Relocating to Greater Sacramento, California
Moving to Sacramento? Let’s find your kind of Sacramento.
Moving across town is one thing. Moving across the state, across the country, or halfway around the world? That’s an entirely different adventure.
Facts checked October 2026.
Which move is yours?
- A personal moveI’m moving to SacramentoNeighborhoods, video tours and a plan built around how you live.Start here →
- A corporate moveMy company is moving me, or I’m moving an employeeHow a move works with your policy, for the person and for HR.See corporate relocation →
- Leaving SacramentoI’m relocating out of SacramentoSelling the home you are leaving. Maggie or Rachel can list it.Go to selling →
Rachel Dee Minyard
REALTOR®
CA DRE #02213398
I’m Rachel Dee Minyard, REALTOR® and Creative Director with Surroundings. I’m Sacramento born and raised, and I’ve spent my life getting to know this region, its neighborhoods, its people, and the little things that make each community different.
When someone tells me they’re moving to Sacramento, my first question is usually, “Which Sacramento?”
Work with whichever of us you’re most comfortable with. Either way, the whole Surroundings team is behind you.
How I help
How I help you relocate
Neighborhood Discovery
I’ll introduce you to Sacramento’s neighborhoods and surrounding communities, helping you understand their personalities, architecture, amenities, price points, and everyday lifestyle.
Virtual Home Tours & Long-Distance Searches
Can’t be here in person? We’ll use video tours, virtual meetings, detailed property reviews, and honest neighborhood insight to keep your search moving, even from another time zone.
Lifestyle-Based Home Searches
We’ll look beyond bedrooms, bathrooms, and square footage to consider your routines, interests, commute, future plans, and how you actually want to live.
Local Connections & Resources
From lending and inspections to moving resources and local service providers, I’ll help connect you with professionals and information that can make the transition easier.
Purchase Strategy & Coordination
I’ll help you understand the local market, evaluate properties, navigate offers and negotiations, and coordinate the many details involved in purchasing a home from a distance.
Getting Acquainted With Your New Surroundings
My relationship with clients doesn’t have to end at the closing table. I love connecting people with local restaurants, businesses, neighborhood discoveries, and the communities that help a new place begin to feel familiar.
Read more of my storyClose my story
Which Sacramento?
Sacramento isn’t just one kind of place.
You might love the tree-lined streets and historic architecture of East Sacramento, the personality and walkability of Midtown, the mid-century neighborhoods tucked into Carmichael and Arden-Arcade, or a little more breathing room in the surrounding foothills.
And sometimes the neighborhood you thought you wanted isn’t actually the one that fits your life best.
That’s where I come in.
Before the house
A move is about more than finding a house.
Whether you’re relocating for work, family, retirement, a new opportunity, or simply a different way of living, I want to understand what life looks like for you on the other side of the move.
What kind of community feels like home? How do you spend your weekends? Do you want walkability, space to garden, architectural character, good access to the airport, or room for visiting family?
Those conversations help us narrow down not just where you can live, but where you’re most likely to enjoy living.
A local perspective
A local perspective makes a difference.
I’ve watched Sacramento grow and change over the decades. I know that two neighborhoods just a few streets apart can offer very different experiences.
And I’ll tell you the things you deserve to know, including the tradeoffs, not just the highlights.
At Surroundings, we combine real estate, lending, local knowledge, and a design-minded approach to help people make informed decisions with confidence.
You are not just moving to Sacramento. You are building a life here.
I’d love to help you find the surroundings that fit.
The Human Thomas Guide
Which Sacramento personality are you?
Take the Find Your Fit quiz: how you want your Saturday to feel, matched to neighborhoods with real prices.
The four counties at a glance
Typical prices are the median sold price, existing single-family homes, August 2026, from C.A.R..
$549,000Median, August 2026
The state capital, where the Sacramento and American rivers meet. Named the first U.S. "City of Trees" in 1978.
Sacramento County area guide →Relocating to Sacramento County →
$692,500Median, August 2026
Roseville, Rocklin and Gold Rush Auburn, with the county reaching up I-80 to Lake Tahoe's north shore.
$690,000Median, August 2026
Sierra foothills to Lake Tahoe. Coloma is where the 1848 gold find set off the Gold Rush.
El Dorado County area guide →Relocating to El Dorado County →
$648,000Median, August 2026
Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento, with farmland and the Yolo Bypass floodplain between them.
The gap inside one county
A median is a midpoint, not a price tag.
Sacramento County’s median sold price was $549,000 in August 2026. That is the middle of every single-family sale, from small older homes to large newer ones, so it is not the price of the home most people picture.
Sacramento is bigger than most people expect, and a home’s price can change a lot from one neighborhood to the next, and sometimes from one street to the next. Here is what that looks like in eight neighborhoods across Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties.
Sacramento County
East Sacramento
$670,000 to $910,000
The middle half of sales, about 180 sales
At the top end: 26 sales were $1,150,000 or more, up to $3,165,000.
Land Park and Curtis Park
$642,500 to $998,000
The middle half of sales, about 204 sales
At the top end: 31 sales were $1,150,000 or more, up to $2,805,000.
Sierra Oaks and Wilhaggin
$925,000 to $1,698,000
Two small pockets side by side, 35 sales, pulled separately. Sierra Oaks, $925,000 to $1,698,000 (21 sales). Wilhaggin, $1,100,000 to $1,350,000 (14 sales). The bar spans both.
Carmichael
$495,000 to $750,000
The middle half of sales, about 518 sales
At the top end: 66 sales were $900,000 or more, up to $3,230,000. On lots of half an acre or more, 47 homes sold, with a median of $925,000.
Fair Oaks
$527,500 to $800,000
The middle half of sales, about 400 sales
At the top end: 105 sales were $800,000 or more, up to $1,960,000.
Placer County
Roseville
$560,000 to $770,000
The middle half of sales, about 1,950 sales
At the top end: 137 sales were $1,000,000 or more, up to $2,349,000.
Rocklin
$616,250 to $861,656
The middle half of sales, about 648 sales
At the top end: 84 sales were $1,065,000 or more, up to $2,000,000.
El Dorado County
El Dorado Hills
$750,000 to $1,250,000
The middle half of sales, about 688 sales
At the top end: 139 sales were $1,350,000 or more, up to $4,122,500.
Sierra Oaks and Wilhaggin are small, high-end pockets. Next door, Arden Park ran $799,000 to $1,200,000 (21 sales), and the whole Arden Park and Sierra Oaks ZIP, 95864, ran $535,000 to $1,200,000 across about 260 sales.
One small city shows it too. In West Sacramento, 333 single-family homes sold in a year, from $248,000 to $2,000,000.
That is why I start with the neighborhood and the kind of home you want, and not the county average.
Source: MetroList, single-family homes sold between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, including the top-end counts and highest sales. The middle half of sales runs from the median of the lower half to the median of the upper half. County median: C.A.R., August 2026. Past sales do not predict what any home will sell for. This is not an appraisal or a price estimate.
What Does Our Team Do for People Moving to Sacramento?
We plan your whole move as one team, so you never have to coordinate two strangers from out of town.
- Maggie B. Hopkins, Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, leads the brokerage and lines up your loan before you travel by shopping it across a network of approved lenders. Do you prefer your own lender? That works too. For the loan, call Maggie directly at (916) 549-3131.
- Rachel Dee Minyard, REALTOR® and Creative Director, is your buyer's agent. She shows you the neighborhoods, tours homes for you on live video and builds your visit around the homes that made your list.
- Either of them can list and sell the home you are leaving, on the same plan as your purchase.
One number for everything: (916) 549-3131. Call or text Maggie and she will bring in the right person. Or start with the free Moving to Sacramento guide.
Where are you moving from? Pick your guide: San Francisco, San Jose and Silicon Valley, the East Bay, Los Angeles and Southern California, or Nevada, the top out-of-state source of newcomers here.
Book a Relocation Consultation
Why This Sacramento Relocation Guide Starts With Price
This Sacramento relocation guide starts where most moves start: a handful of clear reasons. Housing costs less than it does on the coast. The rivers and trails sit close to home. A real city with its own economy surrounds you. And the Bay Area stays within reach by train or freeway.
The price gap is the reason people name first. In August 2026 the median sold price for an existing single-family home in Sacramento County was $549,000, according to the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). C.A.R. put San Francisco at $1,875,000 and Santa Clara County at $1,900,000 that same month. The California median was $901,420.
Redfin's migration data shows the same pull. Its Q2 2026 report came out on September 24, 2026. Redfin ranked Sacramento fifth in the nation for net inflow of users looking to relocate, at 5,227. San Jose was the top origin.
The region also moves on its own calendar. Sacramento is the state capital. CapRadio reported that a state order requiring most state workers in the office four days a week took effect on July 1, 2026. Placer County was the fastest-growing county in California from January 2025 to January 2026, up 1.4%, per the California Department of Finance.
Daily life here has a shape newcomers notice early. Sacramento sits where the Sacramento and American rivers meet. In 1978 it became the first U.S. city named a "City of Trees" by the Arbor Day Foundation. The paved Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail runs about 32 miles along the American River from Discovery Park to Folsom Lake, per Sacramento County Regional Parks.
Read the rest of the relocation guideClose
Four Counties, Four Different Trade-offs
The Sacramento region is four counties for most people who move here, and each one trades price, space and setting differently. Surroundings works in all four.
- Sacramento County holds downtown, the older tree-lined neighborhoods, the American River Parkway and suburbs like Elk Grove and Folsom. Its August 2026 median was $549,000 (C.A.R.).
- Placer County runs from Roseville and Rocklin up through Gold Rush Auburn to Lake Tahoe's north shore. Its August 2026 median was $692,500 (C.A.R.).
- El Dorado County climbs Highway 50 from El Dorado Hills through the foothills and wine country toward Tahoe. Its August 2026 median was $690,000 (C.A.R.).
- Yolo County takes in West Sacramento across the river from downtown, plus Davis, Woodland and the farm towns beyond. Its August 2026 median was $648,000 (C.A.R.).
A county median hides a lot. A Victorian in Midtown, a new single-story home in West Roseville and a ranch property outside Placerville can all sit near the same price. The comparison table below lines the counties up against the Bay Area, and each county's relocation page goes further into the towns.
How Surroundings Handles a Relocation
Surroundings works from an office on Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento. Maggie B. Hopkins is a real estate broker and mortgage broker, licensed in real estate since 2006, with 23 years in loans and real estate combined. A relocation with us starts with a consultation by phone or video, long before anyone books a flight.
In that first call we talk through where you'll spend your days, the home you want next and what you'd like to spend. We follow up with a short list of towns and price ranges. Rachel tours homes for you on live video when you can't be here, and plans your visit around the homes that made the list. The buying before you move guide walks through each step, from the buyer agreement to closing from a distance.
Many people relocating here are also selling a home somewhere else. We map the sale and the purchase as one plan, so the dates, the money and the moving truck line up. If the home you're leaving is in California, the property tax and Prop 19 guide explains a rule worth knowing before you list.
Financing is part of the same conversation. As a mortgage broker, Maggie shops your loan across a network of approved lenders, so you compare real options instead of one bank's offer. Get a quote from Maggie at (916) 549-3131 and compare it against anyone. You can try a few prices first on the mortgage calculator.
Plan Your Move With the Sacramento Relocation Guide
The guides in this Sacramento relocation guide go deeper on the questions that come up in nearly every relocation call. Read the ones that fit your situation, then talk with Maggie about your own plan.
By where you're moving from
- Moving from the Bay Area to Sacramento, with prices side by side and the routes back.
- Moving from San Francisco, including the bus and BART link from the train.
- Moving from San Jose and Silicon Valley, the largest Bay Area source on net.
- Moving from the East Bay, from Oakland to eastern Contra Costa.
- Moving from Los Angeles and Southern California, county by county.
- Moving from Nevada, the top out-of-state source.
By the question you're asking
- Cost of living vs the Bay Area, with dated sources.
- Best places for a Bay Area commute, by train and freeway.
- Buying a home before you move: tours, the loan, the offer and closing.
- Property tax and Prop 19, for California homeowners.
- Downsizing and single-level living, for selling a long-held home.
- Culture, food and wine across the region.
- Healthcare and getting around, from hospitals to trails.
When you're ready, call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 or book a relocation consultation about the neighborhoods, the home or the loan. Our full service approach for buyers moving in is on the relocation service page.
Do you want to live here a while before you buy? Read Try Before You Buy on renting first while we show you the neighborhoods.
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 County | $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. | Moving to Sacramento County |
| 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.
Relocation guides
Each guide answers one part of the move in depth, with every number sourced and dated.
Moving from the Bay Area
See Bay Area and Sacramento prices side by side. Then plan the equity, the routes back and the sale there with the purchase here.
Read the guide →Moving from San Francisco
San Francisco's August 2026 median was more than three times Sacramento County's. See how many make the move, the train and BART route back, and how Maggie and Rachel plan it with you.
Read the guide →Moving from San Jose and Silicon Valley
Santa Clara County leads Bay Area moves to the Sacramento region. See where South Bay movers buy, what housing costs here and the train to San Jose Diridon.
Read the guide →Moving from the East Bay
Alameda County sends more people to Sacramento County than any other Bay Area county. See where East Bay movers settle, prices and three routes back.
Read the guide →Moving from Los Angeles and Southern California
Los Angeles County sends Sacramento County more people than it takes back in IRS data. See what the migration data really shows, prices county by county and the trip back south.
Read the guide →Moving from Nevada
Nevada is the top out-of-state source of newcomers to the Sacramento region. See what the data shows, the California rules that surprise movers and the route over the Sierra.
Read the guide →Cost of living vs the Bay Area
Compare Sacramento and the Bay Area with dated federal price indexes, August 2026 home prices, electric bills and California's property tax rules.
Read the guide →Best places for a Bay Area commute
Keeping a Bay Area job? See which towns sit on the Capitol Corridor and I-80, the Delta route, and what the data shows about how often newcomers still commute.
Read the guide →Buying a home before you move
See how video tours, the loan, the offer and closing work from out of town. Maggie lines up the loan. Rachel shows you the homes and neighborhoods.
Read the guide →Property tax and Prop 19
Learn how a California base-year transfer works and who the law makes eligible. The deadlines decide whether it works for you.
Read the guide →Downsizing and single-level living
Sell a long-held home and move to one level. This guide covers single-story options, 55+ communities and timing.
Read the guide →Culture, food and wine
Sacramento pairs Farm-to-Fork dining with Broadway and repertory theatre. Museums, five wine regions and golf sit close by.
Read the guide →Healthcare and getting around
Meet the region's four health systems. Then see how the airport, the trains and the river trails connect it all.
Read the guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much less do homes cost in Sacramento than in the Bay Area?
In August 2026 the C.A.R. median sold price for an existing single-family home was $549,000 in Sacramento County. San Francisco was $1,875,000 and Alameda County was $1,285,000. Medians are context, not a quote on any one home.
Which county should I look at first?
Start with how you'll spend your days. Downtown and the older neighborhoods are in Sacramento County. Placer and El Dorado counties run up into the foothills, and Yolo County holds West Sacramento and Davis. We describe the places and the homes, and the choice is yours.
Can I keep my low property tax base if I move here from elsewhere in California?
Prop 19 lets eligible homeowners transfer the taxable value of a primary residence to a replacement home anywhere in California. The law makes homeowners 55 or older or with a severe disability eligible, up to three times. The claim isn't automatic, so confirm with the county assessor and your tax professional.
How does a relocation consultation work?
It starts with a phone or video call to (916) 549-3131 about where you'll spend your days, the home you want next and your budget. We follow up with a short list of towns and price ranges, then Rachel tours homes for you on live video until you can visit.
Who does what on your relocation team?
Maggie B. Hopkins, Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, leads the brokerage and handles the loan. Rachel Dee Minyard, REALTOR® and Creative Director, is your buyer's agent: neighborhoods, video tours and your visit. Either one can list and sell the home you are leaving.
Where do most people moving to Sacramento come from?
The Bay Area is the largest source. IRS data for 2022-23 shows 12,241 people moved from the nine Bay Area counties to Sacramento County and 7,058 went the other way. Out of state, Nevada leads in Census surveys.
A calm first step: one conversation
Book a relocation consultation with our team about towns, timing and the home you're leaving. Maggie shops loan options across many lenders so you can compare, and Rachel plans the neighborhoods and tours. You're always free to bring your own lender.
Planning a move?
Tell us where you are coming from or going to, and your timing.
Sources
- California Association of REALTORS®, county sales activity (median sold price, existing single-family homes), August 2026 data.
- Redfin, Q2 2026 migration report, published September 24, 2026.
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022-2023 (address changes on tax returns), 2022-2023 filing years.
- Abridged, Sacramento region population growth (California Department of Finance, January 2026 estimates), January 2026 data.
- CapRadio, state workers protest as return-to-office order takes effect, July 1, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sacramento (rivers, City of Trees, Farm-to-Fork slogan, climate), checked October 2026.
- Sacramento County Regional Parks, Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sacramento International Airport, checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Capitol Corridor (route, length and stations), checked October 2026.
Prices are county medians for context, not a quote on any home. Facts were checked in October 2026 and change over time.
This page describes our general process and is not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Loans are arranged by Maggie B. Hopkins, NMLS #349517, at Surroundings, NMLS #2528307. All loans are subject to credit approval and underwriting, and this page is not a commitment to lend.
Relocating to Sacramento: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Surroundings?