Placerville? Grass Valley?

We're ready to leave the bay area and are considering the Sierra foothills. We like the idea of both the Placerville area and the Grass Valley area. We'd like to be surrounded by nature and have a much smaller mortgage and property tax bill.

I'm concerned though about starting over in a new place. It took a very long time for me to make friends here and it terrifies me that I'll be alone up there with only my husband and daughter for company. I'll be working from home so I won't be able to make friends through work. That really leaves my daughter's school and activities as the only places that I'll meet new people. Are people around there friendly? She'll be in fourth grade when we move and it scares me that people will already have their friends and won't have any interest in making friends with a new parent. 

Any thoughts about where we should be looking? Are there groups like BPN for those areas?

Thanks