What it's like to live in West Sacramento
West Sacramento is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. West Sacramento deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- Hot summers
How West Sacramento compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to West Sacramento
Based on West Sacramento's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,330
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,600 a year
- 50% of West Sacramento renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$105,160
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $52,580
- Homes cost 5.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 18% above US
$1,665/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,665 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 $525,800. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $525,800 · 50% 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)
SafetyNear US average
327 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1710/100k · West Sacramento Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% 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
17 public schools inside the boundary
There are 17 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (43 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
West Sacramento's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,665/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home).
See all the data for West Sacramento →·All California cities →
Other places near West Sacramento
All California guides →Moving to Sacramento →
4 mi away · pop. 528,706
Rent $1,779/mo · Income $87,321
Compare with West Sacramento →Moving to Lemon Hill →
6 mi away · pop. 15,312
Rent $1,421/mo · Income $48,762
Compare with West Sacramento →Moving to Parkway →
7 mi away · pop. 15,397
Rent $1,517/mo · Income $64,375
Compare with West Sacramento →Moving to Florin →
9 mi away · pop. 50,211
Rent $1,622/mo · Income $71,111
Compare with West Sacramento →Not sure West Sacramento is the one?
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