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Hello. After living in Las Vegas for three years, my mother and I are considering a move to Sacramento. We've read a great deal on how Sacramento's economy has prospered in recent times, resulting in a great deal of people moving to the once desolate city. After establishing hearty financial savings here in Vegas, and currently working jobs that pay at $15 an hour, we are considering moving to the city in which family members have recommended to us.
I would be delighted in learning of the pros and cons with such a move. Mom and I don't consider heavy traffic to be a deterrent, as traffic and traffic accidents are already atrocious in Vegas. We aren't in the healthcare industry, but we're confident in our capabilities of securing jobs that will provide a solid, healthy income. We're looking to rent and are currently paying $1,000 in rent for Vegas, but a higher rent won't be a deterrent either.
We tire of the Vegas culture and have fallen in love with Sacramento's farming culture. Plus, the absence of seasons in Vegas and Sacramento's rainfall encourage the move.
I don't believe Sacramento has ever been desolate. And it's a city, not a farming community. And I don't know that you can count on rainfall, though I suppose it's better than Las Vegas.
That said, Sacramento is nice and it's also close to many types of recreation, from mountains to beaches, as well as an even bigger city experience if you want to take a trip into SF. The Amtrak train - Capital Corridor - is a nice ride from Sac to the SF Bay Area.
Sacramento proper is flat, but that's not obvious because Sac has a lot of trees - it's know for it's trees. But, you can see the mountains in the distance, too.
Because of the agriculture in the same valley (lots of tomatoes and rice), the air quality can get pretty bad.
There's lots to do that's not centered around gambling.
I don't believe Sacramento has ever been desolate. And it's a city, not a farming community. And I don't know that you can count on rainfall, though I suppose it's better than Las Vegas.
That said, Sacramento is nice and it's also close to many types of recreation, from mountains to beaches, as well as an even bigger city experience if you want to take a trip into SF. The Amtrak train - Capital Corridor - is a nice ride from Sac to the SF Bay Area.
Sacramento proper is flat, but that's not obvious because Sac has a lot of trees - it's know for it's trees. But, you can see the mountains in the distance, too.
Because of the agriculture in the same valley (lots of tomatoes and rice), the air quality can get pretty bad.
There's lots to do that's not centered around gambling.
I bet you'll like it. Good luck.
Pardon me-I didn't mean to imply a belief in Sacramento being a farm. The words 'farming culture' were in reference to Sacramento's many farm-to-restaraunt establishments, and the city nurturing organic agriculture. I understand that Sacramento isn't something out of the Harvest Moon game series, but I apologize for the confusion.
Thank you for your helpful feedback. We are certainly excited about moving somewhere that has much more recreational activities than Las Vegas, and a few recent articles have mentioned plenty of rainfall. In consideration of it never raining in Vegas (I don't count 2 inches of rain out of an entire year enough), Sacramento sounds more enticing by the moment.
If you saved substantial savings on $15/HR in Las Vegas, you may want to consider the COL here in Sac. It's not as expensive as some of CA's other metros (SF, LA, SD), but $15 an hour here would leave you in a pretty perilous situation (definitely very little savings). It's easy to want change and imagine life in some other city when you are already in a good situation, but things could suck pretty quick without a decent paying job here. I would suggest staying put for a while longer, unless you have a good $20K-$30K saved and can find your way back to the same situation easily in Vegas if it doesn't work out here. LOL come to think of it, if you made out like a bandit there on $15 an hour in Vegas, I might consider the reverse move and go out there myself.
As to the nuts and bolts of the other factors, yes, we definitely have more variation in our weather than Las Vegas. Our weather is generally sunny for 8 months out of the year, and either scorching hot or "paradise", depending on who you ask (Chimerique? and probably others). Overall I think the weather is pretty good here, though it shifts from summer to winter in a heart beat and winters tend to feel much colder than the stated temperature. I've lived in snow, and 55 degrees here feels like 30 used to in other places.
The traffic is not bad, but the drivers are atrocious. It would take me a full page here to list the bad to dangerous driving I encountered literally just in the past week. It is worse than LA and the bay area in my experience there, and I worked in Oakland for 2.5 years. The drivers are considerably worse than those in the bay, which is saying something.
Culture wise, I love the local neighborhood vibe. It's very easy to talk to people, there are tons of community events all the time and people love low key stuff here. There always seems to be something going on on an organic level, and IMO that's mostly because it's for the most part a government/working class town.
You should take a trip to see some of these things for yourself.
Thank you for your helpful feedback. We are certainly excited about moving somewhere that has much more recreational activities than Las Vegas, and a few recent articles have mentioned plenty of rainfall. In consideration of it never raining in Vegas (I don't count 2 inches of rain out of an entire year enough), Sacramento sounds more enticing by the moment.
Welcome and good luck on your move to Sacramento!
Last year Sacramento had near 33 inches of rain. To date, for this year, we are near 14 inches. Our winters are mild; it rarely gets down to 32F. I usually agree with Sacite, but when it's 55F in Sac, it feels like 55F not 30F.
Summers - the biggest difference between Sac and Vegas is Sac cools down a lot every evening and night, way way more than Vegas. Sacramento averages 20F-25F degrees cooler for morning temps than Vegas. The hottest time of the day in the afternoon will average at least 10F degrees cooler than Vegas.
There is a lot to like about Sac like outdoor beer gardens.
Something you can't do in Vegas in the summer is raft down a River, Sac's American River is great for that.
Average Home Value:
Seattle - $740,400
San Diego - $618,200 - 56F at midnight tonight
Portland - $413,300
Denver - $407,100 - 34F at midnight tonight
Sacramento - $323,700 - 53F at midnight tonight
Salt Lake City - $298,600 - 41F at midnight tonight
Last year Sacramento had near 33 inches of rain. To date, for this year, we are near 14 inches. Our winters are mild; it rarely gets down to 32F. I usually agree with Sacite, but when it's 55F in Sac, it feels like 55F not 30F.
Summers - the biggest difference between Sac and Vegas is Sac cools down a lot every evening and night, way way more than Vegas. Sacramento averages 20F-25F degrees cooler for morning temps than Vegas. The hottest time of the day in the afternoon will average at least 10F degrees cooler than Vegas.
There is a lot to like about Sac like outdoor beer gardens.
Something you can't do in Vegas in the summer is raft down a River, Sac's American River is great for that.
Average Home Value:
Seattle - $740,400
San Diego - $618,200 - 56F at midnight tonight
Portland - $413,300
Denver - $407,100 - 34F at midnight tonight
Sacramento - $323,700 - 53F at midnight tonight
Salt Lake City - $298,600 - 41F at midnight tonight
San Bernardino - $272,000
Las Vegas - $247,700 -57F at midnight tonight
Maybe I am getting older, but to me it was freezing last week. Then all of the sudden, today comes - which is as close to perfect whether as you can get. It's may also be due to these dramatic 20-30 degree shifts in weather we've been having. My body can't seem to keep up lately.
Sac area has nice weather. It's similar to Vegas but not quite as hot in the summer. The nights are lovely in the summer in Sac. Easy drive to SF, Tahoe, Napa, Sonoma, etc... A little further to Monterey. I prefer Vegas myself as I like the excitement of the strip. Sac does not have anything even remotely close to that. I like the burbs of Sac: Davis, Roseville, Folsom better than Sac itself A lot depends on what you like. If you like hiking and stuff go east to Roseville/Folsom. If you see yourself going to SF more for big city stuff then look at Davis which is a nice looking college town. Not quite as boom/bust as Vegas.
I hope you intend on taking a trip out here to get a better feel for the area. The rental market is pretty tight right now and expect to pay $1200- $2000 depending on the area.
I think Sacramento is a great move coming from Vegas. As people have said, you have access to so many more varieties of recreation and sightseeing. Where has Vegas pretty much has desert Wilderness parks, with your beautiful, and a quick trip to the snow and the forest up on Mount Charleston, that's about it. Sacramento is close to the Sierras, Tahoe, and Reno to the east, and the wine country, redwoods, beaches, and City to the West. You really get to enjoy it a lot more variety. Housing costs are among the best in the state. And the city feels more authentic then Vegas, since it's not primarily a tourist City centered around gambling and entertainment. And the town town has some beautiful, stately promenades around the Capitol building, lots of historic neighborhoods, and literally thousands and thousands of trees that were planted along with those houses. The tree canopy, while not native to Sacramento, offers welcome shade in the summer and beautiful fall colors in the fall, something that has not been replicated in Vegas. The suburbs and outskirts look pretty much the same as anywhere else in California though. Because of the city's flat topography and laid-back, historic charm, many people say it's like a Midwestern city blocks down in California, and in some ways that maybe a big part of its appeal. Except in Sacramento, you're also see palm trees and orange trees along the sidewalks among Magnolias, redwoods, and elms. Truly a beautiful atmosphere.
I think the climate in Sacramento is one of the nicest in the country, and at certain times of the year it is certainly one of the sunniest. Obviously pretty much anywhere is going to get more rainfall than the Nevada desert, but if you are specifically looking for a rainy climate, then Sacramento is not going to be high on that list. It does rain on and off during the winter months, but with an average of about 20 in per year, that's roughly half the US average. Mediterranean climates are generally going to be more Sunny than rainy. But for me, it rains enough. When I visit family back east for a few days, I remember how bad most people have it. :-)
Summers in Sacramento are just about it perfect compared to Vegas. You'll see averages in the 90s compared to Vegas in triple digits. There are certainly triple-digit days to be expected, but it's rare to get above 110 as Vegas sometimes does. With the tree canopy downtown, you can enjoy even hot summer days under the leafy shade, and evenings cool down to near perfection, where it's comfortable, rarely too cool or too hot, to enjoy dinner on a patio or a stroll with an ice cream cone after sunset.
I have to agree with Chimerique that's 55 degree Winters feel like 55 degrees and not 30 degrees. There are ways for scientists to measure what temperatures feel like based on wins and humidity, but it's literally scientifically impossible for 55 degrees to feel like 30 degrees. What happens is that when people move to California from Snowy climates, their body adjusts. I mean, I'm standing in my backyard in San Diego in the fog right now, wearing gloves and a scarf because it's about 50 degrees. That's what California does to us. :-) I think Winters in Sacramento may only be a few degrees cooler than in Vegas during the day, and about the same at night. In fact, I'm certain Vegas has much colder winter records and much more frequent snowfall episodes then Sacramento being closer to the Pacific. I know I've been to Vegas when swimming pools were frozen over.
all in all, I think you'll find the move to be a great one with a nice change of pace, more authentic neighborhoods, more access to more variety of things to do, and a mostly warm, sunny, not too hot climate.
Wow re: current home price list. Denver is now more expensive than Sac? It all depends on one's priorities, of course, but I'd pick Sac over Denver for its location, climate.
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