cheapest place to live in califrona (Sacramento, Davis: rentals, coop, credit)

[student huynh]

So I recently found this thread and I find it to be useful helpful and I'm hoping to get some questions solved, just would be is where is the cheapest place to live in californa? Considering this for residency becuase I live in Alabama now but want to move to claiforna for school so I want to have residency before attending class, I might be jobless so the cheapest for rent is best, I dont mind room sharing as long as I can have proof I stay there or if I'm allowed to live in car or houseboat.



Second is what neighborhood would be cheapest to commute to live in area to ucsf dental for a student? I dont care about having fun or weather or safety, just want transportation cheap or walk/bicycle. I dont care how far the commute is as long as I could make it to class If I have it 4 days out of a week, near a dental clinic is a plus?



I'm very new to ca so I'm not even to sure if I'm asking the right question or if it is even possible to ask to much ? Please leave everything you would consider

[eureka1]

Probably out in the desert.

[Ruth4Truth]

Well, if you have to be a resident for at least one year (actually, I think CA requires 2 years now...), you'll have plenty of time during that year or two, to figure out the cheapest place to live, to be near your school.

CA is a big place, Lots of cheap places to live. Well...cheap-ER. The eastern side of the state is cheaper; the farther away from the beach you get. Depends partly on how much heat you can stand. You could look east of Sacramento, in the Sierra foothills, or even in Sacramento. (Lots of job potential there.). There are rooms/home shares there for around $400 and up. That might be one of your best bets, both rent-wise and job-wise. For cooler weather (lots of rain fall/winter/spring), you could try Humboldt county: roughly the same for a room for rent, give or take. Not as much job potential there. Relatively remote area. There's a university there, though.

You'll need to find work, because being employed for a year (or more) is one pre-condition of residency, or perhaps more accurately: of serious intent to become a California resident long-term. For other proof of residency, you can have mail delivered to your CA address. If you're sharing a place (vs. studio apt.), you could ask to have one of the utility bills in your name. But you'll need to prove you've been employed, not just hanging out in the state, passing the time, in order to get in-state tuition. They've really tightened the rules on that over the years. They're onto you.

[student huynh]

Wow that is very great information and for me I happen to love the rain and a budget if 400 for rent seems very doable thankyou, on the seirra u think is nice ?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by student huynh

Wow that is very great information and for me I happen to love the rain and a budget if 400 for rent seems very doable thankyou, on the seirra u think is nice ?

OK, so, Humboldt County is way in the northwest of the state, on the ocean, near the Oregon border. That's where it's rainiest. (The redwood trees love it! Huge redwood parks!). There are quite a few towns up there you could scope out. I found one house-share on Craigslist in Eureka, that was a group of employed professionals, looking for a roommate. Humboldt can be kind of run-down, though, and some say Eureka is a little rough, except for the nicer part of town. But there's Arcata: a university town. There are Fortuna and Ferndale. Not much job potential there, but there's some tourism. I'm giving you names of towns to look up and research, and check out housing listings. But economically, Humboldt is a depressed area. Former logging towns. But it can be cool, too, in a funky kind of way.

Then there's the Sierras, "Gold Country", on the east side of the state: Placerville, Chico, Grass Valley. Other posters here will give you more suggestions there. Summers get a bit hot and dry, but otherwise, the weather's ok: some snow in winter. Not sure of the job potential there.

Then there's Sacramento, the state capital, and its suburbs. Big city, but rents are cheap. Good for jobs. Hot summers, but cool in the evenings. 2 hours from the Bay Area and beaches. No winter snow. Nearby is the city of Davis, which has a university. Although there's a lot of competition from students for rentals, you can also find rooms for $400 or $450, though that's the low end. Job potential there's ok, too.

What's your work history? If you could score an office job of some sort, that would be more likely to show intent to become a CA citizen, than a service-sector job would.


That should give you something to work on, for awhile. I found room rents in all those areas ranging from around $400 and $700, depending on size, private bath or no, etc.

[509]

Alturas.

[student huynh]

Ruth4truth ur amazing that's so much information, and well for work I'm a licensed pipe welder 0 experience basically got the degree and never went to the field, I can do nails since I am a vietnamese done as a part time but I'm not licensed, rent wise I have seen some around 300 as the cheapest and I can be frugal such as being able to live in a car if need to be becuase I own a 2nd gen Prius, John potential would be very nice but I never have worked on anything but nails which was a family business. I'll be sure to check the area but also would going to the university there or try work in the clinic be smart or if I can land a dental job or attend school pull my chances getting accepted into ucsf?

[Vic Romano]

Originally Posted by student huynh

Ruth4truth ur amazing that's so much information, and well for work I'm a licensed pipe welder 0 experience basically got the degree and never went to the field, I can do nails since I am a vietnamese done as a part time but I'm not licensed, rent wise I have seen some around 300 as the cheapest and I can be frugal such as being able to live in a car if need to be becuase I own a 2nd gen Prius, John potential would be very nice but I never have worked on anything but nails which was a family business. I'll be sure to check the area but also would going to the university there or try work in the clinic be smart or if I can land a dental job or attend school pull my chances getting accepted into ucsf?

What are your qualifications for applying to UCSF? Are you already in college? Do you have a degree? If so, what subject? Do you have your high school diploma? Any scholarships?

Why do you think you can get into UCSF? Tell us what you think you need to do to apply.

[student huynh]

Right now I'm a student a George Wallace in Selma Alabama, I will have a associate of science from there and transfer over to university of Alabama in Birmingham, there complete my bachelor as that is my plan, at this moment I have 47 college credit and is taken 3 classes for this summer, I didn't check the requisite for ucsf becuase I dont even have my basics yet. I know I am way ahead but I rather plan a detail path. So I'm a resident in Alabama but will be moving to californa within 2-3 years becuase I'm sure I have gotten what I need to start in California l. Now I have 0 scholarship, my overall GPA is 3.2 bexuase of my welding, academic wise its pretty low becuase of my 3 c but for these next classes I'll aim for A and actually try. I'm pretty fit as well as I can do wreslting. Becuase during my senior year I made it to state first year my school opened wreslting, I'm a pretty go skater so I could learn ice hockey super fast, and I am able to finish 1 mile and halve around 9 mins and and a couple of secs not over pushing my limits, so I do believe if they have these sports in college maybe I can try and get a scholarship. That's not a full proof plan. But while I'm claiforna or Alabama I was planning to join the military and get the hcsp scholarship from the navy before after my bachelor is completed. If I finish college In California then I have time to study for the FACT AND SAT so I could hopefully get a scholarship or acceptance from the school.... again my mine is running marthan but my ultimate goal is getting the hcsp scholarship for dental and attends ucsf

[student huynh]

Also I know I was ti do research but just so it be more narrowed down, house beats are not off limit neither, so cheapest area would as be consider a cheaper cost love living as well such as a market to buy food for cheap, i not fan of going out to eat so buying and making my dinner would be cheapest im coop with that as well. Narrowing it a bit more? And I do not not mind being. Loner in a no populated area