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Hello All,
Long time lurker, first time poster. Lots of good information here on this site which has helped me over the years. My wife and I both were raised and grew up in the Bay Area. Got married, worked hard and lucky enough to purchase a small (>1000sqft) fixer upper home in the Hayward area. Great central location for a couple with no kids (not a good schools). Now, with a one year old at home, our priorities are changing. Not enough room, busy street, no good public schools nearby and all around safety has been an issue lately (gun shots, burnouts down the street, homeless, burglaries and crazy traffic in town). Additionally, my wife may have the opportunity to work full time from home with her current company. I doubt my line of work has any room for remote work but there are many job opportunities near the Folsom/Mather/Rancho Cordova area.
We are pretty much set on moving out as we can’t see getting what we want in the Bay Area for either a.)a reasonable amount of money or b.) reasonable commute to work. Originally, we considered Livermore/Dublin/San Ramon area but with an average 1400sqft home being around 1.2-1.4++ million (1200+ in taxes per month alone!), that is out of the question. Additionally, the commute would be horrible.
Things we will miss:
1.) WEATHER, weather, weather (ave near 70 year round)
2.) Proximity to the airport (no traffic 15 min… with traffic who knows lol)
3.) Proximity to the beach
4.) Employment choices
5.) Internet Options
Things we WONT miss:
1.) Traffic/rude people
2.) bad schools
3.) lots of homelessness/drug use
4.) highest sales tax rate in California (10.75% vs 8.75% and 7.25% in El Dorado/Placer)
5.) no parking/crowded neighborhood (multiple families per house)
I’m leaning towards the foothills (EDH/Cameron Park/Rescue) for the outdoor access it provides. Additionally, I’m a little sick of suburbia and want more of a county feeling lifestyle (less stress, more family). My wife like the Roseville/Rocklin area mostly due to the houses that are available and friends that we know living there. I feel like the foothills may provide better weather? Also, how is the commute traffic when comparing 80 and 50?
Things we will miss:
1.) WEATHER, weather, weather (ave near 70 year round)
2.) Proximity to the airport (no traffic 15 min… with traffic who knows lol)
3.) Proximity to the beach
4.) Employment choices
5.) Internet Options
Things we WONT miss:
1.) Traffic/rude people
2.) bad schools
3.) lots of homelessness/drug use
4.) highest sales tax rate in California (10.75% vs 8.75% and 7.25% in El Dorado/Placer)
5.) no parking/crowded neighborhood (multiple families per house)
I’m leaning towards the foothills (EDH/Cameron Park/Rescue) for the outdoor access it provides. Additionally, I’m a little sick of suburbia and want more of a county feeling lifestyle (less stress, more family). My wife like the Roseville/Rocklin area mostly due to the houses that are available and friends that we know living there. I feel like the foothills may provide better weather? Also, how is the commute traffic when comparing 80 and 50?
Thanks!
Hello Zack and welcome to the Central Valley. The weather will be different for sure, but Sacramento gets the "delta breeze" that cools it off in the summer evenings. Foothills not so much, though as the elevation increases the temps do tend to drop. If you want that "country" location, be aware that it comes with fire danger in a lot of cases. Even if you are lucky enough to avoid a wildfire your insurance cost will go up. Internet is usually adequate unless you do a lot of heavy-duty streaming or gaming.
I live in Rocklin and formerly owned acreage in the greater Lincoln area. Rocklin and Roseville are mostly suburbia and don't have much "country" feel any more. Schools and services are generally excellent, though be sure any place you buy in Rocklin has solar panels (PG&E charges exorbitant rates; Roseville has its own utility). Your commute will depend on where you live, but be aware Hwy 50 is historically congested and is now undergoing a long-term improvement project (https://www.flatironcorp.com/solutio...20March%202024.)
It will be nice once it's done, but a real PITA until then.
How often do you use the airport? Access is usually pretty easy. If you make a lot of trips you might consider Natomas (check the flood maps) or Woodland (relative bargains in housing but mediocre schools).
You might also consider sections of Fair Oaks and Orangevale, or even parts of Citrus Heights. A lot of properties in those areas have retained their "country" feel despite being well within the city. Owners with suitable sized lots keep chickens, goats, and even horses. Depending on what you are prepared to spend you could get your "country" feel without the fire hazard or long commute.
To narrow down your choices you really need to know where you will be working. Until then, visit a lot, particularly during rush hours.
Gotta bring it up. Are you white? what is your political affiliation. Do you like diversity?
Despite claims of placer county (Roseville rocklin) becoming more diverse, it is still plain and simple more white than most.
Same goes politically. Its apparently turning blue thanks to the bayyyyyyy areaaaaaaa (which you best many behind closed doors hate)
There is certainly a type of demographic that fit in more with the Roseville/Rocklin/Lincoln area.
But many come out looking for asian stores, more diverse crowd yet still have that suburbia feel with good schools safe etc, specifically more liberal and democratic--and if this is you. Look into Elk Grove. It's also closer to the bay area if you want to visit or visit there often still.
Cameron Park is definitely more country. EDH it depends where but you could consider it more of upscale suburbia, while Roseville and Rocklin have more mixed suburbia from middle class, upper class, rich type neighborhoods.
A sleeper you can consider is Lincoln. Close to Roseville/Rocklin, not as crowded and depending on your sentiments about the demographics/political stuff I mentioned above--is still Placer County.
F that bay area weather all the bay area folks love to brag about, you can now own a pool and use it often and having a pool is a must and a status symbol of making it!
I would also look into Citrus Heights, Orangevale, Fair Oaks, Carmiachel, Arden-Arcade. Lots of big homes, large lots, "county feel", green. leafy. There is about 350,000 population in those 4 census-designed places all Sacramento County, all with zip code address of Citrus Heights,CA; Orangevale,CA; Fair Oaks, CA, Carmiachel, CA; but Arden-Arcade is the only one with a "Sacramento, CA" zip code address, although not in the city limits of Sacramento but in the county limits of Sacramento hence the "Sacramento" address. Google map these specific areas it will highlight the borders of each.
Arden-Arcade is 1/4 very nice, 1/4 average nice, 1/4 ok, 1/4 not very nice. Fair Oaks all very nice, Orange mostly all very nice, Citrus Heights 3/4 mostly nice.
The "County Feel" is because No freeways lie in this vast area except for small parts of Arden-Arcade and Citrus Heights. Most of the large thoroughfares are leafy green well landscaped.
I-80, Business 80 (a separate freeway from I-80), and Freeway 50 do not go through any of these areas, except for one, the Antelope Rd interchange on I-80 in Citrus Heights.
Hello All,
Long time lurker, first time poster. Lots of good information here on this site which has helped me over the years. My wife and I both were raised and grew up in the Bay Area. Got married, worked hard and lucky enough to purchase a small (>1000sqft) fixer upper home in the Hayward area. Great central location for a couple with no kids (not a good schools). Now, with a one year old at home, our priorities are changing. Not enough room, busy street, no good public schools nearby and all around safety has been an issue lately (gun shots, burnouts down the street, homeless, burglaries and crazy traffic in town). Additionally, my wife may have the opportunity to work full time from home with her current company. I doubt my line of work has any room for remote work but there are many job opportunities near the Folsom/Mather/Rancho Cordova area.
We are pretty much set on moving out as we can’t see getting what we want in the Bay Area for either a.)a reasonable amount of money or b.) reasonable commute to work. Originally, we considered Livermore/Dublin/San Ramon area but with an average 1400sqft home being around 1.2-1.4++ million (1200+ in taxes per month alone!), that is out of the question. Additionally, the commute would be horrible.
Things we will miss:
1.) WEATHER, weather, weather (ave near 70 year round)
2.) Proximity to the airport (no traffic 15 min… with traffic who knows lol)
3.) Proximity to the beach
4.) Employment choices
5.) Internet Options
Things we WONT miss:
1.) Traffic/rude people
2.) bad schools
3.) lots of homelessness/drug use
4.) highest sales tax rate in California (10.75% vs 8.75% and 7.25% in El Dorado/Placer)
5.) no parking/crowded neighborhood (multiple families per house)
I’m leaning towards the foothills (EDH/Cameron Park/Rescue) for the outdoor access it provides. Additionally, I’m a little sick of suburbia and want more of a county feeling lifestyle (less stress, more family). My wife like the Roseville/Rocklin area mostly due to the houses that are available and friends that we know living there. I feel like the foothills may provide better weather? Also, how is the commute traffic when comparing 80 and 50?
Thoughts? Suggestions? All appreciated.
Thanks!
What problems does moving to Sacramento actually fix in your life? The schools might have been better in Suburban Sacramento vs Hayward in the past, but the State of California is actively trying to destroy the public schools. The state wants to get rid of academic tracking (getting rid of AP and IB classess) and give everyone in the public schools an equally unrigorous education. So that pretty much means that whether you are living in Hayward or Sacramento, you most likely will want to send your kids to private schools to gain access to a better curriculum and a better education.
The homelessness/drug problem is again a problem that is now pretty much statewide. So again, I don't think moving to Sacramento is going to fix that for you. People currently in Sacramento are less rude and traffic is also comparatively better than the bay area, but is that a good enough reason to move?
But what are you getting vs what are you giving up? I see some merit in staying where you are and just sending your kids to private schools in Hayward or alternatively just moving out of state. But California is now a state that I think does a pretty good job if you are wealthy enough to afford sending your kids to private schools or if you are poor enough to need lots of government assistance, but if you are in the middle of those two extremes you are probably much better off living elsewhere, especially if you have any ambition for you or your kids in terms of making a better life for yourself.
America is large state and many of these states have cities on the ocean and almost all of them are cheaper than the Bay Area. Most of these states also likely will have much better public schools.
I get it. Raising kids in a small home or apartment in the bay area is a challenge. Everything is busy all the time - there's never any parking - everything is expensive - it just wears you down after a while.
I moved from SF to Sac 8 years ago and while it's not perfect it is just easier to live.
There's lots of choice for different areas to live up here. All have their pros and cons and is mostly just down to personal preference. For me - the Rocklin area is very white, Christian conservative and I wouldn't choose to be good friends with many of the types of people that live there or particularly want my kids going to school with their kids -- but I do have friends that live our there that love it. In any area you also find the people that you mesh with.
As Chimerique stated - there are some interesting areas of the Sac area that do have that rural feel without getting out into the foothills. If you go deep into Orangevale for instance there are actual farms and orchards. Some of the areas along the American river in Carmichael and Fair Oaks have a rural feel also and you have open space close by.
Depending on how urgent your move is - try exploring different areas at different times of year. Orangevale for instance is really nice in the early spring time with flowers everywhere and birds chirping and it feels green and lush - but by the time late summer rolls around it's starting to feel really dry and dusty and extremely hot. After a couple of rains - it's beautiful again in the late fall.
Great responses! Helping to build the pro/con list. I'll try and address everything.
semispherical - great information. I kind of assumed it was "nicer" a little up the hill weather wise as compared to the valley/downtown sac. I know we will be paying more in electricy/gas/ac/utilites regardless of where we go since we are looking for a bigger home. Not a McMansion or anything like that but something we can trade up for with a similar mortgage payment as we have now (or less hopefully!). Airport use, not often enough to really persuade me from one area to anther, just a consideration (1-4 times a year). Have though a lot about Fair Oaks and Orangevale, Citrus Heights areas... proximity to work is VERY important and those areas leave a lot of options.
Moddedintegra56 - not really concerned about that and never have been. Growing up in the bay diversity has never been something we thought about, it always just was. Really just looking for more family orientated living, younger family's, lots of outdoor activities, less traffic (15min to the grocery store that is only 2 miles away!). I will miss the easy access to my favorite Japanese/Korean/Filipino/Medeterian/Mexican/ect food choices. That being said, in Hayward, there isn't much that's great. Most of the time we end up going to neighboring cities for good food (Fremont, Castro Valley, Oakland, San Jose, ect.). Don't want an HOA area (uppity area) if I can avoid it. Don't mind a mix of houses and lifestyles, everyone has the right to live the way they want. And a pool is pretty much a requirement of the wife to move out of the bay area LOL!
Damnitjanet - You make a GREAT point. This is why I posted, always need someone to play the devils advocate. I'd have to agree with your assessment of the state run schools and eventually, that may not be an option. I'd at least like to try. I also see merit in staying where I am. Unfortunately, the home just wont work for us anymore (2 bed, 1 bath >1000sqft). With our toddler, room is running out quickly and with plans for one more, no way. Additionally, the crime is going through the roof right now. We literally had a drive-by shooting in front of our home only a few weeks ago and had to search our property for bullet holes. That isn't the only incident either but really was the straw that broke the camel's back. Out of state would be an option but family is all hear and since having a child, family support is worth A LOT!
I get it. Raising kids in a small home or apartment in the bay area is a challenge. Everything is busy all the time - there's never any parking - everything is expensive - it just wears you down after a while.
I moved from SF to Sac 8 years ago and while it's not perfect it is just easier to live.
This is it. The rat race does wear on you.
I'm a little concerned about the lack of mix of ideas and what my kids will pickup in whatever area they grow up in. What I do know is Hayward is not the place. My kids could never bike in front of my home now.
I feel like I keep getting steered away from the foothills. Is it that intolerant and/or bible county? Is the traffic that bad on 50? How long would it normally take from Cameron Park to drive to Rancho Cordova at 7am?
I feel like I keep getting steered away from the foothills. Is it that intolerant and/or bible county? Is the traffic that bad on 50? How long would it normally take from Cameron Park to drive to Rancho Cordova at 7am?
No I'm sure the foothills can be great. There is a big difference between EDH/Cameron Park which is more suburban and the smaller enclaves more off the grid further out into the foothills. Cameron Park to Rancho would be a lot better drive than Cameron Park to downtown Sac. Some people prefer the 80 freeway but I prefer the 50 (when it's not under construction like it is right now). Again the foothills are beautiful at certain times of the year - it's really hot in the summer and doesn't have great air quality - but then again with the CA wildfires these last years pretty much everywhere gets days of awful air quality. Access to a pool is huge for quality of life out here in the summer - it's nice to have your own but a community swim club/pool works as well and is a good way to meet people.
If your potential employment is in the Folsom/Mather/Rancho Cordova area, there's no particular reason for you to look for housing outside of that area, or in adjacent unincorporated communities like Rosemont or Fair Oaks, or newer suburban developments like Anatolia or Kavala Ranch, although I think those last two both have HOAs--but so do a lot of the developments in El Dorado County, or so I understand.
A lot of folks moving to Sacramento from the Bay Area really want to move to the hills because it reminds them more of Bay Area terrain, but it's a very different environment, and the foothills don't provide much relief from the heat on the valley floor; others here are more expert about the weather, but the Delta breeze really is a thing, and the farther from the river you are, the less you get. And yes, the cultural shift from most parts of the Bay Area, where diversity is more of a given, to the foothills, where the term "really, really white" is pretty much what I'd use, is pretty dramatic (Sacramento County is about 35-40% white non-Hispanic, El Dorado around 80%). Fortunately, the area around Folsom/Mather/Rancho Cordova is quite diverse, and it's generally considered the best place in the region for Korean food, with a wide variety of other culinary offerings along Folsom Boulevard and adjacent; in many cases, the Sacramento region's best dining happens in unassuming looking strip malls in older parts of the suburban fringe, like along Folsom or Stockton Boulevard, or in between car dealerships and box stores in Arden-Arcade. There are also a lot of young families in those areas, and some great recreation options along the American River, yet it's still close to rural attractions like the Sloughhouse farm stand or Sutter Street in Folsom (the term "Folsom street fair" means something very different in Sacramento vs. the Bay Area). Plus, depending on where you end up working, public transit via the Gold Line light rail line is a feasible option--it's not BART, but it's not bad. If you're looking for more upscale, head towards Folsom. On the other side of Rancho Cordova, the unincorporated community of Rosemont (east of Sacramento, west of Rancho Cordova) is kind of a hidden gem in my opinion.
Schools vary, personally I take any claims about the imminent collapse of California's education system with a very, very large quantity of salt.
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