Sacramento doesn’t always get the credit it deserves. Overshadowed by the Bay Area to the west and Los Angeles to the south, California’s capital city often flies under the radar, but for our little family, it’s been everything we could have hoped for and more. After years of calling Sacramento home, raising our daughter here, and watching our neighborhood come alive around us, I can say with full confidence: this city is a hidden gem for families looking to put down roots in California.

If you’re considering relocating here, whether you’re moving from somewhere else in California or from out of state entirely, I want to share everything I’ve learned along the way. This is the guide I wish I’d had.

Why Sacramento Is Having Its Moment

Let’s start with the big picture. Sacramento has quietly transformed into one of the most desirable mid-sized cities in the country, and a lot of that has to do with the families and young professionals who’ve been discovering what locals already knew. The cost of living is dramatically more reasonable than the Bay Area (just 90 minutes away), the food scene is genuinely outstanding thanks to the farm-to-fork movement, and the outdoor access is almost unfair. The Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe are less than two hours from your front door.

For our family, what sealed the deal was the sense of community. Sacramento has this wonderful mix of longtime residents who are deeply proud of the city and newcomers who bring fresh energy. It feels like a place that’s growing, but hasn’t lost its soul.

Finding Your Neighborhood (This Is Everything)

One of the first things I tell anyone considering a move here is that Sacramento is a city of distinct neighborhoods, and choosing the right one for your family will make all the difference. We landed in a neighborhood with older craftsman and Tudor-style homes with real character and history, and falling in love with our 1940s fixer-upper was honestly what made Sacramento feel like home to us.

Before we found our place, I spent a lot of time browsing homes for sale in Sacramento on Movoto. What I appreciated about using Movoto was how easy it was to get a real sense of different neighborhoods. The search filters, neighborhood data, and listing details helped me narrow down exactly what we were looking for without spending hours driving around blind. It was especially helpful for comparing school districts alongside home prices, which as a mom was absolutely top of mind.

Here’s a quick breakdown of neighborhoods that families tend to love:

Land Park is one of Sacramento’s most beloved family neighborhoods: tree-lined streets, Tudor and craftsman homes, William Land Park with a free zoo, and a genuine small-town feel right in the middle of the city.
East Sacramento (also called East Sac) has beautiful older homes, walkable streets, and some of the best coffee shops and local restaurants in the city. If you love a neighborhood where you can stroll to brunch on a Sunday morning, this is it.
Midtown is for the family that wants a more urban feel, walkable, artsy, and full of life. It’s evolved a lot and is a wonderful place if you want to be close to everything.
Natomas and Elk Grove tend to offer newer construction, more square footage for the dollar, and are popular with families who prioritize newer schools and suburban amenities.

My honest advice: don’t rush this part. Drive the neighborhoods at different times of day, walk the streets, visit the nearby parks, and imagine your daily life there. The right neighborhood will feel like you.

The Climate Is Real — Prepare Accordingly

I want to give you an honest heads up about the Sacramento summers, because nobody warned me and I was not prepared. It gets hot. Triple-digit temperatures in July and August are not uncommon, and when you’re chasing a toddler around, that matters.

The flip side? Spring and fall here are absolutely magical. The trees are stunning, the temperatures are perfect, and it’s the kind of weather that makes you want to be outside every single day. Winters are mild and occasionally rainy, nothing dramatic, just cozy sweater weather. If you’re coming from somewhere with harsh winters, you will feel like you’ve discovered the secret to life.

For families with kids, I’d strongly suggest looking into homes with a pool or proximity to splash pads and community pools. They are genuinely necessary in summer, not just a luxury.

Schools and Family Resources

Sacramento has a mix of public, charter, and private school options, and doing your homework here is worth the time. The Sacramento City Unified School District serves the city proper, but many of the surrounding districts in Elk Grove, Folsom-Cordova, and Natomas consistently receive high marks and are worth considering when choosing your neighborhood.

Beyond schools, what I love about raising a family here is the abundance of enrichment options. There are incredible children’s museums, nature reserves, parks programs, and community events throughout the year. The Sacramento Zoo in Land Park is free with membership and endlessly entertaining for little ones. Discovery Park and the Sacramento River Parkway are gorgeous for outdoor family time.

For bilingual families, or families who want to raise bilingual children, Sacramento is a wonderful place to be. The city has a rich Spanish-speaking community and many dual-language immersion programs in local schools.

The Food Scene Is a Serious Perk

I say this as someone who considers herself a food person: Sacramento’s restaurant and farmers market scene is legitimately world-class. The farm-to-fork culture here isn’t marketing, it’s real. The Central Valley surrounding Sacramento produces a huge percentage of the country’s fruits and vegetables, and local chefs and home cooks alike take full advantage of that.

The Saturday morning farmers market at Cesar Chavez Plaza downtown is a non-negotiable weekend ritual for us. Fresh produce, local honey, artisan bread, flowers, it’s wonderful for kids and adults alike.

Getting Around the City

This is worth planning for before you move. Sacramento is generally a car-dependent city, though it does have a light rail system (the Sacramento Regional Transit) that’s useful for commuting to certain areas. If you’ll be commuting to the Bay Area for work, know that the drive on I-80 can be brutal during peak hours. Many families in this situation opt for a hybrid remote schedule or look into the Capitol Corridor Amtrak train, which is genuinely a pleasant way to make that trip.

Within the city itself, many neighborhoods are bike-friendly and have good walkability scores. We bike to our local coffee shop and nearby park regularly, which is one of those simple joys of Sacramento life I didn’t anticipate loving as much as I do.

A Few Final Thoughts from One Mom to Another

Moving anywhere with a family is a leap of faith. There’s so much to consider: school districts, neighborhood safety, proximity to parks, the kind of community you want your kids growing up in. Sacramento checked every box for us, and more than that, it surprised us in the best ways.

The art scene, the murals (there are so many gorgeous murals here), the food, the farmers markets, the weekend drives to Tahoe or the Bay. It’s a life we genuinely love, and it’s a city that feels big enough to explore endlessly but small enough to feel like home. If you’re starting to search for what’s out there, browsing Sacramento real estate listings is a great first step to getting a feel for what different neighborhoods and price points

look like right now. And when you’re ready to make the move, welcome. You’re going to love it here.