What it's like to live in Rancho Cordova
Rancho Cordova is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Rancho Cordova deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Rancho Cordova compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Rancho Cordova
Based on Rancho Cordova's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,574
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,480 a year
- 50% of Rancho Cordova renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$95,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $47,760
- Homes cost 5.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,787/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,787 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $477,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $477,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 16% above US
5.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 54% above US
507 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 1656/100k · Rancho Cordova Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 20% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 42°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 11% below US
32% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 32% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
25 public schools inside the boundary
There are 25 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (55 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Rancho Cordova's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,787/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (20% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
See all the data for Rancho Cordova →·All California cities →
Other places near Rancho Cordova
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Compare with Rancho Cordova →Moving to Rosemont →
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