A Snapshot of Sacramento
The capital of the Golden State and one of the sweetest spots in inland California, Sacramento is a historic Gold Rush town whose pioneering spirit is propelling it into the future.
Since the middle of the last century, new residents have been flocking to this political powerhouse with a heart of gold. Prospectors discovered the first nuggets of the precious metal in 1848, but early developers capitalized on the rich soil to turn the town into an agricultural goldmine, too. Those initial boons, along with the railroad, put this city on the map, and the population has been growing and diversifying ever since.
Between 2010 and 2023, Sacramento’s population grew by 60,000, making the current number of residents 526,384. In that same timeframe, more than 165,000 people moved to Sacramento County, bringing its total to 1.6 million. Inland cities in Cali are often overshadowed by their coastal cousins, like Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco. But the only thing hanging over this state capital is its elegant green canopy, which earned it the moniker The City of Trees. The access to natural wonders like the Sacramento River, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains, coupled with the city’s relative affordability, has twice put it at the top of Forbes’ list of the best places to live in California.
While unemployment may be slightly higher in Sacramento than in other regions of the country, a diverse job market, led by healthcare and education and rounded out by business, tourism and manufacturing shows the capital is growing sustainably.
If you’re interested in moving to Sacramento, California, learn about the pros and cons of living in the City of Trees in our moving guide, which addresses everything from the sunny climate, job market and family-friendly attractions to the heat and wildfire risk in the area.
What’s Great About Sacramento, California
Sunny Climate
Although Sacramento is one of California’s northernmost major cities, summertime in the sunny capital is nothing like what you’ll find in San Francisco or San Jose. From June through September, you can expect highs above 100°F in Sacramento, but lows can easily dip into the 50s at night.
The arid climate typically affords the city only 16” of rain annually, but the last 10 years have been highly erratic. In 2013, less than six inches of rain fell on the city, but in 2016, 2017 and 2019, Sacramento saw more than 22”. Most of the rain arrives during the winter months, while summers remain dry.
Winters are mild in Sacramento, with temperatures only occasionally threatening to drop below the freezing point. Don’t expect to see snow, though — you’ll have to head into the mountains for that. Lake Tahoe is gorgeous if you’re looking for a ski getaway.
Affordability Compared to Other California Cities
Compared to its neighbors down the California coastline, Sacramento can offer some serious savings when it comes to real estate. According to the U.S. Census, the median home value in the state capital averaged $450,500 between 2018 and 2022. This is roughly half the price of homes in San Diego and Los Angeles and a third of what you’ll pay in either San Jose or San Francisco, where homes now average more than $1 million. But keep in mind that Sacramento real estate is nearly twice as expensive compared to the national average, which has yet to crest the $300,000 dollar mark.
Home values are ticking up, though. In Sacramento County, the National Association of Realtors put the average price tag of $585,720 at the beginning of 2024. This may be one reason why homeownership rates in the city and county are lower than elsewhere across the country.
But renters don’t have it easy, either. The median gross rent in Sacramento is nearly $1,600.
The money you’ll spend on other common household needs can add up, too. According to the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, residents spend an average of $15,000 on transportation, $12,000 on food and beverages, $7,000 on healthcare and $6,000 on utilities. When you add that to the median rental costs ($18,000), the average Sacramento household spends upwards of $85,000 a year just to provide basic needs for their families.
Dynamic Job Market
Sacramento has hit something of a downturn in the job market of late. Although its unemployment rate is not as high as other large, inland cities like Fresno and Bakersfield, at 5.3%, it still tops the national average by almost a point. Minor job losses were felt across many industries in the area. Still, the information sector — one of the smallest employment areas in Sacramento County — plunged more than 11% between August of 2023 and 2024 during the great tech layoff. However, this cost the city only 1,100 lost jobs. No other sector saw declines of more than 2.5%.
On the brighter side of the market, education and health services experienced robust growth, expanding by 9.1% and adding 17,200 jobs to the market. This sector is the city’s second largest, falling just behind the Government as the capital’s strongest job provider. Other important industries include trade, transportation and utilities (167,700 jobs), professional and business services (136,500 jobs), and leisure and hospitality (112,900 jobs).
The capital’s largest employers reflect these industry strengths, particularly in healthcare. UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente and Cal State University Sacramento are among the city’s key employers, which include heavyweights like Aerojet Rocketdyne and Intel.
Outdoor Recreation and Kid-Friendly Attractions
With festivals and food trucks, museums and mini-golf, Sacramento is a capital city that knows how to have fun.
One of the city’s biggest recreational assets is its sunny weather. Cloudless skies and frost-free weather make nearly every day a great time to be outside. Get to know your new hometown by exploring Sacramento’s beloved parks. There are formal spaces, like the California State Capitol World Peace Rose Garden, where you can smell 650 different varieties of blossoms. There are educational spots, like Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park, where you can get to know one of the city’s early European settlers, the Swiss man named John Sutter, whose sons designed the city during the height of the Gold Rush. Then, there are recreational treasures, like McKinley Park and William Land Park, the largest park in the city. Land Park isn’t just a beautiful greenspace — it has its own golf course, an amusement park, the WPA Rock Garden, the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town, a nursery rhyme-themed plays pace with imaginative equipment, like the Owl’s Tree House Slide and Cinderella’s Coach.
The city’s riverways are a beacon for boaters, bikers, hikers and even hunters. Bring your kayak to the Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge for a day of paddling or grab the binoculars to see if you can spy on one of the park’s rare, yellow-billed cuckoos or a plucky jackrabbit. Book a white-water rafting trip on the American River if you’re up for a real adventure. The South Fork portion has class III rapids that even the kids can handle, but experienced paddlers may want to test their muster on the class V waves of the North Fork, which includes the heart-pounding Chamberlain Falls.
The calmer waters of Lake Tahoe beckon weekend escapists, and you’ll find all the spoils of a laid-back resort town around these chilly waters. In the summertime, all you need is a beach blanket and a juicy read to pass the time. The kids can burn off their energy at the Tahoe Treetop Adventure Park, or they can dive into scuba lessons at Emerald Bay State Park. In the winter, cozy up by the fire after a day on the slopes snowboarding, sledding or cross-country skiing. It takes only two hours to reach South Lake Tahoe from Sacramento, but you’ll feel worlds away.
If you’re up for trying a true aquatic thrill ride, you might enjoy kiteboarding at Sherman Lake. Strong winds propel boarders sky-high off these brisk waters, but it’s also enjoyable just to watch the daredevils perform from the safety of the shoreline.
Bikers have miles of trails to ride in and around the capital, and one of the most beautiful spots is along the American River Parkway. Start at Discovery Point, and you can ride the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail 36 miles away, stopping at your favorite restaurants and shops along the way.
There’s plenty of indoor fun to be had in Sacramento, too. The Crocker Art Museum’s upcoming exhibitions include everything from Pueblo pottery to contemporary photography. The SMUD Museum of Science and Curiosity (MOSAC) will have kids’ minds expanding faster than the universe — learn how sunny CA is powering the future with renewable energy or see how we one day might grow food in space. In the northern burbs, the Aerospace Museum of California gives a compelling look at aviation history and technology, and they have six flight simulators where you can practice piloting an aircraft.
Check out the “Neighborhood” section below for even more recreational recommendations.
Neighborhoods for Any Lifestyle
Sacramento is a bustling, diverse city, and each of its neighborhoods offers something unique. Here’s a snapshot of some of the most popular areas.
Downtown Sacramento is anchored by the Capitol Mall, which runs from the banks of the Sacramento River to the California State Capitol Park. This coveted business hub is one of six districts that make up the downtown region. But there are plenty of places to play downtown, too. Dig into the city’s gold mining past at the Sacramento History Museum in the Old Sacramento Waterfront District. Or hear a performance of Mahler’s Titan by the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in the Theater District. Midtown Sacramento is loaded with art galleries, small theaters and restaurants, so if you’re hoping to live in the center of the action, Midtown is one of the best places to be.
Just south of the city core, you’ll find two popular residential neighborhoods: Land Park and Oak Park. Land Park is home to the Sacramento Zoo, Fairytale Town and the Funderland Amusement Park — all a part of the William Land Regional Park. Even if you don’t buy a house in this district, you’ll likely spend a lot of your free time here if you have kids. The middle school and high school are located in the center of the district, which makes getting the kiddos to and from school easy. Further east, Oak Park provides easy access to the UC Davis Medical Center. The northern portion of the neighborhood is filled with historic homes and buildings dating back to 1900. In the middle half of the 20th century, Oak Park became a prominent African American neighborhood, and the area has diversified as it has grown in popularity with Latinx and Asian American residents.
The tony, tree-lined streets of East Sacramento are filled with distinctive and inviting homes — colorful bungalows and arts & crafts charmers, brick Tudor revivals and even some newer builds lend this neighborhood true architectural cache, earning it the moniker the Fabulous Forties neighborhood. The nation’s 40th president, Ronald Reagan, even lived here when he was the governor of California. East Sac is also adjacent to California State University Sacramento (CSUS), so if you work at the college, you’ll have a walkable commute.
North Sacramento is a sprawling region encompassing lush Discovery Park, just outside downtown, to Natomas and Regency Park, which borders the airport. Whether your favorite pastime is golfing, biking or shopping, you’ll find a great place to enjoy it in this suburban area. There are plenty of family-friendly attractions here, like the Scandi amusement park, which has classic roller coasters, batting cages, arcade games and mini-golf.
America’s Farm to Fork
Fresno and Bakersfield may be the agricultural heavyweights in the state of California, but sunny Sacramento is the farm-to-fork capital. There are nearly two dozen farmer’s markets across Sacramento County, from in-town favorites like the Sacramento Central Sunday CFM to the Rancho Cordova Certified Farmers’ Market at Sunrise Station, both of which remain open year-round.
But the biggest event of the year is during the fall when the Farm-to-Fork Festival returns. Each September, foodies, musicians and 100,000+ hungry Golden Staters descend on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall for a weekend of dining and celebration. The festival has now entered its second decade in the city, and each season brings a better lineup of vendors than the last. You’ll find everything from kettle corn and fudge to gin and hand-crafted tinctures. BYO willpower.
Quite a Sports City
Sacramento may not be the sports behemoth Los Angeles is, but the capital has a solid fan base for its three minor league teams. The Sacramento Kings — a feeder team for the San Francisco Giants — dominate the court at Sutter Health Park, where the MiLB’s Sacramento River Cats also play. And let’s not forget USL’s Sacramento Republic FC. The “Indomitable Club” just moved into a new stadium at the Railyards, which holds up to 15,000 rowdy soccer fans. Interestingly, the Sacramento team is the first in all American professional sports to have a Tribal Nation — Wilton Rancheria, California’s Capital Tribe — as a majority owner.
What’s Not So Great About Sacramento
High Taxes
California is not known for its low taxes. The Tax Foundation places the state near the bottom of its tax-friendless rankings, thanks to CA’s high state personal income tax, sale tax and corporate income taxes. But there are some nuances to this information to be considered. First, California has a graduated income tax rate, so those who are making less pay a smaller percentage of their earnings. Second, California’s property tax rates are far lower than most states, so if you own your own home, this can provide relief. Third, the state uses the taxes it collects for essential services, and some of California’s benefits are superior to many states.
Please note: We are not tax experts and are not offering tax advice, other than you should consider obtaining additional information and advice from your legal and/or financial advisers who are fully aware of your circumstances.
Wildfire Risks and Drought
If you’ve turned on the news in the last five years, you’ve probably noticed California wildfires seem to be gaining in both frequency and intensity. The combination of drought, global warming and problematic weather patterns caused by climate change have wreaked havoc on the state.
In FEMA’s risk assessment for Sacramento, the city earns a “relatively moderate” rating for wildfire risks as well as those for riverine flooding and landslides, a “relatively high” risk rating for heat waves and earthquakes, and a “very high” risk rating for drought. On the bright side, there is little concern for tornadoes, strong winds, winter weather, lightning or hail. There are ways to help protect your home from wildfires, including upgrading to noncombustible building materials, maintaining a vegetation-free zone immediately around your house and planting native, drought-tolerant, fire-resistant species, which can be both beneficial and beautiful.
Cultural and Entertainment Limitations
Sacramento doesn’t have quite the cool factor that San Francisco or Los Angeles do. You won’t find the same concentration of major cultural events or organizations in the capital that you’ll find in its coastal cousins. But there’s still plenty of fun to be had here, and if a must-see show comes up in another Cali city, there’s no better excuse for a road trip! SF is only 90 miles away and LA is less than 400 miles away.
Choosing the Right Moving Company for Your Relocation to Sacramento
Looking for a reputable moving company to handle your relocation to Sacramento? United Van Lines’ nationwide team of professional, long-distance movers can make your experience seamless.
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