Has the Quality of Life in West Sacramento Improved Over the Last 20 Years? (Citrus Heights: crime)

[clb10]

West Sac has the lowest cost of living in the Valley. But has life improved for the people who live there in the last couple of decades?

Has the crime and drug usage dropped?

Have the schools improved?

Would you buy a home there?

[NinaN]

Based on this map School Rankings for the Sacramento metropolitan area, California of school ratings, I would say that the schools haven't improved (most are rated 1 or 2 out of 10).

Crime stats can be found here http://www.crimemapping.com/map/CA/WestSacramento 302 reported crimes Since Oct 1.


There is a reason the houses are cheaper there than nearby areas.

[Majin]

West Sac is still the best place to shop for hookers and coke.

[stinkerpuppy]

If they would get RID of the tweeker scum, it would be a nice little river town/city! !

[movetosacto]

If you consider the new suburban Southport neighborhoods, the ballpark area, waterfront makeover and big-box retail center off I-80, West Sacramento has vastly improved over the last two decades.

If I were considering buying there, I'd probably look at Southport or the new housing around the ballpark. Bridgeway Island Elementary looks like it has decent API scores (2012 Growth API LEA List of Schools Report (CA Department of Education)) but after that scores are lower.

I don't think homes in Southport are any cheaper than comparable neighborhoods elsewhere in the region. Prices seem on par with homes in Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova and Natomas - suburban 3- and 4-bedroom homes available in the $150,000 to $300,000 range.

[ryuns]

Yes. One word: Ikea

But seriously, there is so much subjectivity to quality of life. This came up on another thread so I apologize for the redundancy. I've only been in the area for a little more than 2 years. Given the economy, some increases in crime (to be fair, it comes after many years of decreases), and a shaky housing market, it's easy to make the case that the place is stagnating, with signs of a very slow recovery. And yet, for me, a lot of the things that affect my personal quality of life are improving quite quickly. I'm a bit of beer and wine snob and in the past few years, two of my new favorite bars have opened. Craft breweries are popping up like weeds in the metro area, including two within walking distance. The Delta and foothill wine countries continue to expand and generally be awesome. I like to bike and the city and county have been impressive, given budget woes, in their steps to make this a more bike friendly place. I could go on.

Meanwhile, though I wholeheartedly support funding for education, I have no kids. Crime is frustrating, but I'm a well-insured, white male in a good neighborhood, so I'm better insulated than some.

[wburg]

Put it this way: Back in the fifties and sixties, police would do periodic sweeps of prostitutes in downtown Sacramento's west end and drop them off along West Capitol.