Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
With Rancho Cordova, school districts matter. If you go to the newer areas that are in the Elk Grove school district like Anatolia, I think that area is going to do fine, the elementary schools feed into Pleasant Grove High school with lots of kids from Rancho Murietta and a fair number of gentleman farmers who moved to this area to buy lots big enough to keep horses.
But if you are in the older parts of Rancho Cordova close to highway 50 or Folsom Blvd or even the newer neighborhoods in this area, the problem is that there are some apartments and condos closer to Cordova High with some gang bangers and that area is more iffy.
As for Carmichael, the areas closer to the American River get much nicer. You have mansions over looking the American River and over looking Ancil Hoffman Park, where as the areas closer to American River College and Foothill Farms, have more apartments, more student housing.
Yea, but with Rancho/Anatolia you also have that rendering plant or what ever is causing the smell. And the city has a massive contaminated ground water plume from the glory days of Mather Air Force Base and the Aero-space boom. Outside of Anatolia, most of Rancho is rather shabby -with crime issues.
Carmichael is hit or miss, but much more "hit" than Rancho. There are some shabby neighborhoods here and there, and cluster of slumpartments -mostly around Marconi Ave. But much of the area, particularly near the River is very nice. That whole area is kind of like Sac's version of Concord/Walnut Creek.
Rio Americano is one of the better high schools and a good chunk of Carmichael is zoned into it. Del Campo High leaves much to be desired, but is really the same cut of high school as Cordova High. But Carmichael also has El Camino High, which is open to anyone in the district. So if you don't want your kid going to Del Campo, you can push for a spot at Camino which is still in your back yard.
Elk Grove's problem is the school district also includes "South Sac" neighborhood Valley-Hi, as well as Florin. Two high poverty areas. So with Elk Grove, the further south you are, the better the schools - not much has changed in that regard for 20 years.
Yea, but with Rancho/Anatolia you also have that rendering plant or what ever is causing the smell. And the city has a massive contaminated ground water plume from the glory days of Mather Air Force Base and the Aero-space boom. Outside of Anatolia, most of Rancho is rather shabby -with crime issues.
Carmichael is hit or miss, but much more "hit" than Rancho. There are some shabby neighborhoods here and there, and cluster of slumpartments -mostly around Marconi Ave. But much of the area, particularly near the River is very nice. That whole area is kind of like Sac's version of Concord/Walnut Creek.
Rio Americano is one of the better high schools and a good chunk of Carmichael is zoned into it. Del Campo High leaves much to be desired, but is really the same cut of high school as Cordova High. But Carmichael also has El Camino High, which is open to anyone in the district. So if you don't want your kid going to Del Campo, you can push for a spot at Camino which is still in your back yard.
Elk Grove's problem is the school district also includes "South Sac" neighborhood Valley-Hi, as well as Florin. Two high poverty areas. So with Elk Grove, the further south you are, the better the schools - not much has changed in that regard for 20 years.
But if you look at that area between Anatolia, Grant Line Road, Folsom and Aerojet, that has the foundation to be a much nicer part of Rancho Cordova than the Cordova High part of Rancho Cordova. When you have lots of new houses going to an area with an existing good school, the new high schools that follow tend to be pretty good. So in Folsom, because Folsom High was pretty good, when they broke that attendance area in half to create Vista Del Lago, that school and the elementary schools that fed into it were also pretty good. I could see a similar process here. These are new homes that are not feeding into Cordova High, so this neighborhood has much better prospects than the newer neighborhoods that do.Cor
The part of Rancho between Sunrise Blvd, Mather Air Park and US 50, you can find newer homes but because they feed into Cordova High, I think once that homes start aging, that neighborhood will pretty quickly lose its owner occupants and become mostly rentals like the other older housing that also feeds into Cordova High.
But I agree with you about the rendering plant, although I think as more people move to Anatolia and the newer developments that surround it, I think it will close and move elsewhere.
Elk Grove is so huge, its sort of like the City of Sacramento, local neighborhoods and local schools are going to be controlling where some of it is going to be good and some of it less good and in general the closer in proximity to Meadowview the more I would be concerned.
The thing about both Carmichael and Arden Arcade is that in addition to El Camino High School being open enrollment, the IB program at Mira Loma is also quite strong, so there are neighborhoods like Mission Oaks North, near Churchill that are older but still mostly owner occupied, much more affordable than stuff closer to downtown, but not requiring longer commutes like say Folsom, Roseville or Elk Grove. But I agree with your point about the concentration of apartments along Marconi.
Fair Oaks biggest problem is that it is in San Jaun Unified School district. Which has declining enrollment due to an aging population. Which means no boundaries are set in stone, because they have to be tweaked yearly. But if you stay east of Sunrise, and you get zoned to Bella Vista High you should be okay. Lots of nice areas around Hazel Ave, but yea there are a few meh areas. But for the most part, it's pretty decent.
Rancho Cordova is definitely a few steps below fair oaks. I'd put Orangevale and even Carmichael above Rancho.
For over all quality of the suburbs I would say:
Granite Bay/ El Dorado Hills/Davis
Folsom/Rocklin
Roseville/Gold River
FairOaks/ Arden Arcade (East of Watt ave)/Cameron Park
Orangevale /Carmichael/Elk Grove
West Sac (South Port)/Antelope
Citrus Heights/Rancho Cordova/ Arden Arcade (West of Watt Ave)/ West Sac/ Woodland/Galt
North Highlands/Foothill Farms
Florin/Rio Linda
You bring up a good point. There are neighborhoods in which the demographics reveal an aging population and stagnant per capita income. Citrus Heights comes to mind It wouldn't surprise me if the Sunrise Mall shuts down within a few years. In contrast other suburbs like Roseville and Folsom continue to attract young families and higher income earners to support the Galleria,The Fountains, Palladio.
Lumping cities and towns with neighborhoods doesn't give a complete picture. Gold River has aged well but it's still an aging community sandwiched between two communities that aren't considered prime areas. There's really no comparison between Roseville and Gold River. One is an entire city with lots more retail, school choices, job prospects, medical centers and one is an unincorporated area with a shopping center and that's about it. Plus its nearly as expensive as Folsom considering you'll need to remodel the 80s era kitchen and baths.
Neighborhoods within Carmichael,Orangevale, Fair Oaks remind me of the older parts of Rancho with the possibility of less crime although I haven't checked the latest stats but that seems to be the perception. Same with West Sac. Of course there's the area of Carmichael south of Fair oaks Blvd bordered by the American River but you'll be paying a pretty penny.
The point is the suburbs that have a higher quality of life will be areas that offer the complete "package." Good schools, low crime, jobs, retail, entertainment, etc The other areas such as Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, West Sac, Rancho, Carmichael etc it's neighborhood dependent and you will be giving up some amenities to live in these areas.
I'd avoid Citrus Heights, Orangevale, Foothills Farms, Florin, North Highlands, Rio Linda, Galt. I'm not seeing the opportunity to attract a fresh infusion of families with higher incomes nor the prospect of better schools.
Woodland is just too far from anything unless you work in Davis but can't afford the home prices there.
Arden Arcade is a strange mix. Solid neighborhoods next to iffy ones.
Antelope-maybe the area closest to Rosevile Road. It's proximity to Roseville might be a draw.
Cameron Park- the commute to Sacramento is a negative plus who knows if you'll have power during fire season which in California is significant.
Rancho- the area bordered by Douglas Road to the north, Grant line Road to the east and Sunrise to the west. It does attract higher income folks. Same with the Southport area of West Sac.
But if you look at that area between Anatolia, Grant Line Road, Folsom and Aerojet, that has the foundation to be a much nicer part of Rancho Cordova than the Cordova High part of Rancho Cordova. When you have lots of new houses going to an area with an existing good school, the new high schools that follow tend to be pretty good. So in Folsom, because Folsom High was pretty good, when they broke that attendance area in half to create Vista Del Lago, that school and the elementary schools that fed into it were also pretty good. I could see a similar process here. These are new homes that are not feeding into Cordova High, so this neighborhood has much better prospects than the newer neighborhoods that do.Cor
The part of Rancho between Sunrise Blvd, Mather Air Park and US 50, you can find newer homes but because they feed into Cordova High, I think once that homes start aging, that neighborhood will pretty quickly lose its owner occupants and become mostly rentals like the other older housing that also feeds into Cordova High.
But I agree with you about the rendering plant, although I think as more people move to Anatolia and the newer developments that surround it, I think it will close and move elsewhere.
Elk Grove is so huge, its sort of like the City of Sacramento, local neighborhoods and local schools are going to be controlling where some of it is going to be good and some of it less good and in general the closer in proximity to Meadowview the more I would be concerned.
The thing about both Carmichael and Arden Arcade is that in addition to El Camino High School being open enrollment, the IB program at Mira Loma is also quite strong, so there are neighborhoods like Mission Oaks North, near Churchill that are older but still mostly owner occupied, much more affordable than stuff closer to downtown, but not requiring longer commutes like say Folsom, Roseville or Elk Grove. But I agree with your point about the concentration of apartments along Marconi.
For me, the turn off about the new areas in Rancho Cordova is the "naturally occurring asbestos". That whole area, including 80% Folsom and El Darado Hills has this issue. And it may be another 10-20 years before the ramifications of building in those hills is is known. But I do know that new development kicks that soil up and puts it in the air.
You bring up a good point. There are neighborhoods in which the demographics reveal an aging population and stagnant per capita income. Citrus Heights comes to mind It wouldn't surprise me if the Sunrise Mall shuts down within a few years. In contrast other suburbs like Roseville and Folsom continue to attract young families and higher income earners to support the Galleria,The Fountains, Palladio.
Lumping cities and towns with neighborhoods doesn't give a complete picture. Gold River has aged well but it's still an aging community sandwiched between two communities that aren't considered prime areas. There's really no comparison between Roseville and Gold River. One is an entire city with lots more retail, school choices, job prospects, medical centers and one is an unincorporated area with a shopping center and that's about it. Plus its nearly as expensive as Folsom considering you'll need to remodel the 80s era kitchen and baths.
Neighborhoods within Carmichael,Orangevale, Fair Oaks remind me of the older parts of Rancho with the possibility of less crime although I haven't checked the latest stats but that seems to be the perception. Same with West Sac. Of course there's the area of Carmichael south of Fair oaks Blvd bordered by the American River but you'll be paying a pretty penny.
The point is the suburbs that have a higher quality of life will be areas that offer the complete "package." Good schools, low crime, jobs, retail, entertainment, etc The other areas such as Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights, West Sac, Rancho, Carmichael etc it's neighborhood dependent and you will be giving up some amenities to live in these areas.
I'd avoid Citrus Heights, Orangevale, Foothills Farms, Florin, North Highlands, Rio Linda, Galt. I'm not seeing the opportunity to attract a fresh infusion of families with higher incomes nor the prospect of better schools.
Woodland is just too far from anything unless you work in Davis but can't afford the home prices there.
Arden Arcade is a strange mix. Solid neighborhoods next to iffy ones.
Antelope-maybe the area closest to Rosevile Road. It's proximity to Roseville might be a draw.
Cameron Park- the commute to Sacramento is a negative plus who knows if you'll have power during fire season which in California is significant.
Rancho- the area bordered by Douglas Road to the north, Grant line Road to the east and Sunrise to the west. It does attract higher income folks. Same with the Southport area of West Sac.
Gold River is more a neighborhood. But the reason I think it is highly rated is 2 fold.
First it has it's own highly performing K-8 school , as well as being zoned to Rio Americano high. So the schools are solid.
Second is it's location. It's right on the American River which is lovely. It is adjacent to the 50 freeway and light rail stops of Sunrise and Hazel Ave. Which makes a downtown commute doable. It also close to job centers in Rancho Cordova.
Though I imagine much of your shopping, dining, nightlife and such would have to be done in Fair Oaks or Folsom.
Yea, but with Rancho/Anatolia you also have that rendering plant or what ever is causing the smell. And the city has a massive contaminated ground water plume from the glory days of Mather Air Force Base and the Aero-space boom. Outside of Anatolia, most of Rancho is rather shabby -with crime issues.
Carmichael is hit or miss, but much more "hit" than Rancho. There are some shabby neighborhoods here and there, and cluster of slumpartments -mostly around Marconi Ave. But much of the area, particularly near the River is very nice. That whole area is kind of like Sac's version of Concord/Walnut Creek.
Rio Americano is one of the better high schools and a good chunk of Carmichael is zoned into it. Del Campo High leaves much to be desired, but is really the same cut of high school as Cordova High. But Carmichael also has El Camino High, which is open to anyone in the district. So if you don't want your kid going to Del Campo, you can push for a spot at Camino which is still in your back yard.
Elk Grove's problem is the school district also includes "South Sac" neighborhood Valley-Hi, as well as Florin. Two high poverty areas. So with Elk Grove, the further south you are, the better the schools - not much has changed in that regard for 20 years.
Your critical assessment is missing the fact that your not so desirable areas that are adjacent to the more desired areas will "gentrify". Also, the current "shabby" areas gives more people a chance to buy their first home. Chidlless couples, gays, and especially handy Mexicans, Russians, and the like, love these neighborhoods and turn them around either for themselves or as quality rentals.
Sacramento will always be more affordable than the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Sacramento's is a way to stay on the West Coast, get your first home, and be part of a growing dynamic city in California without using an inheritance as many young people have to do in LA or the Bay.
Fair Oaks biggest problem is that it is in San Jaun Unified School district. Which has declining enrollment due to an aging population. Which means no boundaries are set in stone, because they have to be tweaked yearly. But if you stay east of Sunrise, and you get zoned to Bella Vista High you should be okay. Lots of nice areas around Hazel Ave, but yea there are a few meh areas. But for the most part, it's pretty decent.
Rancho Cordova is definitely a few steps below fair oaks. I'd put Orangevale and even Carmichael above Rancho.
For over all quality of the suburbs I would say:
Granite Bay/ El Dorado Hills/Davis
Folsom/Rocklin
Roseville/Gold River
FairOaks/ Arden Arcade (East of Watt ave)/Cameron Park
Orangevale /Carmichael/Elk Grove
West Sac (South Port)/Antelope
Citrus Heights/Rancho Cordova/ Arden Arcade (West of Watt Ave)/ West Sac/ Woodland/Galt
North Highlands/Foothill Farms
Florin/Rio Linda
This can't be stressed enough. If I had to send my kid to a school in San Juan District it would only be Bella Vista or Casa Roble. Bella Vista does have an alarming drug problem though. My wife and I are products of the San Juan Unified School District, and the downward trend we've seen over the last 25 years has been alarming. Test scores at Del Campo, El Camino, San Juan High School are now no better than Sac City Unified School District's high schools. Fights and gang activity has increased exponentially, friends who I graduated with and went back to teach at our alma mater have all left and moved to the suburbs to seek out better pay, safer teaching environments, and parents who are active in their kids' schooling. Sad state of affairs at SJUSD, they're losing kids right and left. It should be no surprise that I had to fight tooth and nail to get my child an inter-district transfer.
This can't be stressed enough. If I had to send my kid to a school in San Juan District it would only be Bella Vista or Casa Roble. Bella Vista does have an alarming drug problem though. My wife and I are products of the San Juan Unified School District, and the downward trend we've seen over the last 25 years has been alarming. Test scores at Del Campo, El Camino, San Juan High School are now no better than Sac City Unified School District's high schools. Fights and gang activity has increased exponentially, friends who I graduated with and went back to teach at our alma mater have all left and moved to the suburbs to seek out better pay, safer teaching environments, and parents who are active in their kids' schooling. Sad state of affairs at SJUSD, they're losing kids right and left. It should be no surprise that I had to fight tooth and nail to get my child an inter-district transfer.
For San Juan High Schools unified you got Mira Loma, Rio Americano, and Bella Vista. Those are the ones that make the grade. Encino is a hell no. Mesa Verde and San Juan are also a no. Del Campo has fallen from grace and is quite lackluster.
Casa Roble is kinda meh. Working class Orangevale. El Camino is what I would go to, if my kid was not in Mira Loma, Rio, or Bella.
On a whole, San Juan simply can not market itself the way Roseville, Rocklin, Davis, El Dorado Hills, Folsom and Granite Bay schools can. When you throw in the "newer" housing stock, parks, low crime rates too? This is why these 6 areas are the most sought after by families.
San Juan is basically a bang for your buck school district. It doesn't have the level of dysfunction found in Sacramento Unified, and is cheaper than the "in demand" school districts.
Your critical assessment is missing the fact that your not so desirable areas that are adjacent to the more desired areas will "gentrify". Also, the current "shabby" areas gives more people a chance to buy their first home. Chidlless couples, gays, and especially handy Mexicans, Russians, and the like, love these neighborhoods and turn them around either for themselves or as quality rentals.
Sacramento will always be more affordable than the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Sacramento's is a way to stay on the West Coast, get your first home, and be part of a growing dynamic city in California without using an inheritance as many young people have to do in LA or the Bay.
Moderator cut: see note Gentrification has nothing to do with this. Gentrification is fueled by Yuppies, who invest in urban core areas. Those are high income singles, and double income no kids. That is who is gentrifying midtown, and the alternative types(tattoo freaks, artists, youth movement) are being priced out into Oak Park
Gentrification is not happening in Sac County because it is the auto-centric suburbs. Some areas have maintained their established status, while others have fallen from grace. Falling from grace is strictly due to low income trailer parks/slumpartments (and the surrounding neighborhoods they ruin) that zone into neighborhood schools. That is exactly why Encina, Mesa Verde, San Jaun, and Del Campo high schools have gone down hill.
Rio Americano, Mira Loma, and Bella Vista are sought after. This is because the neighborhoods zoned to these schools are almost exclusively middle/upper middle class, single family homes, with very few (if any) low income neighborhoods in the attendance boundaries. Of course Rio Americano is a good high school. A 450K house is considered entry level for homes within 8000 feet of the river.
Last edited by Count David; 12-07-2019 at 02:01 PM..
Reason: no need to be rude.
No need to be rude, Wizzy. Wizard is missing the point, the “shabby” areas are a bargain to buy a first home live in it for 2-3 years, then move up. I’ve done it, and many others have done it, it’s doable in Sacramento. Those “shabby” areas were once nice, and can be again.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
