Thinking about moving to Sacramento for job (Roseville, Folsom: obgyn, rent)

[xmp]

I have a job offer from state of California, with position located in Sacramento, for an entry level salary of ~60k, with chances of promotion within a year or so, if things work out. It is a scientist level position, so I am thinking that it might be a little secure job as it will not be very easy for someone else to come in and do the job. However, I could be wrong.

I am working in Private Industry now. I will be taking a salary cut if I were to accept this CA position. However, I am inclined to take this cut, as at this point in my life I want to settle down with a stable job and not worry about getting laid off, especially with the economy as it is and there is almost certainty that many employees from my organization will be laid off, but dont know which ones and when.

I know that with CA budget woes, it does not look like a good decision for job stability, but this position is in a special funded project. It is a special funded project in the sense that it does not get any money from general fund, and as such they are less dependent on state money. However, they are going on 3 furlough days a month so as to be fair to others who are taking the furloughs. However, the money saved in this way is not going back to the state, but staying with the department. This is what I was told, and looks like a good sign to me. Also, the department doesn't anticipate any budget cuts as they are not dependent on State money for their budget, but still in the budget for 2010-11, if it comes to laying people off, I dont know what will happen to me.

At my current location (near east coast), housing is very expensive. The town where I currently live, about 30 minutes away from work, I cant get a decent home for close to 400K, I have to go much higher or live in a town where school district is not that great, or go more than an hour of commute.

My spouse should be able to get a job there too, both with state and privte industry, so that will help too. We are working on that currently, but dont know when will that happen.

We definitely want to live in a town that is safe, has good schools (must)(middle-school age children), and good transport system to downtown. If we do decide to relocate, we will probably rent a place for first couple of months and then move to our own home.

Anything else to know as I deliberate on whether to take this position or not.

Thanks.

[Curmudgeon]

Folsom might be your best for schools and safety if you don't mind riding the Light Rail to get to downtown Sacramento. But it's not cheap. As for your job/job-security prospects, I haven't a clue. The employment landscape in state service is very unsettled right now.

It's a crap-shoot but if it works, the benefits and retirement are great, for now. If you want to risk it, now's the time. It won't be long before the benefits may decrease for new hires.

Good luck!

[nissantwa]

That is to say, certain parts of Folsom. Also drive around El Dorado Hills, very nice and homes are a bit newer. With the Folsom Lake, good schools and proximity to Tahoe , this suburb of Sacramento would be a nice place to live. Can be hot in the Summer but very little humidity. Lots of people commute from this area to Sacramento.

[DavinaCali]

Folsom is very white and El Dorado Hills even more so, not sure where your from but if you want a little more "diversity" that also includes safety, Roseville is a nice choice. I hear that Folsom kids do a lot of drugs too....My kids and I lived in LA for 6 years, then moved to Folsom and they would tell me SO many stories about the high drug/sex acitivities....and Folsom is smaller then LA! I also am friends with an OBGYN and she tells me she she's a lot of std's as well in the younger girls.

Good luck

[xmp]

Thanks for the replies and about the towns. Folsom and Roseville, along with Rocklyn (or something like that) are the towns that I am hearing the most.

I come from India, the part where it gets very hot during summer and also humid, so hot weather is not that bad for us. Ideal town would be with diversity, very good school district, safe, and hopefully where the houses are relatively new. In India, they dont make us learn handy jobs as labor is cheap, so I would like a house where I dont need to fix things, at least in the first couple of years. I am planning to take some classes in such jobs (like at community college) once we are settled in.

[Majin]

I continue to be amazed at people who move to Sacramento looking for diversity yet keep inquiring about the foothill suburbs.

[xmp]

Majin: When some one is moving to an area they have no clue about, then the questions they post will sound weird to people who know a lot about the place. But, isn't that the idea behind these websites?

Frankly, I dont even know that the towns I mentioned are in the foothills...I was just mentioning about the towns that people recommended to me.

[jdljr]

Folsom, Roseville and Rocklin are NOT considered foothills.

Auburn, Georgetown, Forest Hill, Colfax...El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Placerville - now you're talking foothills.

[Majin]

eh you know what I mean, my point still stands

[wburg]

xmp: The conditions in Sacramento are probably not that dissimilar to those on the east coast. The desirable suburbs are the ones farthest out from the city center. The difference is that West Coast public transit tends to be awful or nonexistent in those suburbs. In most cases, this is deliberate, as residents of those suburbs tend to be predominantly wealthy and white, and are horrified by anything that might allow those who are not wealthy or white to enter their suburbs more easily. Of course, they don't mind if those people come to their neighborhood to work in convenience stores or fast food restaurants, as long as they drive there and drive home after their shift.

Diversity is not something one finds in great quantities in Sacramento's wealthy eastern suburbs. It's not quite exclusively white, at least not since racial exclusion covenants were banned in the 1960s, but generally the farther west you go, the more diverse neighborhoods you find.

That being said, Folsom is a safe, desirable suburb, with comparatively good transit access to downtown, although the Light Rail line stops running at 7:00 PM. Many state agencies (and some private employers) offer a subsidized RT Metro pass (around $40 a month vs. $110 a month) which makes it an even better deal, especially compared to the cost of gas, parking etcetera. Very few parts of Folsom are close to a light rail station--although the Historic Folsom/Sutter Street station has a park-and-ride lot. $60,000 is probably not enough to afford a nice house in Folsom, though.

Sacramento is hot but not humid--personally I find a dry Sacramento summer is more comfortable than a humid Midwestern or Eastern summer even though the temperature is higher, and Sacramento has a lot of trees.