Moving to Sacramento in 2026: Costs, Neighborhoods and Commutes

By Shannon Yoffie, Co-Founder, Yoffie Real Estate Group | Last updated October 13, 2026

Moving to Sacramento in 2026 makes the most sense for people who want California, a shorter commute and a home they can afford on one income. The median sale price in the city of Sacramento was $508,258 in September 2026, up 3.3% from a year earlier, according to Redfin. Homes sold in a median of 25 days at 99.9% of list price. That's a steady market where you can buy without bidding wars on every house.

It's a move we advise on all the time at Yoffie Real Estate Group. A family from San Jose or the Peninsula sells, buys in Sacramento or the foothills east of it, and keeps a sizable piece of their equity in the bank. The rest of this guide covers what that move costs, where people land and what tends to surprise them in the first year. If you'd rather talk it through with someone who has made this move with hundreds of families, talk to our team.

Is Sacramento a good place to live?

Sacramento is a good place to live for buyers who want lower home prices than the Bay Area, a 25-minute average commute and fast access to Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley. The trade-offs are hot, dry summers and a smaller big-city job market outside of government and health care.

Sacramento is home to 536,449 people (U.S. Census, July 2025 estimate), and the median household income in the city is $87,321 (Census American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). It's the state capital, so the economy leans on the State of California, along with large health systems like UC Davis Health, Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente.

Day to day, life here is built around the outdoors. The American River Parkway follows the river for 23 miles, from Discovery Park near downtown out toward Folsom. Downtown has Golden 1 Center for Kings games and concerts, and Midtown is where most of the restaurants and patio dining are. Lake Tahoe is about two hours east, and the Napa Valley is about an hour west.

What does a home cost in Sacramento compared with the Bay Area?

A home in the city of Sacramento costs about one-third of a San Francisco home at the median. Here's how the numbers line up on the most recent data available.

The El Dorado Hills figure is an average sold price, which usually reads a little higher than a median.

Sell a home at the San Francisco County median and buy at the Sacramento city median, and the difference is about $1.15 million before costs. Even a move to El Dorado Hills, where the average sold price is $1,140,434, frees up roughly $520,000 against that same San Francisco sale.

That gap is why the Bay Area keeps showing up in the search data. San Francisco had the largest net inflow of homebuyers searching to move to Sacramento from April to June 2026, at 5,639, far ahead of Los Angeles at 816, according to Redfin. Redfin's figure measures home searches, so it's a signal of intent, and it matches the Bay Area relocations we advise on in Folsom and El Dorado Hills.

Where do people moving to Sacramento usually buy?

Most people moving to Sacramento pick between three kinds of places: older neighborhoods close to downtown, newer suburbs along the freeways, and the foothill communities east of the city on Highway 50. Each one trades price against lot size, home age and drive time differently.

Close-in neighborhoods like Midtown, East Sacramento and Land Park put you near downtown jobs and the river, mostly in homes built before 1960 on smaller lots. Natomas, north of downtown, has newer homes and the shortest drive to Sacramento International Airport.

Folsom and El Dorado Hills sit 20 to 30 miles east on Highway 50. Both are newer, built-out communities with larger homes, and Folsom Lake is the backyard for both. In El Dorado Hills, the busiest price band right now is $750,000 to $1 million, with 67 sales in the last 3 months at 99.0% of list price, according to Yoffie Real Estate Group's October 2026 AreaPro analysis. Neighborhoods like Serrano and Blackstone sit higher in the price range. Our El Dorado Hills village map and neighborhood guide breaks the town down village by village, and our guide to El Dorado Hills home prices in 2026 shows what each budget buys.

For schools, the region has several districts, including Sacramento City Unified, San Juan Unified, Elk Grove Unified and Folsom Cordova Unified. Check the California School Dashboard for the specific schools assigned to any address you're considering.

How long is the commute from Sacramento?

The average one-way commute for Sacramento residents is 25.3 minutes, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey (2020 to 2024). Most local commutes run on Interstate 5, Interstate 80, Business 80 and Highway 50.

A daily commute to the Bay Area is a different story. San Francisco is about 90 miles west on Interstate 80, and traffic through Vallejo and the Carquinez Bridge can stretch that drive well past two hours. A Bay Area job works best on a hybrid schedule with one or two office days a week. Many hybrid commuters take the Capitol Corridor train, which runs from Sacramento to Oakland and San Jose with Wi-Fi on board, so the ride can count as work time.

The families who love living in Sacramento are the ones who planned the commute before they picked the house.

What surprises people after they move here?

Three costs catch newcomers off guard more than anything else, and each one belongs in the budget from day one.

Summer heat comes first. July highs in Sacramento average in the low 90s, and stretches of 100-degree days are normal. Most evenings cool off when the Delta breeze comes in from the west, but your air conditioning bill will be higher than anything you paid on the coast.

Property taxes come second. California's base rate is 1% of your purchase price, plus local bonds and assessments. Many newer communities, including parts of Folsom, Natomas and El Dorado Hills, also carry a Mello-Roos special tax. Ask for the exact tax bill on any home before you write an offer, since two homes at the same price can differ by thousands of dollars a year.

Home insurance comes third, especially in the foothills. Wildfire risk has pushed some carriers out of the region and raised premiums for others. We wrote a full breakdown in what foothills homeowners need to know about home insurance in 2026. Get a quote before your inspection contingency ends.

If you're coming from the Bay Area, our data on moving to El Dorado Hills from the Bay Area walks through the same math for the foothills.

Sacramento gives you more house for the money and more of your week back. The families who are happiest here did the homework first. They knew their tax bill, priced their insurance and chose a neighborhood that matched how they'd spend their week.

Frequently asked questions about moving to Sacramento

Is Sacramento a good place to live in 2026?

Sacramento is a good place to live for buyers who want lower home prices than the Bay Area and a short commute. The city's median sale price was $508,258 in September 2026, according to Redfin, and the average commute is 25.3 minutes, according to the U.S. Census. The trade-offs are hot summers and a job base centered on state government and health care.

How much cheaper is Sacramento than the Bay Area?

Sacramento homes cost about one-third as much as San Francisco homes at the median. Redfin reported a median sale price of $508,258 for the city of Sacramento in September 2026, compared with $1,661,282 for San Francisco County over the three months ending September 2026. Santa Clara County's median single-family price was $1,850,000 in August 2026, according to SCCAOR.

Can you live in Sacramento and commute to the Bay Area?

You can live in Sacramento and commute to the Bay Area, but it works best one or two days a week. San Francisco is about 90 miles west on Interstate 80, and peak-hour drives can run past two hours. Many hybrid workers ride the Capitol Corridor train, which connects Sacramento with Oakland and San Jose.

Where do Bay Area buyers usually move in the Sacramento area?

Bay Area buyers moving to the Sacramento area usually choose between close-in city neighborhoods like Midtown, East Sacramento and Land Park, and newer suburbs east on Highway 50 like Folsom and El Dorado Hills. City neighborhoods offer older homes near downtown. Folsom and El Dorado Hills offer larger, newer homes with access to Folsom Lake.

How hot does Sacramento get in the summer?

Sacramento's July high temperatures average in the low 90s, and runs of 100-degree days happen most summers. Humidity is low, and evenings usually cool off when the Delta breeze arrives from the west. Plan for higher summer electric bills than in coastal California.

What costs do people moving to Sacramento overlook?

People moving to Sacramento most often overlook property tax add-ons, Mello-Roos special taxes and home insurance. California's base property tax is 1% of the purchase price plus local assessments, and many newer communities in Folsom, Natomas and El Dorado Hills carry Mello-Roos. Foothill homes can also face higher insurance premiums because of wildfire risk, so get quotes early in escrow.

Sources and methodology

Sacramento city and county prices, days on market and buyer search migration: Redfin Data Center, data through August and September 2026. San Francisco County median: Redfin, three months ending September 2026. Santa Clara County median: Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS, August 2026. El Dorado Hills figures: AreaPro (REMO) market overview prepared by Jon Yoffie, Yoffie Real Estate Group, trailing 3 months ending October 1, 2026. Population, income and commute: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, V2025 estimates and 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey. Climate: NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Sacramento.