Best Areas for Air/Water Quality (Sacramento, Santa Ana: 2014, neighborhoods, school)

[rvp88]

I'm having to relocate to Sacramento from LA for my girlfriends graduate school (Davis, to be specific). I am most likely going to be working in Sacramento, but haven't been thrilled about what I've been reading with respect to air quality there. I'm originally from the east coast (clean areas), and have found the LA pollution and poor air quality to really be taxing on me.

I've heard that Davis has better air quality than Sacramento, but I was wondering if a) this is true, and b) if there are any other communities that I should look into. I am open to up to a 30 minute commute each way (potentially more) to find a healthier place to live. Budget is up to $1,500 a month, although $1,200 would be ideal.

[JohnS_15]

What issues are you suffering from related to air quality?

Some people describe the days when a lot of allergens are in the air like pollens as bad air quality days. These days might be different from the conditions that cause high ozone (smog) readings on certain days.

The air quality for ozone and particulate matter does tend to get worse as you head east out of Sac to Folsom and Rockkin areas. This is because the mountains trap the pollution which is blown from west to east by prevailing winds. Davis I think is slightly better than Sacramento for air but Davis has poorer water quality (the ground water is not good in Davis).

Unless you've been living right at the coast in LA I doubt you will find the Sacramento area to have worse air quality. Unless it is specifically allergies you are worried about and then you might be affected more here due to the large quantities of trees and proximity to agriculture.

[rvp88]

Originally Posted by JohnS_15

What issues are you suffering from related to air quality?

Some people describe the days when a lot of allergens are in the air like pollens as bad air quality days. These days might be different from the conditions that cause high ozone (smog) readings on certain days.

The air quality for ozone and particulate matter does tend to get worse as you head east out of Sac to Folsom and Rockkin areas. This is because the mountains trap the pollution which is blown from west to east by prevailing winds. Davis I think is slightly better than Sacramento for air but Davis has poorer water quality (the ground water is not good in Davis).

Unless you've been living right at the coast in LA I doubt you will find the Sacramento area to have worse air quality. Unless it is specifically allergies you are worried about and then you might be affected more here due to the large quantities of trees and proximity to agriculture.

Thanks for the information on Davis water quality. I've also heard some pretty poor things about Sac water quality though too (2013/2014 testing, high levels of carcinogenic substances, etc). Not saying this isnt an issue in virtually all US communities, but still. If I had to guess, I think I'm more sensitive to the Ozone and dust here in LA. The places I've lived before were also large cities (Atlanta, DC), but they had higher levels of humidity and precipitation which helped I think. I am not sensitive to any type of plant or tree pollen as far as I know.

Which communities are known for having a lot of trees? That's appealing to me.

Thanks.

[JohnS_15]

Many of the neighborhoods in and around the actual city of Sacramento have a lot of trees (the older neighborhoods) and Davis does too. The water in Sacramento is generally pretty good as the main source is rain/snow runoff from the Sierra. The issue you are referring to was a narrow window of time when they were trying out a new treatment technology. I don't know the whole story but it was a byproduct from the disinfection process that was higher than it should have been. They were a bit slow to correct this issue and that's what made the news.

Atlanta definitely has ozone issues. Anywhere you get a lot of sunlight mixed with air pollution you get ozone. The dryer air out west could be a factor in your sensitivity and it can get dusty during certain wind events. When we get the dryer north and easterly wind patterns you can definitely feel the change in the air. Sort of like the Santa Ana's you get in SoCal.

[b.hughes]

http://arcg.is/1RsVyCc <- Sacramento area map of pollutants by census tract

You can also move that map down to LA for comparison .... http://arcg.is/1RsWq9X