Relocating to Sacramento · From the East Bay
Moving to Sacramento 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.
Written by Maggie B. Hopkins, Broker-Owner · Real Estate & Mortgage Broker at Surroundings. Facts checked October 2026.
How Many People Move From the East Bay to Sacramento?
Alameda County sends more people to Sacramento County than any other Bay Area county. IRS migration data for the 2022-23 filing years shows 2,736 people moved from Alameda County to Sacramento County and 1,527 went the other way, a net gain of 1,209.
Contra Costa County is close behind. That year 1,960 people moved from Contra Costa to Sacramento County and 1,066 moved back, a net of 894. Across the four-county region of Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo, the net gain was 2,250 people from Alameda County and 1,755 from Contra Costa.
Plan My Move From the East Bay
Where Do East Bay Movers Settle?
The East Bay feeds every county we serve, and the two East Bay counties lean different ways.
- Placer County drew 1,038 people from Alameda County and 818 from Contra Costa in 2022-23 (IRS). In the 2016-2020 Census county flows, Placer gained a net of about 1,147 people a year from Alameda.
- El Dorado County drew 396 from Contra Costa and 341 from Alameda (IRS 2022-23). The 2016-2020 Census flows show El Dorado gaining a net of about 938 people a year from Contra Costa.
- Yolo County drew 364 people from Alameda County (IRS 2022-23).
Over time the flow has shifted but held. In the 2016-2020 Census flows, Alameda County sent about 4,110 people a year into Sacramento County, the largest Bay Area stream into the county in that survey, and Contra Costa sent about 3,183.
Census survey estimates for 2022 to 2024 also show Bay Area newcomers in Elk Grove, about 1,100 a year in the west half and about 1,500 in the east half, though the east figure is rough. Those cover all nine Bay Area counties.
Start with the city guides for El Dorado Hills, Roseville and Elk Grove, then read about relocating to El Dorado County.
What Do East Bay Prices Buy Here?
C.A.R. reported these August 2026 median sold prices for existing single-family homes:
- Alameda County: $1,285,000
- Contra Costa County: $875,000
- Placer County: $692,500
- El Dorado County: $690,000
- Yolo County: $648,000
- Sacramento County: $549,000
From Alameda County, the drop to any of our four counties is large. From Contra Costa it is smaller: $185,000 between the Contra Costa and El Dorado medians, and $326,000 to Sacramento County. That makes the question less about saving and more about what you want the same budget to buy, such as a newer home, a single-story layout or more land.
Medians shift with the mix of homes that sell in a month. For a real number on a specific home you're leaving, Maggie or Rachel can walk through it with you before you list.
What Are the Routes Back to the East Bay?
There are three, and each suits a different trip.
The train. Capitol Corridor's East Bay stops are Martinez, Richmond, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland Jack London, Oakland Coliseum, Hayward and Fremont-Centerville, per its station list. The weekday schedule effective December 8, 2025 lists 15 westbound trains from Sacramento. Amtrak's California Zephyr adds one train a day each way, stopping at Martinez, Richmond and Emeryville.
Interstate 80. The main road west crosses the Yolo Causeway, where Caltrans has been adding one new lane in each direction, a tolled express lane that carpools and buses also use, as Abridged reported in August 2026.
Highway 160 through the Delta. State Route 160 starts at Highway 4 in Antioch, crosses the San Joaquin River on the Antioch Bridge, which is tolled northbound only, and follows the Sacramento River into Sacramento. For eastern Contra Costa, it is the river road between the two regions.
What Should East Bay Sellers Plan For?
Most East Bay owners moving here are running two transactions at once. Sell first and you may rent for a few months. Buy first and you may carry two payments. Some line up both closings close together. Maggie maps each path with your real numbers before anything is listed, and she or Rachel can list the home when you are ready.
Your tax base is part of that plan. The State Board of Equalization explains that California resets a home's assessed amount when it changes hands, then limits yearly increases to 2 percent. Homeowners 55 or older, or with a severe disability, may be able to bring an East Bay tax base here under Prop 19. Read the Prop 19 guide before you list.
How Does Our Team Plan a Move From the East Bay?
Maggie B. Hopkins, a Mortgage and Real Estate Broker, gets your financing ready and plans the sale side with you. Rachel Dee Minyard, our REALTOR® and Creative Director, is your buyer's agent here. She shows you the neighborhoods, tours homes on live video when you can't make the drive, and builds your visit around the short list. Either of them can list the home you are leaving. Call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 about homes, neighborhoods or the loan.
Book a relocation consultation, get the free Moving to Sacramento guide, read about relocating to Sacramento County, or try the mortgage calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Bay Area county sends the most people to Sacramento County?
Alameda County sends the most. IRS data for 2022-23 shows 2,736 people moved from Alameda County to Sacramento County, slightly more than the 2,723 from Santa Clara County.
How do Contra Costa and Sacramento home prices compare?
In August 2026 the C.A.R. median sold price for an existing single-family home was $875,000 in Contra Costa County and $549,000 in Sacramento County. El Dorado County was $690,000.
Can I take the train from Sacramento to Oakland?
Yes. Capitol Corridor stops at Oakland Jack London and Oakland Coliseum, along with Martinez, Richmond, Berkeley and Emeryville. Its weekday schedule effective December 8, 2025 lists 15 westbound trains from Sacramento.
Is there a route to Sacramento that avoids Interstate 80?
State Route 160 runs from Antioch over the Antioch Bridge and along the Sacramento River into Sacramento. The bridge is tolled northbound only.
Where do East Bay movers settle around Sacramento?
They settle in all four counties. In 2022-23 IRS data, Placer County drew 1,038 people from Alameda County and 818 from Contra Costa, and El Dorado County drew 396 from Contra Costa.
Who should I call first?
Call or text Maggie at (916) 549-3131 about the home search, the neighborhoods or your loan. Maggie also handles the sale of your East Bay home.
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 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.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County-to-County Migration Flows: 2016-2020 ACS, 2016-2020 survey.
- 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.
- California Association of REALTORS®, August 2026 home sales and price report (released September 16, 2026), August 2026 data.
- Capitol Corridor, stations, checked October 2026.
- Capitol Corridor, train schedules (effective December 8, 2025), checked October 2026.
- Wikipedia, California Zephyr (stations and frequency), checked October 2026.
- Abridged (PBS KVIE), Yolo Causeway construction, August 12, 2026.
- Wikipedia, California State Route 160, checked October 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.
Relocating to Sacramento: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Surroundings?