Thinking about a move to Sacramento (or other!)
We're thinking about moving our family from Oakland to the Sacramento area for a lower overall cost of living, and good public schools. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this transition, or any advice about the best neighborhoods to check out. We're also somewhat open to moving further away - even out of state - and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas I haven't thought of yet! And if you can tell me I'd get used to the heat, that would be great too :)
Things on our wish list:
Good public schools
Affordable housing
Friendly community
Somewhat liberal, or at least moderate (also, we're a biracial family, so accepting of all types)
Lots to do with kids (we have two toddlers)
Nature
Thank you!!
Jul 24, 2024
Parent Replies
Sad to see so many wonderful friends moving away but we understand…
Several friends moved to Roseville CA (suburb of Sacramento) and are very happy. Better schools, large backyard, bigger house, etc. One family is biracial and no issues with being biracial. They are liberal although probably moderate by the Bay Area standards.
The most popular places where friends have moved include Portland or somewhere else in Oregon and Colorado (Boulder and Denver) on this side of the Mississippi. They seem to fit your criteria but I understand Portland has gotten quite expensive and the lack of sunlight is a real issue.
We started out with the “maybe the Sacramento area?” question and ended up in North Carolina (chapel hill). We are a progressive black/white biracial family and have been very happy with the move!
Davis! It's adorable, walkable, bikeable, great schools. If you can deal with the heat, it's a fantastic place.
We moved to Sacramento from Albany in 2021. We first rented in Elmhurst and now live in Tahoe Park. Our rental is cheap compared to the Bay Area and our neighborhood is very nice and safe. I miss the stores and restaurants in the East Bay. There is no Monterey Market here. We do not have young children so not sure about schools but the community is definitely friendly. The heat is extreme. Very extreme. Wherever you land you will need central AC. Home prices in this area seem to be going down and things take longer to sell. I do miss the East Bay but I am happy here and we are close enough I can come and visit easily.
We're a queer biracial family that moved from the East Bay to Sacramento during the pandemic, shortly after my son was born. We love it.
The neighborhoods I'd recommend are East Sac, Midtown, Curtis Park, Land Park, South Land Park, Oak Park and Tahoe Park (the first four are generally more expensive, the latter three generally less). I strongly prefer Sacramento proper over the suburbs (e.g., Folsom, Roseville, El Dorado Hills, etc), both culturally and lifestyle-wise, though you can certainly get a lot more house for your money and the school districts are better rated in the suburbs.
And you really do get used to the heat! There's AC everywhere, you do your best to spend your daytime outdoor-time in water and because it's a dry heat, it cools down in the morning/at night.
Feel free to message me directly -- I'd be happy to chat about our experience and answer any questions.
When my kids were much younger (around 10 years ago), we seriously considered Davis. It really seems like a wonderful community and has excellent public schools. It does get hot.
We have good friends who have lived in Roseville for 20 years with two kids (now teens). They were not Bay Area "refugees" but are extremely liberal even by Bay Area standards. They have entirely checked out of local politics because Placer County is very conservative as a county, and the local school boards are also pretty conservative by Bay Area standards. Their kids go to a charter where they have had a few issues over the years with individual teachers but nothing as bad (in their mind) compared to the local public school board policies.
Highly recommend Land Park or South Land Park. Beautiful tree lined streets, charming houses, great schools, close to downtown and midtown, biking trails, museums, William Land Park has a small zoo (that's moving to Elk Grove in the next 5 years), Fairytale Town, and Funderland. We moved from Richmond in 2022 and have a preschooler. Love it here. The heat is pretty intense this time of year but the winters are mild, closer to the Sierra snow, and spring and fall are gorgeous.