Considering move to Stockton/Modesto-please advice (Fresno, Livermore: foreclosure, crime rate, transfer)

[chirpy76]

My husband is possibly considering relocating to Stockton in July next yr. We have looked at the Brookside community and liked it, but the same cannot be said about the city proper. My husband is also considering a offer from Modesto, he is in the healthcare sector. What would be the experience in this forum,is the crime really as bad as they say.I would appreciate any input very much.Whats the economy like in either cities?

[FresnoFacts]

Lets look at Stockton crime this way. Stockton's crime rate is almost exactly the same as Buffalo's. So it depends upon how you feel about where you are now.

2007 city-data.com crime index
Buffalo 699.3
Stockton 707.4
Modesto 494.2

[chirpy76]

Thanks Fresno for the reply, but Buffalo I think is a much bigger city with exellent suburban areas which are safe...the place where we live Amherst/NY is the third safest city to live in the US currently ( it was No.1 few yrs ago). Downtown Buffalo is not great , but its SAFE with some giood restaurents.
Stockton seems attractive for the reason Sacremento/SF being close by.

[FresnoFacts]

Stockton's population within its city limits is 287,245. Within the city limits of Buffalo itself it is 272,632. So base the crime comparison on those 2 immediate areas.

The Stockton-Lodi metro area (basically San Joaquin County) is 614,000 which is about 1/2 the size of Buffalo and its suburbs.

[chirpy76]

Thanks again...Are you from Stockton. Are there good dining options/malls in stockton. I will be working in St jospehs hospital

[tennis368fan]

Stockton certainly has a reputation for being a troubled urban region. The vast stock of abandoned McMansions are breeding grounds for crime. The public schools are not great, and this trend extends into some of its suburbs.

I'd go with Modesto. Although it has been known for the Peterson Incident and the origin of Chandra Levy, it is much safer than Stockton. It has less everyday crime, the ones that people do not hear from the news. The public school system is MUCH better than that of Stockton. There are more good schools in the Modesto area than in the Stockton area. I am excluding public charter schools in this context as the demand for these schools are high and they are usually not the schools that your children will be placed in upon transfer. Some of the better schools in the Stockton area belong to this category.

If you want the best of both cities, try Ripon, a good midway point.

[sonarrat]

You could also consider commuting from Livermore, there is a price premium there but the school system is stellar and crime is almost nonexistant.

[chirpy76]

Thanks for all the information, I plan to be in the Stockton/Modesto area around Novemeber to make a decision. I seem to be leaning towards Modesto for the reasons you ahve mentioned.

What about North Stockton and the Brook side community ,in Lincoln School district. Is it considered a relatively safe place, how about shopping and dining options in that area.
Again I appreciate the info

[MichaelinWA]

A British perspective on America's "foreclosure capital," Stockton.

US property dream has turned into a nightmare - Telegraph

[tennis368fan]

I looked at test scores for Lincoln Unified. Brookside Elementary looks impressive, but Sierra Middle and Lincoln High don't look too great. Although test scores don't say everything about schools, they do have some validity into the environment and performance of a school. Personally, I look for elementary schools that rate in the mid 800's in the API, no lower than 820; at least 800 for middle schools, and at least the mid 700's for high schools. Although API 800 is the point of proficiency, schools are also rated according to comparisions with similar schools (top 10% of all schools in the state, top 20%, etc.). This means that athough an elementary school can achieve an API of 800, it will mostly likely rank in the top 30% of all elementary schools in the state, while a high school with API 800 could rank in the top 10% of all high schools in the state, an if not, in the top 20%. Because public education in California isn't too great to begin with, it is always good to shoot for a more highly rated school.

API scores are rated out of 1000, and annual Base API Report scores are out of 10. The Base API Report for last year has not come out, but you could see past report by choosing "County Reports" at the top of web page (upper left hand corner).

Of course, you could look into private school for your children for middle school and high school.

San Joaquin County - http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/AcntR...39,SAN,JOAQUIN

Stanislaus County - http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/AcntR...=50,STANISLAUS