AreaScoop
Sacramento, CA

Photo: Wikipedia

Sacramento, CA

Find The Best Places To Live
in Sacramento

PRO TIP! You can paste a Zillow or Redfin link.

Demographics

Very DiverseSimpson's Diversity Index: 78
Population524,802
Foreign Born8.5%
Population Density5,320people per mi²
Median Age35.7 yrs
Demographics Trajectory
GrowingSince 2010, this city's population has grown with relatively minor shifts in racial composition.
Current Race / Ethnicity Breakdown
Population Trends

Quality of Life

Overall Quality Of Life
A-
Great

A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.

Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.

Cost of Living

156/100

56% above national average

B-

The Real Cost of Living in Sacramento, California

TierIndividualFamily (4)
Survival $27k$51k
Comfortable $94k$138k
Luxury $146k+$226k+
Elite (Top 5%) $171k+$266k+
Affordability Ratio

61%

The Hood Index™

A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.

A+
Hood Index scan area
Luxury Lean93%
RisksNeutralGrowth
Premium
40
Positive
40
Poor
2
Negative
8

Groceries

7 within 10 miles

0.3mi

Gas

20 within 10 miles

0.1mi

Hospital

20 within 20 miles

0.3mi

Airport

SAN — Oakland San Francisco Bay

71.3mi

Post Office

USPS — Sacramento, CA

0.1mi

Critical Amenities

Golf7Nearest 2.5 mi
Camping4Nearest 17.1 mi
Marina6Nearest 2.7 mi
Winery5Nearest 0.3 mi
Ice Rink0 
Gun Range0Nearest 14.5 mi

Affluence Level

Overall Affluence Grade
C
Average

A middle-class area roughly in line with national averages across income, home values, education, and employment.

Median HHI
$84k+6.1%
11% above US avg
Est. Avg Net Worth
$983k
50% above US avg
College Educated
36.4%
4% above US avg
WFH
17.7%
24% above US avg
Homeownership
51.5%
21% below US avg
Median Home
$485k
72% above US avg

Crime

WARNING: The crime statistics are unreliable for this jurisdiction. Local authorities have either not reported or under reported their data to the FBI. This could be due to bad intentions, incompetence or technical issues. Regardless, we suggest skepticism.

Overall Crime Grade
F
High Risk

Significantly higher crime rates than 84% of comparable U.S. locations.

Crime Rate
30.1
Incidents per 1,000 residents
5yr Trend
+248.0%
Overall crime change since 2020

Violent Crime

5yr+254.0%
Homicide
0.08 / 1k Residents212% above state avg
Robbery
1.65 / 1k Residents136% above state avg
Aggravated Assault
5.19 / 1k Residents126% above state avg

Property Crime

5yr+242.1%
Burglary
4.01 / 1k Residents86% above state avg
Larceny-Theft
14.46 / 1k Residents55% above state avg
Motor Vehicle Theft
4.16 / 1k Residents79% above state avg
Source: FBI Crime Data · 2025

Political Climate

Cook PVI: D+16Solidly Liberal

District shown is the primary district for this city’s centroid. Cities may span multiple districts.

Presidential Voting Trends for Sacramento, California
Dem Rep
20%30%40%50%60%70%2000200420082012201620202024

Personal Sovereignty

Personal Sovereignty measures your capacity for self-reliance and independence with minimal government friction. Higher scores mean fewer barriers between you and the way you want to live... but it assumes you have the space you need and good neighbors.

Overall Sovereignty Grade
B-
Self-Reliant

Viable for self-reliance. Generally workable, though some barriers may limit total independence.

State Policy

Tax Burden
F
Poor13.5% of income
Property Rights
D
WeakIJ Grade D
Firearm Rights
F
PoorFPC Grade F
Homeschooling
A-
GoodLow regulation

Energy independence: Importer (33% of energy produced in-state)

Personal Liberty

Raw Milk
A+
Fully OpenRetail sales legal
Gambling Laws
D+
RestrictedTribal · Poker · Betting
Marijuana Laws
A+
Fully LegalRecreational

Homesteading

Growing Season299 days358 frost-free
Annual Rainfall22.5"
Elevation39 ft

Strategic Assessment

Strategic Assessment grades tactical survivability using Joel Skousen's Strategic Relocation framework. Major population centers, blast zones, natural disasters, and border exposure all drive risk — lower exposure means a more defensible position in a crisis.

Learn more about Strategic Relocation ($)
Overall Strategic Grade
D
Vulnerable

Multiple tactical vulnerabilities. Population density, target proximity, or disaster risk are likely compounding. A retreat property and exit planning is required.

Strategic Pillars

City Proximity
F
Poor1.7 mi to nearest major city
Pop. Density
D-
Poor5,320/sq mi
Fallout Danger
D+
Weak5 within ~30 mi
Natural Disaster
F
PoorInland Flooding, Earthquake, Drought, Heat Wave, Wildfire
Border / Coast
A+
Greatborder 478 mi · coast 78 mi
FEMA Expected Loss$352.4M/yrfor the county

Key Distances

Nearest Major CitySacramento525k people are 1.7 mi away
Nearest Major AirportNo hub airport within 50 mi
Distance to State Capital1.7 miSacramento, CA
Nearest Prison1.9 mi1 within 25 mi

* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-04-21T10:02:47.000Z

What your realtor won't tell you!

Find the best place to live

Go beyond the listing to get the inside scoop on any home in the US.

PRO TIP! You can paste a Zillow or Redfin link.