Affordable places to live in California? (Sacramento, Riverside: apartment, for rent, low crime)

[seanm_]

I live in Medford, OR. Born and raised here.
My friend and I looking into moving to California sometime around the end of summer or so. All I hear is how expensive it is to live there. I lived in Portland for a year or so, but cant stand the rain, so were looking to get out of Oregon.
We're wanting to live near, or within reasonable driving distance, from the beach. We're both young, 24; so we dont mind apartment living. But also wouldn't mind paying rent for a house as long as its affordable.
We'll probably be working minimum wage jobs, unless we find something else with better pay.
Suggestions?

[Leonard64]

Originally Posted by seanm_

I live in Medford, OR. Born and raised here.
My friend and I looking into moving to California sometime around the end of summer or so. All I hear is how expensive it is to live there. I lived in Portland for a year or so, but cant stand the rain, so were looking to get out of Oregon.
We're wanting to live near, or within reasonable driving distance, from the beach. We're both young, 24; so we dont mind apartment living. But also wouldn't mind paying rent for a house as long as its affordable.
We'll probably be working minimum wage jobs, unless we find something else with better pay.
Suggestions?

Uh, minimum wage jobs, unless you work 3 each is not likely to provide enough to rent and eat. Not totally impossible inland, say Riverside County.

[OwlKaMyst]

You can find something that two people working minimum wage (state min. is $8 hour) can afford in the more northern parts of CA like Crescent City, McKinnleyville, Eureka and surrounding areas. It is foggy in these areas, but you can find pockets of sunny areas that are a short drive inland.
How far/close you want to be from the ocean is a factor for weather and cost.
About 5 years ago, I lived in Eureka. I lived in the most south-east corner so had better weather and it was about 5 minutes to the beach (boring beach though- too cold). I had a higher paying job, but nothing substantial. My partner's income was less than a normal monthly minimum wage (disability), so I figure it averages out to 2 minimum wage jobs. We rented a two bedroom house with a yard for $1000 a month.
We moved further south (about 175 miles) and now pay $1,300 a month for a much bigger and better house (but also have a 3rd income via a relative living with us- but still only minimum wage, and I'm now working a lower paying job and less hours because I have returned to school). We are farther from the ocean but can still get there in about an hour and it's a nice scenic ride.

Your best bet is to move into a more rural area, cost of rent is cheaper. Jobs can be tricky, but they are there if you are persistent and have a good work history. Everyone thought I was nuts to quit my $15 an hour job to move with no employment prospects when unemployment was so high. But I was not worried at all. I knew I could get a job, and I have two different types of jobs that I was aiming for. I found two; one for each, got interviews for both, and a second interview for one after being hired for the other. I could have worked both jobs because of the scheduling, but after the second interview, I did not want to work for that person, so turned it down. The job I did get was a means to an end, it was a job of choice, but not preference. I kept it long enough (2 years) until a job I really wanted came up. Now I am working in my field of study as well. And the job I turned down, I made the right choice. That business closed down. Had I worked there, I would have been out into a big pinch with the loss of income.

What sort of work are you looking for or are willing to do? How self-motivated are you? Odd jobs is another way to help you get by and there are always people looking for extra, on the spot help with their land or livestock.
Oh- and if you think that you want to live in sunny Southern California for the beaches there, the only place you might be able to afford on two min. wage incomes would be in really bad parts. Southern California (and most all big cities in CA) are indeed expensive.

[Steve97415]

In short, the really expensive places in California will be the popular ones -- the ones where the climate is sunny, not that cold in winter, and not that hot in summer (due to the ocean being rather close). If you want more affordable, you have to settle for a climate with some drawbacks. That could be something like the northern coast where there is a lot of year-round fog and chilly temperatures even in summer, or an inland area that is predominantly sunny, but where long, hot summers will give you three times the number of annual hours over 100 that you experience in the Rogue Valley. You basically have four choices:

1. Mostly chilly and overcast smaller towns on the extreme northern coast
2. Small to mid-sized cities with long, hot summers and cloudy, damp winters in the northern Sacramento Valley
3. Smaller towns in the Mojave Desert
4. Balmy locations not too far from the ocean, but extremely expensive to live in

Pick one.

[Curmudgeon]

If you want affordable housing on minimum pay jobs you can find it but probably don't want to live there.

[Senno]

Whatcha payin for rent now?

SLO is pretty close to Portland COLA wise except for housing.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

And two people working minimum wage = living wage. You won't be living the high life but you will be out of the rain in Oregon, in decent weather and close to the beach.

Living Wage Calculator - Living Wage Calculation for San Luis Obispo County, California

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

In short, the really expensive places in California will be the popular ones -- the ones where the climate is sunny, not that cold in winter, and not that hot in summer (due to the ocean being rather close). If you want more affordable, you have to settle for a climate with some drawbacks. That could be something like the northern coast where there is a lot of year-round fog and chilly temperatures even in summer, or an inland area that is predominantly sunny, but where long, hot summers will give you three times the number of annual hours over 100 that you experience in the Rogue Valley. You basically have four choices:

1. Mostly chilly and overcast smaller towns on the extreme northern coast
2. Small to mid-sized cities with long, hot summers and cloudy, damp winters in the northern Sacramento Valley
3. Smaller towns in the Mojave Desert
4. Balmy locations not too far from the ocean, but extremely expensive to live in

Pick one.

If you are not locked into living close to the ocean, central/north eastern CA is cheap, has four seasons, great people, clean air, low crime and is way better and cheaper than Medford.

[OwlKaMyst]

Originally Posted by Steve97415

In short, the really expensive places in California will be the popular ones -- the ones where the climate is sunny, not that cold in winter, and not that hot in summer (due to the ocean being rather close). If you want more affordable, you have to settle for a climate with some drawbacks. That could be something like the northern coast where there is a lot of year-round fog and chilly temperatures even in summer, or an inland area that is predominantly sunny, but where long, hot summers will give you three times the number of annual hours over 100 that you experience in the Rogue Valley. You basically have four choices:

1. Mostly chilly and overcast smaller towns on the extreme northern coast
2. Small to mid-sized cities with long, hot summers and cloudy, damp winters in the northern Sacramento Valley
3. Smaller towns in the Mojave Desert
4. Balmy locations not too far from the ocean, but extremely expensive to live in

Pick one.

I don't live in any of those places - sure it is wet in the winter, but no more than the Bay Area. Sure it gets cold, but it hardly ever snows. It does get hot in the summer, but usually only one hot spell a summer with no more than a week of over 100 temps.

[LakeShoreSoxGo]

All the crappy, ugly, inland parts.

[nightlysparrow]

Go to Padmapper, type in Oxnard and your price. Some are very close to the beach, tiny, but not bad, actually.