How would you rank these Central Valley cities (Fresno, Sacramento: neighborhoods, university)

[Msw120]

How would you these cities in the Central Valley in terms of overall desirability. I’ve been to all of these places and lived in Madera, Davis, and Sacramento. I would rank it like this:


12. Madera
11. Yuba City/Marysville
10. Stockton
9. Merced
8. Modesto
7. Bakersfield
6. Redding
5. Visalia
4. Fresno
3. Chico
2. Davis
1. Sacramento

[General I80]

1. Davis
2. Sacramento (Folsom is good)
3. Chico
4. Visalia
5. Redding
6. Modesto
7. Fresno (marked up due to Clovis)
8. Yuba City/Marysville
9. Bakersfield (Marked down due to areas like Oildale and Arvin)
10. Merced
11. Stockton
12. Madera

Another city I'd put in the top 3 is Roseville.

I've been to all except Visalia, Yuba City, and Madera, which I made guesses on based on statistics. If you're commuting to Sacramento, Davis is way cheaper than many Bay Area cities, and is quite safe.

[davdaven]

I haven't been to Visalia (heard good things) or Madera, but of the remaining ones on your list that I feel the strongest about, I rank them as follows:

6. Yuba City/Marysville (Marysville has minor appeal, but Yuba City is a dump)
5. Bakersfield (too hot and ugly)
4. Stockton (has some decent parts, good proximity to Bay Area)
3. Chico (nice town, pleasant small-town lifestyle, university vibe helps)
2. Davis (good location, good university, nice neighborhoods)
1. Sacramento (bigger city living without too many drawbacks)

Curious why Redding gets ranked as highly as it does by both of you. It seems too remote to justify a middle-of-the-pack ranking.

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by davdaven

Curious why Redding gets ranked as highly as it does by both of you. It seems too remote to justify a middle-of-the-pack ranking.

Redding has a much more picturesque setting than the rest of the Central Valley. The mountains nearby are nice, as is the Sacramento River that runs right through the city. It is also more green/lush in general, due to a higher annual rainfall.

However, it does get extremely hot and the city itself (ignoring the natural surroundings) is not that great.

[Msw120]

Originally Posted by roadwarrior101

Redding has a much more picturesque setting than the rest of the Central Valley. The mountains nearby are nice, as is the Sacramento River that runs right through the city. It is also more green/lush in general, due to a higher annual rainfall.

However, it does get extremely hot and the city itself (ignoring the natural surroundings) is not that great.

This is exactly how I feel about Redding. Beautiful surroundings but the city itself is just ok.

[sacreole]

I think when considering the quality of life of cities in the Central Valley, it’s important to differentiate between the different sub-regions they’re located in. The Central Valley is pretty vast and diverse. There’s the San Joaquin Valley (Lodi to Bakersfield), Sacramento Metro (Sacramento, southern Placer, western El Dorado, Sutter, Yolo and Sutter Counties) and the central and northern Sacramento Valley (Oroville/Chico to Redding).

Regarding the San Joaquin Valley, my preferences are Visalia, Clovis, Exeter, Lodi, Ripon, Oakdale and Kingsburg.

Sacramento Metro: Davis, Folsom, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Sacramento.

Central/Northern Sacramento Valley: Chico, Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson.

[dontbelievehim]

Yeah, im good off of redding

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by Msw120

How would you these cities in the Central Valley in terms of overall desirability. I’ve been to all of these places and lived in Madera, Davis, and Sacramento. I would rank it like this:


12. Madera
11. Yuba City/Marysville
10. Stockton
9. Merced
8. Modesto
7. Bakersfield
6. Redding
5. Visalia
4. Fresno
3. Chico
2. Davis
1. Sacramento

As far as valley towns go, my first hand observations;

Good-Chico, Davis, Merced, Turlock, Oakdale, Sacramento, Lodi, Woodland

Bad-Stockton, Fresno, Yuba/Marysville, Williams,

Just OK-Riverbank, Colusa, Redding, Red Bluff, Lincoln

Bakersfield is a town that people who live there seem to like

[Moddedintegra56]

Fresno is tetering on Ok to Good. It's in a transitional phase now as it has been in the media as the next hot housing market now that Sac well is already been exposed for last several years and its the next closest big city to many in the bay area looking to be refugees of the high cost of living yet still be 2 hours away (only for South Bay folks, as other parts are still 3 hrs)

Sac/davis is no brainer good and probably top ranking

Stockton is bad, real bad. It seems like as Sac and Fresno areas get more expensive, the gangsters being pushed out are going to stockton.

Bakersfield is niche because it doesnt serve as a place for refuge for socal residence since lancaster area is just as affordable and closer and other parts of the valley in san bernardino county, and bako is not realistic for bay area folks who still want to be close. Bakersfield is a lesser version of fresno

Visalia/tulare area between fresno and bako is a nice city, but just doesnt have much going on there. You'll find many people who live here still go to fresno to do stuff.

Madera is sleeper, its not part of fresno county but it might as well be especially the new master plan communities of:
Riverstone
Tesoro Viejo
Not much happening in the city of madera and within the city borders and most people here go to fresno anyways.

[Msw120]

Originally Posted by sacreole

central/northern sacramento valley: Chico, redding, shasta lake, anderson.

Why Shasta lake and Anderson?