Move to Sacramento: Socal or Norcal? (Irvine, Orange: real estate, cheap apartment, to rent)

[SoCal vs. Norcal]

I currently live in Orange County, Southern California. I love it here. The weather is good most of the time. No snow, I like when it rains, sunny most of the time. The only thing I dont like is the 90+ degree days in summer. However Im more of a nature/hiking/wine tasting person then a beach babe person. I never go to the beach. Maybe I go to the beach once every 2 years. And in Socal you pay a lot to be right by the warm beaches. This is my problem with Socal. Rent here is so high, as are homes. In areas like Irvine and Newport beach rent is easily $1400 to $2500/month. I have the cheapest of the cheap apartment and it doesnt even have air conditioning and its $1100/month! And buying a home? Forget about it! The homes are $800,000 to $2 million.

My husband and I are in our early 30's, just getting established and dont have a big savings or amazing jobs yet. We are looking to relocate to an area where we can get a 1 bedroom apartment with air conditioning, a heated pool, a washer and dryer, and maybe a fireplace for around $1000/month. We currently pay $1100 and have none of those amenities!

My husband and I have been looking at Sacramento/Rocklin/Roseville areas and we see apartments that say they have these things for $700 to $900/month. It sounds too good to be true. Is there a catch? Why is Northern CA so much more affordable than Southern CA? My question mainly is, is it much less safe in the Sacremento area? Is the crime much higher? Is Sacremento as bad as downtown LA or Hollywood? We want to afford a nice place but we dont want to sacrifice our safety. For example where in the Sacremento area would you say its safe to raise a family and let your kids play outside?

My husband and I are planning a trip to walk around the area and take a look in person. But I would really like to here from the residents about the area. What areas are good and what should we avoid? Also we would be changing jobs. I know the unemployment in CA is really high. Is it better or worse or the same in Nor Cal, compared to So Cal. How are the colleges in the area? Are the community colleges expensive? Lastly, I hear it is cooler temperatures and more rain up north. Is this correct? I like more lush green areas as opposed to the beaches.

Anything you could tell me about the area would be great. Thanks!

[Mr. Ozo]

Originally Posted by SoCal vs. Norcal

I currently live in Orange County, I love it here.

Roseville is the Orange County of Sacramento.

[wburg]

If you live in Orange County you'll probably like Placer County just fine. It's mostly rural, most of the population is on the western edge in cities that used to be little foothill towns until the real estate boom. Lots of nature, in the form of foothills and mountains and lakes, located fairly close at hand to the east, and there are wineries in every direction.

About the weather: The coast is cooler and wetter, the inland area, including Sacramento, is much hotter, with wet winters and dry summers. If you have trouble with a 90 degree day, note that this week we set a new record with 106 degree heat. Pretty much every place except the most downtrodden shack has air conditioning. Things generally cool off at night, and this year has been mostly cool except for occasional heat waves, but it gets quite warm here.

The Sacramento region is much cheaper because of the weather and our lack of proximity to things like the ocean and the major attractions of big cities. The metropolitan area is about an eighth the size of the greater southern California metroplex--thus a lot fewer people trying to rent the same places.

Having been to downtown LA and Hollywood, downtown Sacramento seems to be generally safer. Sacramento's bad areas, like southern California's bad areas, are mostly older suburbs that have fallen into disrepair.

Community colleges charge a standard rate statewide, so they should cost about the same.

About that low rent: Be wary of the low end of apartment rents, but yeah, you should be able to find what you're looking for in the $1000 a month range.

[Majin]

Originally Posted by Mr. Ozo

Roseville is the Orange County of Sacramento.

Agreed, Roseville is exactly like Orange County minus the beaches and it's about 10 degrees hotter.

Exact same people though.

[NinaN]

Don't forget the beautiful Sierras and Tahoe just 90 minutes away!

[misc916]

"The only thing I dont like is the 90+ degree days in summer. However Im more of a nature/hiking/wine tasting person then a beach babe person."

The good news is that you'd love living in the Sacramento area if you like hiking, wine tasting, and nature (as I do)...We're about an hour or so from Napa and also many nice wineries in the Sierra foothills barely an hour drive..Also many great hiking trails within relatively short driving distance in the Sierra and the coast.
The bad news is Sacramento is usually hotter than 90 during the summer months..In fact our 'average' highs during the summer are in the 90's with occasional days over 100. This summer has been cooler than normal , however two days ago downtown Sacramento hit 108. Sacramento is an inland/valley city so it doesn't have as much modifying ocean influence as coastal Orange county does. It is not a lush green place at the moment, but arid and brown. It does get cooler here in the winter than Orange county with occasional frosts at night , but no snow. Although snow is often just an hour drive up Hwy 50 and 80. We get most of our rain between November and March and things do get a bit greener and lush then.
Roseville, Rocklin, and Folsom are considered three of the nicest suburban areas around Sacramento, but like others have mentioned have similarities to Orange county.