Relocating to Sacramento · From Southern California
Moving to Sacramento 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.
Written by Maggie B. Hopkins, Broker-Owner · Real Estate & Mortgage Broker at Surroundings. Facts checked October 2026.
How Many People Move From Los Angeles to Sacramento?
The answer depends on which count you use, and the difference is worth knowing. IRS migration data, which tracks address changes on tax returns, shows 1,843 people moved from Los Angeles County to Sacramento County in the 2022-23 filing years. Another 1,567 moved the other way, a net gain of 276. Across the four-county region the net was 553.
Census surveys show a much bigger flow. Census microdata for 2022 to 2024 puts Los Angeles County at about 8,180 people a year moving into our four counties. The surveys count everyone, including students moving into dorms and people moved into prisons, which inflates the Los Angeles flow into Sacramento and Yolo counties. For people buying or renting homes, the tax data is the steadier guide.
Plan My Move From Southern California
What About Orange County, San Diego and the Inland Empire?
The rest of Southern California is closer to an even trade. In the 2022-23 IRS data, 679 people moved from Orange County to Sacramento County and 694 went the other way. San Diego County sent 931 and took back 1,169, so more people left Sacramento County for San Diego than came from it.
Ventura County is a clearer source over the longer run. The 2016-2020 Census county flows show the four-county region gaining a net of about 1,094 people a year from Ventura County.
How Do Southern California Prices Compare?
C.A.R. reported these August 2026 median sold prices for existing single-family homes:
- Orange County: $1,452,500
- San Diego County: $1,090,000
- Los Angeles County: $946,950
- Ventura County: $925,000
- Placer County: $692,500
- Riverside County: $632,990
- Sacramento County: $549,000
- San Bernardino County: $522,370
From the coast, the gap is large. Los Angeles County's median was about $398,000 above Sacramento County's that month, and Orange County's median was more than double Placer County's. From the Inland Empire it is a different story: Riverside's median sat below Placer's, and San Bernardino's sat below Sacramento County's. If you are coming from Riverside or San Bernardino, the move is about the place, not a lower price.
Across all spending, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024 put the Los Angeles metro at 113.6 and the Sacramento metro at 106.7, where 100 is the national average.
What Is Different About Daily Life Up Here?
The weather is the first thing Southern California movers notice. Sacramento has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with long, hot, dry summers that cool down sharply at night. A sea breeze through the Delta, called the delta breeze, sometimes takes the edge off summer heat. Average yearly rain is about 18 inches.
The rivers are the second. Sacramento sits where the Sacramento and American rivers meet, and the paved Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail runs about 32 miles along the American River to Folsom Lake, per Sacramento County Regional Parks.
The region is spread across four counties, each with its own trade-offs. The Sacramento city guide covers the central neighborhoods. The guides for Elk Grove, Roseville and Davis, home of UC Davis and a Capitol Corridor stop, go further.
How Do You Get Back to Southern California?
Most trips south are by air or by car. Sacramento International Airport sits about 10.5 miles northwest of downtown and handled about 13.9 million passengers in 2025. Routes change, so check the airport's nonstop map for current Southern California flights.
There is also a rail option. Amtrak's Gold Runner, renamed from the San Joaquins in November 2025, runs two daily round trips from Sacramento Valley Station south through the Central Valley to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield, Amtrak Thruway buses connect to Los Angeles Union Station.
How Does Our Team Plan a Move From Southern California?
A move from Southern California is hard to run on weekend trips. Maggie B. Hopkins, a Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, handles your pre-approval and, if you own in Southern California, plans the sale and the Prop 19 question with you. Rachel Dee Minyard, our REALTOR® and Creative Director, does the walking for you. She knows the neighborhoods, tours homes on live video and narrows the list before you book a flight. Read the Prop 19 guide if you are 55 or older.
Call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 to start the search, the loan or your Southern California sale, or book a relocation consultation. Get the free Moving to Sacramento guide, read about relocating to Yolo County, or run numbers on the mortgage calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sacramento cheaper than Los Angeles?
For homes, yes. In August 2026 the C.A.R. median sold price for an existing single-family home was $946,950 in Los Angeles County and $549,000 in Sacramento County. BEA's 2024 price index was 113.6 for the Los Angeles metro and 106.7 for Sacramento.
How many people move from Los Angeles to Sacramento?
IRS data for 2022-23 shows 1,843 people moved from Los Angeles County to Sacramento County and 1,567 went the other way. Census surveys show a larger flow, but they include moves into dorms and prisons.
Is Sacramento cheaper than the Inland Empire?
No, not always. In August 2026 Riverside County's median was $632,990 and San Bernardino County's was $522,370, against $549,000 in Sacramento County and $692,500 in Placer County.
Can I take a train from Sacramento to Los Angeles?
You can go part of the way by train. Amtrak's Gold Runner runs two daily round trips from Sacramento to Bakersfield, and Amtrak Thruway buses connect Bakersfield to Los Angeles Union Station.
How hot does Sacramento get?
Summers are long, hot and dry, and nights cool down sharply. The delta breeze off the Delta sometimes moderates the heat. July's daily average temperature is about 75.9°F.
Who should I talk to about a move from Southern California?
Call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 about the loan, the home search and video tours, or selling your current home. Rachel Dee Minyard leads the home search and video tours.
More relocation guides
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 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 →
Sources
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022-2023 (address changes on tax returns), 2022-2023 filing years.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample, 2022, 2023 and 2024 one-year files, with Surroundings calculations by area, 2022-2024 survey.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County-to-County Migration Flows: 2016-2020 ACS, 2016-2020 survey.
- California Association of REALTORS®, August 2026 home sales and price report (released September 16, 2026), August 2026 data.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024 data.
- FRED (BEA data), Regional Price Parities for Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade: all items and housing, 2024 data.
- FRED (BEA data), Regional Price Parities for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim: all items, 2024 data.
- 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, Davis (Amtrak station and Unitrans buses), checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sacramento International Airport, checked October 2026.
- Sacramento International Airport, nonstop destinations map, checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Gold Runner (formerly the San Joaquins), checked October 2026.
- California State Board of Equalization, Proposition 19, checked October 2026.
Prices are medians for context, not a valuation of any home. Migration counts come from IRS and Census data for the periods named and describe past moves, not a forecast. Train schedules and road projects change; check the operator before you travel.
This page describes our general process and is not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Maggie B. Hopkins is a Mortgage and Real Estate Broker (CA DRE Broker #01750680, NMLS #349517). Rachel Dee Minyard is a REALTOR® (CA DRE #02213398).
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.
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