Seeking a more affordable area not to far from the Bay Area
My family of four (baby & toddler) is finally feeling forced out of Oakland due to the high cost of living. However, we love Northern California, and would like to find an affordable town/city in the surrounding area of the Bay (within a 2 hour drive). We would like to greatly decrease our rent, paying $1500/month or less. My husband and I both work from home, so we don’t need to commute. We are looking for a place with character and a sense of community. We do not want to live in the suburbs. What peripheral cities/towns of the Bay or beyond offer a nice community and affordability?
Apr 7, 2017
Parent Replies
Two ideas that come to mind are Chico and Ukiah. Both are 2-2.5 hours away and are NOT suburbs. I've only been to Ukiah. It's cute and seems to have a strong sense of community. It gets super hot but a fairly easy drive to the coast for relief. I hope others have good ideas for you. Good luck!
The Sacramento area is much more affordable than here and there are plenty of non-suburb areas. I lived up there for a while during my college and post college years and still have many connections. Davis is lovely and extremely family friendly. Midtown Sacramento and other areas close to the city center are lively and walkable, but also peaceful. We are big fans of the area.
We moved out of the inner East Bay due to housing prices. We would have considered Sacramento if it weren't for our jobs and all close family here. We moved out to Hercules (past Richmond). It is a suburb, but we live near plenty of walkable things (cafe, restaurants, the bay). It is much cheaper out here as well and we have been really happy and met other young families. We were sad to move out of Berkeley but it has been a fantastic choice.
Thank you for the suggestions, these are places we will consider as we begin our search. - Family of Four Mama