Sacramento County · Relocation
Relocating to Sacramento County From the Bay Area or Beyond
Moving to the Sacramento region from out of the area? Get a local who knows the neighborhoods and can help you line up financing before you land.
Moving from the Bay Area? Compare home prices
Typical home prices here are the median sold price, existing single-family homes, August 2026. They are medians for context, not a quote on any one home.
| Place | Typical home price (median) | What it is known for | Getting to downtown Sacramento | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where Maggie works | ||||
| Sacramento CountyThis page | $549,000August 2026, C.A.R. | The state capital, where the Sacramento and American rivers meet. Named the first U.S. "City of Trees" in 1978. | Downtown is in the county. SacRT Gold Line light rail runs from Folsom to downtown. | You are here |
| Placer County | $692,500August 2026, C.A.R. | Roseville, Rocklin and Gold Rush Auburn, with the county reaching up I-80 to Lake Tahoe's north shore. | I-80 is the main route. Amtrak Capitol Corridor stops in Roseville, Rocklin and Auburn. | Moving to Placer County |
| El Dorado County | $690,000August 2026, C.A.R. | Sierra foothills to Lake Tahoe. Coloma is where the 1848 gold find set off the Gold Rush. | US 50 is the main route. El Dorado Hills sits on it at the Sacramento County line, next to Folsom. | Moving to El Dorado County |
| Yolo County | $648,000August 2026, C.A.R. | Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento, with farmland and the Yolo Bypass floodplain between them. | West Sacramento sits directly across the Sacramento River from downtown. | Moving to Yolo County |
| Bay Area and statewide, for comparison | ||||
| San Francisco | $1,875,000August 2026, C.A.R. | A city and county in one, at the tip of the peninsula. | Not yet published | For comparison |
| Santa Clara County | $1,900,000August 2026, C.A.R. | Silicon Valley. San Jose is the county seat. | Not yet published | For comparison |
| San Mateo County | $2,250,000August 2026, C.A.R. | The Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, home to San Francisco International Airport. | Not yet published | For comparison |
| Alameda County | $1,285,000August 2026, C.A.R. | The East Bay: Oakland, Berkeley and Fremont. | Not yet published | For comparison |
| Contra Costa County | $875,000August 2026, C.A.R. | Walnut Creek, Concord and Antioch, around Mount Diablo. | Not yet published | For comparison |
| California statewide | $901,420August 2026, C.A.R. | The statewide median, for comparison. | Not yet published | For comparison |
Prices change monthly. Ask Maggie for current numbers on a specific area.
Sources. Prices: California Association of REALTORS®, county sales activity, August 2026. C.A.R. notes that medians shift with the mix of homes sold. Place facts and travel notes, checked October 2026: Sacramento, Folsom, Placer County, El Dorado County, El Dorado Hills, Yolo County, West Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County (Wikipedia). Drive times are not listed until a dated source is available.
Planning the whole move? Read the Sacramento relocation guide, with guides on the Bay Area move, Prop 19, downsizing, culture and healthcare.
What Relocating to Sacramento County Gets You
If you are relocating to Sacramento County, the first number you will notice is the price. In August 2026 the median existing single-family home sold for $549,000 here, according to the California Association of REALTORS®. The same report put the median at $875,000 in Contra Costa, $1,285,000 in Alameda, $1,875,000 in San Francisco and $1,900,000 in Santa Clara.
That makes the Sacramento County median a bit over a quarter of Santa Clara's in the same month. For many buyers it is the difference between renting and owning, or between a condo and a house with a yard.
What you want from a relocation is to land in the right part of the county the first time. You also want your loan ready before the moving truck is.
Plan My Move With Maggie
Why Sacramento County Relocation Buyers Choose Surroundings
Buying from out of the area means trusting someone else's eyes. At Surroundings, those eyes belong to a broker who also understands lending, and who can handle your loan too if you want. Maggie B. Hopkins has been licensed in real estate since 2006 and has 23 years in real estate and lending combined.
That matters most when you are not here. Your financing can be approved before you fly in, so a weekend of tours can end in an offer. Video tours cover the homes you cannot see in person. Maggie explains each part of the county in terms you can check, such as housing era, freeway access and flood zone.
The trade-off shows up in what clients tell us after the move. One client who moved closer to downtown, from Elk Grove to West Sacramento, said: "Grateful to be living close to the city and not having to spend 50 minutes a day commuting." Where you land inside the region changes your week.
Our full approach is on the relocation page. For the wider picture, from Bay Area prices to healthcare, see the Sacramento relocation guide.
Our Relocation Process for Sacramento County
- A call before the search. We talk through where you will work, how often you go in and what you are leaving. A hybrid Bay Area job points one direction, and a downtown state office points another.
- Loan first. You get a pre-approval before the search, so a listing agent takes your offer seriously even from out of town. Maggie shops the loan across a network of approved lenders. Any rate we quote comes with its APR.
- A short list by area. We match your list to parts of the county and send video tours of the homes worth seeing. The full method is in learning what your budget buys.
- One trip, focused. You tour the finalists. You sign a written buyer representation agreement, as California requires, with compensation set by that agreement.
- Escrow from anywhere. Inspections, appraisal and loan approval run inside the contract's deadlines. Signing can happen with a notary where you are, and the deed records with the Sacramento County Recorder.
What to Know Before Relocating to Sacramento County
You would not be alone. Redfin's report for the second quarter of 2026 ranked Sacramento fifth in the country for net inflow of users looking to relocate, at 5,227. San Jose was the top origin, and Seattle was the top origin from out of state. Between February and April 2025, Redfin said Sacramento was the most searched-for destination for buyers looking to relocate.
Work is pulling commutes inward. Governor Newsom's order putting state workers in the office four days a week took effect July 1, 2026. It sent at least 90,000 employees back for most of the week. If you work for the state, a home near Midtown, East Sacramento or a Gold Line stop may save you more than a lower price farther out. UC Davis Health, Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente are major employers too, and Intel is Folsom's largest.
The weather is the trade. Downtown averages about 23 to 24 days a year at 100 degrees or hotter, and 2024 set a record with 45. Wildfire smoke drifts in some summers. The heat is real enough that the California State Fair moves to September starting in 2027.
Your utilities change too. SMUD supplies electricity in the City of Sacramento and PG&E supplies gas. Sacramento International Airport handled about 13.9 million passengers in 2025, so trips back to see people stay manageable.
One Team for the Move, the Home and the Loan
When you are moving from out of the area, convenience is worth a lot. Surroundings is a one-stop shop: one call, one team and one plan for the home search and the mortgage. You are not coordinating a Sacramento agent and a separate loan officer from hundreds of miles away.
A relocation loan has more moving parts than most, from selling a home elsewhere to changing jobs or schedules. Maggie is a licensed mortgage broker who shops loans across a network of approved lenders, so you see competitive options rather than one bank's offer. Explore options before you sign anything, and get a quote from us to compare. If you already have a lender you trust back home, you are free to bring them.
A few Sacramento County costs surprise buyers from out of the area:
- A supplemental property tax bill arrives months after closing and is mailed to you, not to whoever services your loan.
- Newer tracts in Elk Grove and Folsom Ranch may carry Mello-Roos.
- Homes in Natomas or the Delta may need flood insurance.
- SMUD bills replace PG&E for electricity inside the City of Sacramento.
Our Sacramento property tax calculator gives you a planning number for the tax side. Any rate we quote comes with its APR, and approval depends on your full application.
Bay Area buyers who keep a hybrid schedule should check one more thing. Ask how the lender treats your income if you will work remotely from Sacramento, so the answer is settled before you write an offer.
Plan Your Move to Sacramento County
Relocating to Sacramento County goes better with a local who can answer the loan questions too. Start with our Sacramento County guide, then see buying a home in Sacramento County. Weighing nearby counties as well? Compare relocating to Placer County and relocating to El Dorado County.
When you are ready, book a call with Maggie from wherever you are now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper is Sacramento County than the Bay Area?
In August 2026 the Sacramento County median existing single-family home price was $549,000, against $1,285,000 in Alameda and $1,900,000 in Santa Clara, according to the California Association of REALTORS®. That puts Sacramento County at a bit over a quarter of the Santa Clara median.
Can I buy a home in Sacramento County without visiting first?
Yes. We send video tours, your loan can be approved before you travel, and documents can be signed with a notary where you live. Most buyers still visit once to see the finalists in person.
How hot are Sacramento summers?
Downtown averages about 23 to 24 days a year at 100 degrees or more, with a record 45 in 2024. A Delta breeze often cools the evenings, and some summers bring wildfire smoke.
Where do most people moving to Sacramento come from?
Redfin's second-quarter 2026 report named San Jose as the top origin for relocating house hunters, with Seattle the top out-of-state origin. Census estimates for 2015 to 2019 put Placer and Yolo counties first, followed by Alameda.
Loans are arranged by Maggie B. Hopkins, NMLS #349517, at Surroundings · DRE #02220140 · NMLS #2528307. All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting, and this page is not a commitment to lend.
Sacramento County
What relocation looks like in Sacramento County
Sacramento, Elk Grove, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Folsom and the neighborhoods in between.
This is the state capital and the county around it, from Midtown and East Sacramento to Elk Grove, Folsom and the Delta towns along the river.
The method
How we do it in Sacramento County
Relocation: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Surroundings?