Then, they may still experiment, but it wouldn't take hold of their lives.

From my experience, for what it's worth.

And by the way, look at the map of where there are opioid epidemics - they're in poorer areas with higher unemployment rates - including the mid-west and the south. That's not a California thing. People get hooked on drugs, not because they are available, but because they are unhappy and need to escape their lives.

[CaliforniaGal]

My sister and her husband live in Big Pine, CA at base of Sierra Nevada. Bishop n Mammoth you might want to check out for the heck of it. Very rural but it is the high desert. Just a thought! :-)

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaGal

My sister and her husband live in Big Pine, CA at base of Sierra Nevada. Bishop n Mammoth you might want to check out for the heck of it. Very rural but it is the high desert. Just a thought! :-)

I like the Eastern Sierra including Bishop, Mammoth, Big Pine, etc... But the OP wants to be within 3 hours of the Bay area which it definitely is not. In addition, there is no practical Winter access with the closing of all the high passes. That is unless one wants to drive many more hours south then north again go around the High Sierra range.

Derek

[nmnita]

OP, I can't vouch for the schools but I suggest you, at least consider Placerville. It is as close to the midwest life style you will get within 3 hours of you sister. Another area you may want to consider would be Paradise or Oroville. Someone suggested Chico, well Chico isn't going to have many trees, and it is going to be out of your price range for sure. I am not even sure the other places I have suggested will be in your price range. I will add though, Chico is a nice little town, with some feeling of midwest. Depending on your down payment, you may be able to buy something more expensive. Even though I mentioned Paradise which is almost like heaven, it might be a little further than you want to be from your sister.
Again, let me stress, your budget is low, but if you can find something in your range, Placerville is a wonderful little town. I have always loved stopping in the downtown area for a meal when we head or used to head to Tahoe.

[Radaghast]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Someone suggested Chico, well Chico isn't going to have many trees, and it is going to be out of your price range for sure.

Um, we're certified a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation and we have one of the largest municipal parks in the country. We have a lot of trees. There are also plenty of 3bd/2ba homes on the market that would suit his budget.

[silverkris]

OP, you haven't mentioned employment or line of work. This might be a real determinant, because many of these affordable areas mentioned may or may not have what you may need to do for an income.

[GO JACKETS]

My suggestion is to spend a couple days driving around the area. Chico was my first thought too but you actually have a lot of options.

[EclecticEars]

Chico, Winters, Marysville, Redding, Woodland, and Elk Grove (though suburban and not rural) all come to my mind as viable options for the OP.

If the OP wants a Midwestern "taste" with an ultimate far North State "feel," then I suggest Yreka. I liked its friendliness when I was up there last year, and the views of Mt. Shasta are just gorgeous.