Sacramento County · California · West · 529k residents
Sacramento, CA: cost of living, taxes & quality of life
Residential facts for Sacramento: housing, taxes, monthly costs, climate, schools, and household income, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
The median home value in Sacramento is $500,000, 29% below the California median. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,050/mo. Day-to-day costs index at 116 against a national baseline of 100. The median household here earns $78,000 a year.
What the numbers show
Source-confirmed findingsLimited coverage: This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
This profile does not yet have enough source-confirmed local data for a city brief.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates(2024 ACS 5-year; tables B01003, B15003, B19013, B25077). Geography: Census place where available. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
WhereToHQ calculates the comparisons. Figures are estimates for context, not a guarantee or personal financial advice. Read the methodology or send a correction.
What makes this place distinctive
A factual snapshot of the place, based on the profile data. It is not a tourism or cultural claim.
A riverfront capital where farm-to-fork food culture meets California government and Gold Rush history.
Known for: State government, the Gold Rush, farm-to-fork dining, rivers, and neighborhood districts.
Calendar note: Farm-to-Fork Festival and the California State Fair anchor the calendar.
Story source: Visit Sacramento
- Scale: A large city with a quarter-million or more residents in the profile data.
- Setting: The profile places Sacramento about 23 miles from the nearest tracked lake.
- Climate signal: The profile records 269 sunny days and 0 inches of annual snow.
- Daily pace: The profile records a walk score of 48 and an average commute of 27 minutes.
WhereToHQ derives these signals from the committed city dataset. Read the methodology for coverage and source limits.
Compare Sacramento side by side
Cost of living index
116
Median home value
$500,000
2-bedroom rent
$2,050/mo
Median household income
$78,000
Housing momentum
How fast Sacramento's housing market is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
28/100
Cooling
Ranks Sacramento's home-price and rent growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. Not investment or relocation advice.
Adjusted by Sacramento's cost-of-living index versus the US average.
| Median home value | $500,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $330 |
| Property tax rate | 0.8% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,650/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,050/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.75% |
| Cost of living index | 116 |
| Groceries index | 106 |
| Utilities | $200/mo |
| Transit pass | $110/mo |
| Gas price | $4.50/gal |
| Healthcare index | 104 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $78,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% |
| Population | 529k |
| Crime index | 50/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 48/100 |
| Disaster risk | 98/100 |
| Avg. commute | 27 min |
| Sunny days / year | 269 days |
| July high | 94°F |
| January low | 41°F |
| Annual snowfall | 0 in |
| Home price YoY | -2.1% |
| Home price MoM | -0.2% |
| Rent YoY | +1.5% |
| Rent MoM | +0.1% |
| Ocean coast | 78 mi |
| Big lake | 23 mi |
| Mountains | 53 mi |
| Major airport | 10 mi |
| Ski resort | 77 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- West Sacramento, CA · 55k
- Arden-Arcade, CA · 95k
- Florin, CA · 50k
- Carmichael, CA · 77k
- North Highlands, CA · 48k
Similar size
- Fresno, CA · 546k
- Long Beach, CA · 456k
- Oakland, CA · 439k
- Bakersfield, CA · 412k
- Anaheim, CA · 345k
Real listings in Sacramento
Homes on Zillow ↗Realtor.com ↗Rentals on Zillow ↗Apartments.com ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- What is the cost of living in Sacramento, CA?
- Sacramento indexes at 116 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,050/mo and a median home value of $500,000.
- How much does a house cost in Sacramento?
- The median home value in Sacramento is $500,000, 29% below the California median (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Sacramento?
- A two-bedroom in Sacramento rents for about $2,050/mo.