Rocklin? or Folsom? (Sacramento, Roseville, Chico: lease, HOA, low crime)

[jamie4040]

Hi! My family will be relocating to the Sac area this Summer. We will rent for 1 year then buy a home. We have 3 kids, 5, 3 and 1. We are looking for GOOD, not decent, schools, an affordable home to buy (<350K, >1800sq ft) and very low crime.

Which city would you recommend and WHY?

Thanks for your help!

[Marsh511]

We were faced with a similar choice in early 2010, though we were also considering Roseville and El Dorado Hills. We decided on Rocklin, initially due to the easier commute to Sac Airport (30 minutes using backroads; Folsom did not have any shortcuts). However, if the airport is not a concern to you, you may prefer Folsom because the established parts of Folsom are slightly better maintained, and there are more trees and terrain. I also believe Folsom's schools are slightly ahead of Rocklin's, though they have similar API scores. In our children's elementary school, class sizes are large (28-32), and not a day goes by where a teacher doesn't send a note or email asking for volunteers and supplies. Somehow, the kids seem to still get a pretty good education in the Rocklin school district, but only because the whole community pitches in. Being an older parent, I'm still not used to this way of delivering education...but I guess this is 2011, not the 1970's.

Rocklin will get you slightly more home for your money, with prices averaging about $120/sq ft. vs. something more like $140/sq ft. in Folsom. If you like the feel of NEW communities, Rocklin seems to have more choices, with particularly good choices in Whitney Ranch (ok, I'm biased, since we live here). With fairly manageable Mello-Roos and reasonable HOA dues ($84/month), we have a beautiful community clubhouse and pool, which the entire community cherishes and uses extensively. We didn't find any other community in any area with this amenity. Half of the kids in our elementary school (at least 2nd grade and older) either walk or ride bikes to the school, just the way I used to do growing up in Maryland. This lends itself to a wonderful, close-knit, community feel, where neighbors look out for one another. Whitney High is an excellent high school, and it's also located on the edge of Whitney Ranch. I do think the general traffic flow to/from Rocklin is less congested than to/from Folsom, mainly because there are many alternatives to the congested main freeways. Getting in and out of Folsom is a little trickier because the American River cuts across the area, and the number of road crossings is somewhat limited.

Folsom will probably give you better home values over the next 4-5 years, maybe more, because there's less new construction. Obviously, this may be offset by the fact that your initial costs will be higher there. Don't overlook Roseville...whose borders are somewhat blurred with Rocklin. The main thing to watch out for with Roseville is the zoning for schools. Parts of Roseville are assigned to schools in the Center Unified District, which means your kids will be going to school across county lines in Sacramento County instead of Placer County. There's a slight uppity attitude in Roseville - not sure why. Still, Roseville is very similar to Rocklin, and probably worth your consideration.

I think shopping is definitely superior in Rocklin over Folsom, except for the lack of a true "old town". If you are looking to be close to a quaint old town with character with boutiques, antique troves, and independent shops, then Folsom wins hands down. Mall shopping is fantastic in Rocklin because of the proximity of the Roseville Galleria, probably the most complete and beautiful regional malls I've seen anywhere. Folsom doesn't have anything resembling the Galleria.

Finally, if you're looking for a quick escape route, I tend to prefer going up to the North Shore of Tahoe, or up towards Chico...so Rocklin puts you closer to those points. Routes leading to South Tahoe and the heart of the Gold Country, however, are closer to Folsom.

You have some good options in both areas. You just need to spend a few days driving around each area, and one will definitely have the right feel for you!

Good luck.

[jamie4040]

Thank you so much! We are going up today to look at a home on Comstock Ct in Rocklin (cross streets are Sunset and Whitney Blvd), can you give me any insight into this area? Is this Whitney Ranch? I know the homes are older but as long as the people are friendly and homes are well kept, I actually prefer older. The home school is Parker Whitney and about a 10 min walk (I plan to walk my son everyday I can).

As far as elementary schools, are there any you would recommend? Any to avoid?

Thanks for your help!

[NinaN]

Where will you be working? I recommend making the drive from both places during rush hour to see which is more tolerable.

I like the Folsom area. You can certainly find what you are looking for price wise and good schools out here. There have been lots of discussions on both these areas, just do a search and see.

Wherever you buy, just make sure to call the schools to double check which school your kids will attend and if there is room. Fall registration started in Feb/March and there might be issues with getting kids in.

Good luck with your search

[mistermoose]

I live in Whitney Ranch in Rocklin and the schools are overrated. If we end up staying in this area, we will move to Folsom. I hope you enjoy the lovely weather which is usually cloudy, foggy or rainy.

[Marsh511]

What did you think of Rocklin? The address you give (Comstock Ct) is not Whitney Ranch. WR is about 2 miles further north (towards Lincoln), and part of a much newer series of developments. If you like the older, more established areas, you probably liked what you saw today, though maybe a little too close to the railroad tracks and a somewhat closed-in feeling of being down in a valley. Parker Whitney is a good school. Because of its demographics, the API scores are a little lower than some of the other RUSD schools like Valley View, but frankly, the teachers may be stronger at PW because they are accustomed to a more diverse and challenging student body.

Originally Posted by jamie4040

Thank you so much! We are going up today to look at a home on Comstock Ct in Rocklin (cross streets are Sunset and Whitney Blvd), can you give me any insight into this area? Is this Whitney Ranch? I know the homes are older but as long as the people are friendly and homes are well kept, I actually prefer older. The home school is Parker Whitney and about a 10 min walk (I plan to walk my son everyday I can).

As far as elementary schools, are there any you would recommend? Any to avoid?

Thanks for your help!

[Marsh511]

LOL Moose, you must be a fellow Sunset Ranch dad... You know, I can't stand the constant begging for volunteers and supplies, but all in all, I think the faculty does a good job there...and my kids absolutely love the school and their friends. And this winter, it seems like the Folsom area's gotten more extreme weather - like tornadoes! I don't think the weather's much different, actually, between Folsom and Rocklin. After all, they're just 15 miles apart. Yeah, Rocklin gets a little more fog, but I like that spooky sort of environment once in a while!

Originally Posted by mistermoose

I live in Whitney Ranch in Rocklin and the schools are overrated. If we end up staying in this area, we will move to Folsom. I hope you enjoy the lovely weather which is usually cloudy, foggy or rainy.

[jamie4040]

We liked Rocklin but we also like Folsom. We did like the area off of Sunset and Whitney but NOT the house. We've actually accepted a lease for a house on Macaw ln in Rocklin. It's a newer area and the school is Rock Creek. My son will be touring it tomorrow. Any thoughts on that area and school?

I'm sure it gets very draining being asked to volunteer and donate so often but I think that's just public schools today. I plan on being very involved anyway. We are coming from a worse district so I'm just glad a get a good public school.

Any thoughts on preschools in the area? I have a 3 1/2 year also.