Relocating to Sacramento · From San Francisco
Moving to Sacramento 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.
Written by Maggie B. Hopkins, Broker-Owner · Real Estate & Mortgage Broker at Surroundings. Facts checked October 2026.
How Many People Move From San Francisco to Sacramento?
San Francisco is a steady but smaller stream into the Sacramento region than the South Bay or the East Bay. IRS migration data for the 2022-23 filing years shows 1,063 people moved from San Francisco to Sacramento County, while 729 moved the other way. That is a net gain of 334 for Sacramento County. Across the four-county region of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo, 1,583 people arrived from San Francisco and 1,178 left for it, a net of 405.
The Peninsula next door sends more. The same IRS data shows 1,104 people moved from San Mateo County to Sacramento County and 550 went back. Placer County alone drew 612 people from San Mateo County that year.
These counts come from tax returns that changed address between filing years, so they describe past moves, not a forecast.
Plan My Move From San Francisco
What Does the Price Gap Look Like From San Francisco?
The gap is wide. The California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported these median sold prices for existing single-family homes in August 2026:
- San Mateo County: $2,250,000
- San Francisco: $1,875,000
- Placer County: $692,500
- El Dorado County: $690,000
- Yolo County: $648,000
- Sacramento County: $549,000
San Francisco's median was more than three times Sacramento County's that month. A median moves with the mix of homes that happen to sell, so treat it as the shape of the market and not a price on any one house.
Housing costs show the same pattern in federal data. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) publishes Regional Price Parities, where 100 is the national average. For 2024, BEA put housing costs at 194.7 in the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metro and 130.2 in the Sacramento metro. Our cost of living guide walks through the rest of the budget, from electricity to property tax.
Where Do San Francisco Movers Look Around Sacramento?
There is no single landing spot, and the migration data says so. Census survey estimates for 2022 to 2024, which Surroundings broke out by area, show Bay Area newcomers spread across the region. Davis and West Sacramento drew about 3,100 a year from the nine Bay Area counties. Natomas drew about 2,000. Downtown and Midtown drew about 1,600.
Those numbers cover the whole Bay Area, not San Francisco alone. The survey is too thin to split one county's movers by neighborhood, so we will not pretend it can.
What the numbers do show is a choice between two kinds of place. One is the grid streets, older homes and short distances of central Sacramento. The Sacramento city guide covers Midtown, East Sacramento, Land Park and Natomas. The other is more space farther out, in places like Davis or Roseville. Rachel can show you both on a video call before you choose which to tour.
How Do You Get Back to San Francisco Without a Car?
You can go by train, with a transfer. Amtrak's Capitol Corridor does not run into San Francisco itself. Capitol Corridor says riders reach downtown San Francisco on its connecting bus service, or by switching to BART at the Richmond or Oakland Coliseum stations.
Service is frequent on this end. The Capitol Corridor weekday schedule effective December 8, 2025 lists 15 westbound trains leaving Sacramento Valley Station, the first at 4:20 a.m. and the last at 9:03 p.m. Trains also stop in Davis on the way west.
By car, Interstate 80 is the main route, over the Yolo Causeway and on toward the Bay. We don't publish drive times, because traffic on I-80 changes by the hour. Our Bay Area commute guide compares the towns along the train and the freeway.
What Happens to Your San Francisco Home and Your Tax Base?
If you own in San Francisco, the sale is often the biggest number in the plan. California's property tax rules follow you statewide. The State Board of Equalization explains that Proposition 13 sets the tax rate at 1 percent plus voter-approved bonds, resets the assessed amount when a home changes hands, and limits yearly increases to no more than 2 percent between sales.
That reset matters when you buy here. Homeowners 55 or older, or with a severe disability, may be able to bring a San Francisco tax base to a Sacramento-area home under Prop 19. The Prop 19 guide covers who the law makes eligible and the two deadlines.
Maggie plans the sale and the purchase as one move. She works through the order of the two closings with you and what the numbers allow. If you need a listing agent in San Francisco, we can coordinate with yours or refer you to one.
How Does Our Team Plan a Move From San Francisco?
You get one brokerage and one plan. Maggie B. Hopkins, a Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, lines up your pre-approval by shopping your loan across a network of approved lenders. Rachel Dee Minyard, our REALTOR® and Creative Director, works with buyers and knows the neighborhoods. She walks homes for you on live video and shows you what photos leave out, from the street to the view from the back fence. Either of them can list and sell the home you are leaving. You are always free to bring your own lender.
To start the search, call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 or book a relocation consultation. Maggie handles every loan herself. Do you want the details first? Get the free Moving to Sacramento guide, read about relocating to the City of Sacramento, or run a payment on the mortgage calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much cheaper are homes in Sacramento than in San Francisco?
In August 2026 the C.A.R. median sold price for an existing single-family home was $1,875,000 in San Francisco and $549,000 in Sacramento County. Placer County was $692,500. Medians are context, not a price on any one home.
Does the Capitol Corridor train go to San Francisco?
No. Capitol Corridor riders reach downtown San Francisco on its connecting bus service or by switching to BART at Richmond or Oakland Coliseum, per Capitol Corridor.
How many people move from San Francisco to Sacramento?
IRS data for 2022-23 shows 1,063 people moved from San Francisco to Sacramento County and 729 went the other way. Across the four-county region the net gain was 405 people.
Can I keep my San Francisco property tax base?
Possibly, if you are 55 or older or have a severe disability. Prop 19 lets eligible homeowners transfer a California primary residence's tax base to a replacement home anywhere in the state. The county assessor decides each claim.
Who do I talk to first about moving from San Francisco?
Call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 about the home search, the neighborhoods or the loan. Maggie B. Hopkins handles every loan, and Rachel Dee Minyard leads the home search and the neighborhoods. Maggie or Rachel can also list and sell your San Francisco home.
Do I have to use your lender to work with your team?
No. Maggie can shop your loan across a network of approved lenders so you can compare, and you are always free to bring your own lender.
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 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 →
Sources
- IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022-2023 (address changes on tax returns), 2022-2023 filing years.
- 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward: all items and housing, 2024 data.
- 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.
- Capitol Corridor, San Francisco connections (bus and BART), checked October 2026.
- Capitol Corridor, train schedules (effective December 8, 2025), checked October 2026.
- Abridged (PBS KVIE), Yolo Causeway construction, August 12, 2026.
- California State Board of Equalization, Publication 29, California Property Tax: An Overview, 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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