If you live in or around the greater Sacramento area, then you already probably know that it's a great place for families, with plenty of towns, neighborhoods, and communities that are perfect for raising children. The Sacramento area's family-friendly nature has now also gained national prominence thanks to a poll by NerdWallet.com. In a poll about the quality of life for families on that site, several Northern California cities ranked in the top ten for best cities to raise a family in California, including some of Sacramento’s closest neighbors: Folsom, Roseville, and Davis.
NerdWallet ranked every major city and community across the country based on these three main factors:
Affordability
Of course, we’d all love to live in San Francisco, Venice or Santa Cruz – if we were multi-millionaires. But for most, the cost of living and raising a family is too prohibitive. So in their survey, NerdWallet recognized that affordability is a huge factor for families who want a great quality of life. Other critical factors in determining affordability for families include:
• median home values in each city along with average mortgage payments,
• real estate taxes,
• monthly home expenses,
• utilities, fuel, insurance, and other typical costs.
In determining ranking, the more overall affordability a city was for a young family, the higher its number in the rankings.
Growth and prosperity
NerdWallet also carefully gauged each city’s economy and potential for growth. To make sure that future development looked promising, they tracked factors like the average household income and income growth over the last decade. Cities that earned a ten offered the best chance for new residents to land good-paying jobs, prosper financially, and provide for their families.
Quality schools and public education
Of course, one of the biggest factors for families is living in an area where their children can attend great schools/ So NerdWallet rated each city’s public school systems using academic performance rankings from GreatSchools, a nonprofit that that compares a school’s standardized test scores with the state average. This system rates schools 1-10, with 10 being the best possible score for a public school system.
Based on the compilation of those rankings, here are the cities in the greater Sacramento area that ranked in the top ten:
#2 Folsom, California
For those of us who already live, work, or play in Folsom, we don't need to be reminded that it's one of the best communities in California to raise a family. Only 20 miles east of Sacramento, Folsom has just about everything you would want in a neighborhood for your family, from fantastic schools, vibrant economy bolstered by tech firms like Intel, Verizon and Jadoo Power, and a median household income just above $100,000.
Folsom is also a haven for families because of its natural beauty, parks and recreation facilities, and outdoor lifestyle. Folsom offers endless miles of hiking trails, cycling and running paths that extend all the way to downtown Sacramento and beyond. Lake Folsom is ideal for swimming, boating, and waterskiing, and it’s an hour drive up the mountain to Lake Tahoe. Historic Old Folsom is lively on the weekends, jumping with music, street fairs, and a great art and restaurant scene.
No one ever accused Folsom of being inexpensive, but it’s still reasonably affordable for a new family, with a vibrant local economy and real estate market that always is healthy. With all the great things going for Folsom, the only thing we wonder is why it’s not #1 on the list!?
#8 Roseville, California
Sitting only a few spots back of Folsom on NerdWallet’s best places for families to live sits Roseville. It’s not surprising that Roseville is so highly-valued on the list considering that the Sacramento suburb city has a little bit of everything for young families, including a healthy supply of good-paying jobs and an economy invigorated by local employers Kaiser Permanente and Hewlett-Packard.
Just as important, Roseville is home to some of the best public schools in the state, year after year. Although it’s the largest city in Placer County (population 128,000), it’s also one of the safest communities in California. Residents enjoy the mature trees, 41,000 acres of beautiful parks, 31 miles of recreational trails, a revitalized downtown, and a little Gold Rush history thrown in.
This isn’t the only time that Roseville has been recognized as a great place to live, as CNN recently ranked it as one of America’s Top 100 Small Cities.
#9 Davis, California
The agricultural and educational haven of Davis, California lies directly west of Sacramento, and yet it feels like it’s hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Davis is a down-to-earth, throwback academic community centered around the prestigious University of California at Davis. Often called “Berkeley North,” it’s rich with arts and culture, yet still keeping its agricultural roots - one of the University’s strengths.
Just a short 15 minutes across the causeway from downtown Sacramento, Davis is also only about an hour commuting distance to San Francisco. The public schools are fantastic, it has one of the lowest crime rates in California, and Davis has healthy job market.
As a small city of fewer than 70,000 people, Davis prides itself on being one of the most bike and pedestrian friendly cities in the entire country. It’s also one of the greenest cities in the country, and between walking trails, locally owned businesses and the Robert Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, there is always something fun to do.
Surely Davis would rank higher on the list if it weren’t for the cost of living, with a median home value of $632,000 – a stretch to afford for many first-time buyers.
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Are you interested in moving your family to one of these communities, the cost of homes in these areas, or just getting more information about the greater Sacramento real estate market? I’d love to be of assistance so please contact me anytime.
NerdWallet ranked every major city and community across the country based on these three main factors:
Affordability
Of course, we’d all love to live in San Francisco, Venice or Santa Cruz – if we were multi-millionaires. But for most, the cost of living and raising a family is too prohibitive. So in their survey, NerdWallet recognized that affordability is a huge factor for families who want a great quality of life. Other critical factors in determining affordability for families include:
• median home values in each city along with average mortgage payments,
• real estate taxes,
• monthly home expenses,
• utilities, fuel, insurance, and other typical costs.
In determining ranking, the more overall affordability a city was for a young family, the higher its number in the rankings.
Growth and prosperity
NerdWallet also carefully gauged each city’s economy and potential for growth. To make sure that future development looked promising, they tracked factors like the average household income and income growth over the last decade. Cities that earned a ten offered the best chance for new residents to land good-paying jobs, prosper financially, and provide for their families.
Quality schools and public education
Of course, one of the biggest factors for families is living in an area where their children can attend great schools/ So NerdWallet rated each city’s public school systems using academic performance rankings from GreatSchools, a nonprofit that that compares a school’s standardized test scores with the state average. This system rates schools 1-10, with 10 being the best possible score for a public school system.
Based on the compilation of those rankings, here are the cities in the greater Sacramento area that ranked in the top ten:
For those of us who already live, work, or play in Folsom, we don't need to be reminded that it's one of the best communities in California to raise a family. Only 20 miles east of Sacramento, Folsom has just about everything you would want in a neighborhood for your family, from fantastic schools, vibrant economy bolstered by tech firms like Intel, Verizon and Jadoo Power, and a median household income just above $100,000.
Folsom is also a haven for families because of its natural beauty, parks and recreation facilities, and outdoor lifestyle. Folsom offers endless miles of hiking trails, cycling and running paths that extend all the way to downtown Sacramento and beyond. Lake Folsom is ideal for swimming, boating, and waterskiing, and it’s an hour drive up the mountain to Lake Tahoe. Historic Old Folsom is lively on the weekends, jumping with music, street fairs, and a great art and restaurant scene.
No one ever accused Folsom of being inexpensive, but it’s still reasonably affordable for a new family, with a vibrant local economy and real estate market that always is healthy. With all the great things going for Folsom, the only thing we wonder is why it’s not #1 on the list!?
Sitting only a few spots back of Folsom on NerdWallet’s best places for families to live sits Roseville. It’s not surprising that Roseville is so highly-valued on the list considering that the Sacramento suburb city has a little bit of everything for young families, including a healthy supply of good-paying jobs and an economy invigorated by local employers Kaiser Permanente and Hewlett-Packard.
Just as important, Roseville is home to some of the best public schools in the state, year after year. Although it’s the largest city in Placer County (population 128,000), it’s also one of the safest communities in California. Residents enjoy the mature trees, 41,000 acres of beautiful parks, 31 miles of recreational trails, a revitalized downtown, and a little Gold Rush history thrown in.
This isn’t the only time that Roseville has been recognized as a great place to live, as CNN recently ranked it as one of America’s Top 100 Small Cities.
The agricultural and educational haven of Davis, California lies directly west of Sacramento, and yet it feels like it’s hundreds of miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Davis is a down-to-earth, throwback academic community centered around the prestigious University of California at Davis. Often called “Berkeley North,” it’s rich with arts and culture, yet still keeping its agricultural roots - one of the University’s strengths.
Just a short 15 minutes across the causeway from downtown Sacramento, Davis is also only about an hour commuting distance to San Francisco. The public schools are fantastic, it has one of the lowest crime rates in California, and Davis has healthy job market.
As a small city of fewer than 70,000 people, Davis prides itself on being one of the most bike and pedestrian friendly cities in the entire country. It’s also one of the greenest cities in the country, and between walking trails, locally owned businesses and the Robert Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, there is always something fun to do.
Surely Davis would rank higher on the list if it weren’t for the cost of living, with a median home value of $632,000 – a stretch to afford for many first-time buyers.
***
Are you interested in moving your family to one of these communities, the cost of homes in these areas, or just getting more information about the greater Sacramento real estate market? I’d love to be of assistance so please contact me anytime.
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