What it's like to live in Sacramento
Sacramento is a major city in California. The numbers below lay out what daily life there actually looks like.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Sacramento 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 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 Sacramento compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sacramento
Based on Sacramento's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,558
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $71,160 a year
- 54% of Sacramento renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$101,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $50,630
- Homes cost 5.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 26% above US
$1,779/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,779 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 $506,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $506,300 · 54% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 19% above US
5.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.1%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 119% above US
720 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2305/100k · Sacramento Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.3 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
10 hospitals
There are 10 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.2 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% 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
128 public schools inside the boundary
There are 128 public schools inside the boundary and 22 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 25:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (47 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Sacramento's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,779/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.
Other places near Sacramento
All California guides →Moving to Lemon Hill →
4 mi away · pop. 15,312
Rent $1,421/mo · Income $48,762
Compare with Sacramento →Moving to West Sacramento →
4 mi away · pop. 54,927
Rent $1,665/mo · Income $93,188
Compare with Sacramento →Not sure Sacramento is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.