Golf Course 3

Sacramento is described as a city that promotes racial harmony, while attracting a large homeless population. Heading to Sacramento has become an affordable option for some California residents.

Sacramento is the capitol of California located about 90 minutes northeast of Oakland and San Francisco. Sacramento s population has grown by an estimated 12% in the five years since the 2000 U.S. Census. Immigrants and people seeking lower housing costs have sought out the city while housing costs soar in surrounding communities. With 456,441 citizens, Sacramento is the fifth largest city in the state. The metropolitan area is the fourth-largest in California with 2,042,283 residents. The community has been cited as one of the five “most livable” regions in America. In 2002,

Time magazine picked Sacramento as the nation’s Most Integrated City. The White non-Hispanic community made up 36% of the population in 2005, 25% were Hispanic, 18.4% Asian and 16.3% African-American. Families made up 61% of city households. The median family income was $50,653, a little more than $5,000 below the national average. The percentage of people living in poverty was high at 19.2%, including 31.2% of all African-American residents. The city s mild climate, easy access and tolerance have been cited as reasons for an influx of homeless people.

With a job sector that grew by over 16% from 2000 to 2005, many were heading to Sacramento for employment. As a state capitol, the largest portion of jobs are

federal, state, and local government. One-fourth of California’s 471,000 government employees are employed in the Sacramento area. The city has been an important transportation hub since the gold mining era. Sacramento is ideally situated with access to air, rail, sea and freeways for commercial shipping. The Port of Sacramento is connected to San Francisco Bay by a 43-mile channel that serves international ocean-going ships. The city is served by three major rail lines and offers air travel through Sacramento International airport. Among the biggest employers are UC Davis Medical Center with 8,500 employees, Intel with 6,500 workers, and Hewlett-Packard Co. and its 4,500 jobs.

Like much of California, Sacramento has experienced a surge in housing values. In 2000, the average house

value was $128,800. By 2005, the median price tag reached $341,400. Figures compiled by the National Association of Realtors found the Sacramento metro area experienced one of the greatest housing value increases in the country. The median home was priced at $377,400 in 2005, making for 121% appreciation since 2000. Housing starts in Sacramento increased dramatically since 1997 when 258 building permits were issued. By 2003, 3,600 new homes went in the ground. New home construction dropped below half that figure in 2006. Sacramento housing is newer than the state average with 17% of its homes built since 1990. The median monthly housing costs for mortgaged owners was $1,609, non-mortgaged owners $339, and renters $852.

The crime rate in Sacramento is

high, nearly double the national FBI Crime Index. Both personal crime and property crime risk in the city are well above U.S. levels. The city ranks as one of the top 10 areas in the country for car thefts. Sacramento s climate is described as arid Mediterranean with extremely low humidity and heavy pollen in the summer. Shielded by several mountain ranges, the city enjoys a mild climate for most of the year. The winters are rainy with annual precipitation averaging 18.8 inches. Low temperatures in January average 39 degrees with highs of 55. July sees average highs reaching 94 degrees. The city s tule fog can get extremely dense, making driving hazardous about 96 days a year, mostly in December and January. In the center of California’s Sacramento Valley, the city doesn t support the best air quality. People heading to Sacramento will discover good air only 28.8% of the time, according to the EPA s Air Quality Index.

Sacramento is home to California State University-Sacramento with its 20,830 full-time students. The city hosts one professional sports team, the NBA s Sacramento Kings. With over 1,000 miles of waterways in the area, recreational opportunities include river rafting and boating, salmon and steelhead fishing, and sailing and windsurfing. Sacramento has a great number of public golf courses and more than 120 city parks. Skiing is also available at 17 locations within 100 miles. Sacramento International Airport handles flights to

and from various U.S. destinations, Mexico and Canada. Amtrak provides the city’s main train service.

Find moving companies for your move to California at MovingCompaniesforyou.com.