Living in Sacramento, CA: Everything to Know Before You Move

Did you know that even though California lost 182,000 residents in 2021, the Sacramento region continued to grow? There are many reasons why living in Sacramento is becoming the right choice for many Americans.

Are you also thinking about moving to Sacramento and wondering what life there is like? Well, we’ve got you covered. The article below has everything you’ll need to know about living in Sacramento, so let’s get started. 

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Weather in Sacramento

Yes, the summer in Northern California can get pretty hot. But, after living in cold weather conditions, you might actually be looking forward to this heat.

Also, the winters in Sacramento are wet, cloudy, and quite short. 

Another fact to keep in mind about Sacramento is that it’s lauded as the “City of Trees” for a good reason. It has a lot of tree coverage throughout its urban areas, and this shade can reduce urban ground temperatures by as much as 36 degrees! 

If you’re looking for average temperature data, you can find a month-by-month breakdown below (in Fahrenheit).

  • January – High 58, Low 39 
  • February – High 62, Low 41
  • March – High 67, Low 45
  • April – High 73, Low 48
  • May – High 88, Low 57
  • June – High 89, Low 57
  • July – High 93, Low 60
  • August – High 91, Low 59
  • September – High 88, Low 57
  • October – High 79, Low 51
  • November – High 65, Low 43
  • December – High 58, Low 38

It looks like you’ll need to have a wide range of clothing options available, from jackets, scarves, and rain boots in the winter to summer dresses, hats, and coverups in the summer.

Don’t forget to use lots of UV protection and reapply it constantly, as the sun in Sacramento is quite harsh. Don’t be fooled by those cloudy days, either.

Also, you’ll need to own a proper rain jacket, rain boots, and umbrella for all those rainy days in the winter. If you carry a lot of electronics around, make sure you have a waterproof purse or bag to keep them protected.

Transportation in Sacramento

The main thing to know about Sacramento is that it’s a bike-friendly city. If you have a city bike and would like to use it to commute, you can use the many bike lanes available on various streets in Sacramento (here’s a link to the bike maps). Also, in case you don’t wish to bring your bike everywhere, the city has a bike-sharing program called JUMP.

Despite common misconceptions, Sacramento is also a walkable city. You can’t walk everywhere, but there are definitely spots in Old Sacramento or the Riverfront that are accessible solely by walking. With the traffic, it’s sometimes easier to park someplace and walk around downtown Sacramento than it is to drive everywhere. 

Sacramento also has a light rail system with three lines that run as follows:

  • Blue Line – runs north and south through downtown Sacramento
  • Gold Line – runs from downtown to East Sacramento to Rancho Cordova and Folsom
  • Green Line – runs from downtown Sacramento to the River District

It’s only $2.75 for a single ticket and $7 for a day pass. 

Biggest Employers in Sacramento

Despite the rumors, Sacramento isn’t just a government town. It has a wide variety of key industries, which is why its economy is thriving. it has:

  • Agribusiness
  • Manufacturing
  • Entertainment
  • Clean energy
  • Technology
  • Health care

If you’re moving to Sacramento because you wish to get a higher-paying job or improve your quality of life, then that’s definitely possible. Some of the biggest employers in Sacramento (private) are:

  • Kaiser Permanente Health care 16,969 employees
  • Sutter Health Health care 12,138 employees
  • Dignity Health Health care 7,000 employees
  • Intel Semiconductors 6,000 employees
  • Raley’s Corp Retail grocery 5,528 employees

Even if you’re not interested in joining a private company, the housing market in Sacramento is so robust that you could consider getting a real estate license and helping people fulfill their housing needs. There are already 8,779 active real estate agents in Sacramento, with new ones being minted every year.

Fun Things to Do in Sacramento

There are also tons of fun activities to partake in when you’re living in Sacramento. There’s something for everyone. 

Let’s look at some of the coolest ones here:

  • Sacramento Indoor Skydiving Experience – for novices to experience a simulated free fall
  • Sacramento Historic River Cruise – both day and night cruises are available 
  • Downtown Historical Sacramento Food Tour – for the foodie in you
  • Midtown Sacramento Arts Tour – for the cultural side of you
  • California State Railroad Museum – for all those railroad buffs
  • American River Bicycle Trail – 30-plus miles of bicycle trails along the river
  • Sacramento Zoo – your little ones will love this expedition with 140 different species
  • Sacramento Scavenger Hunt Adventure – if you love solving mysteries 
  • Street Art Walking Tour in Sacramento – for art lovers and city lovers alike

As you can see, your weekends will be jam-packed with lots of fun activities if you end up living in Sacramento. Also, once you’re settled in, there will be lots of fun restaurants to try, hiking trails to explore, and museums to visit. 

The School System Is Highly Rated

Sacramento boasts 73 schools with 42,232 students, and there’s a reason why it’s the 11th biggest school district in California. 

The greatest advantage your child will have in the Sacramento school system is that it’s highly diverse, with only 17.5% of the student population being white. The rest of the students are Black (13.4%), Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander (18.6%), and Hispanic/Latino (40.6%). Many students are multiracial or biracial as well.

Given that globalization and multiculturalism are the way of the future, Sacramentos future is promising.

Also, 98.6% of the teachers in the Sacramento schools are certified, and 80% of them have more than three years of experience. The high school graduation rate in Sacramento is also quite high, at 85.8%. 

All of this to say, if you are worried about the kind of education your little one will end up getting at a school in Sacramento, you have nothing to fear. They will be in good hands.

We’ll leave you with a list of the top schools in Sacramento so you know which areas you should settle down in:

  • West Campus High School
  • Granite Bay High School
  • Western Sierra Collegiate Academy
  • Davis Senior High School
  • Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep
  • North Tahoe High School
  • Pleasant Grove High School
  • Vista Del Lago High School

Also, here are some academic programs that the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) offers:

  • Early Learning and Care Programs
  • Transitional Kindergarten
  • Child Care
  • College and Career Readiness
  • Gifted and Talented Education (GATE)
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs
  • Multilingual Literacy (English Language Learners) English Language Learners
  • Project Green

Other Things to Know About Living in Sacramento

That’s not all. There’s so much more to know about living in Sacramento, and we’d be here for a long while if we outlined everything. 

Here are some minor items we must point out:

Sacramento is known for being a highly eco-friendly city. So, if you care about being environmentally friendly, you’ll fit right in. Sacramento is involved in developing clean fuel sources and spends millions of dollars on clean and green energy projects.

If you’re a theater fan, you’ll want to go to the Shakespeare Summer Festival, which is one of the most popular festivals in Sacramento. 

Blue Diamond’s headquarters are in Sacramento, meaning millions of pounds of almonds arrive at their factories every single day! Almond lovers, rejoice.

Two rivers run through Sacramento: the American River and the Sacramento River. So, if you like boating, kayaking, rafting, or any other water activity, you’re in luck. 

The Sacramento Jazz Festival takes place every Memorial Day and has been going on for 40 years. 

Sacramento was built during the Gold Rush, and it’s the sixth biggest city in California and the capital for this reason alone. 

Chando’s Tacos is a must-try. They’re fresh and only $2, and they’ll blow your mind. You’ll never go back to Taco Bell. 

Life in Sacramento Sounds Divine

Sacramento has lots of nicknames, such as Almond Capital, Farm to Fork Capital, and City of Trees. But most locals just use the easy nicknames: Sactown, Sacto, or Sac. 

You can see that life in Sacramento is wonderful and enticing. Who wouldn’t want to move to here?

If you’re considering living in Sacramento, check out all the luxury rental apartments we have on our website. Once you stay in a Trion community, you won’t want to live anywhere else again.

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