If you had to take a guess at what city in the California region is becoming one of the most popular spots for millennials, what would your guess be? If you guessed Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco, you would be surprised to learn that none of these cities are correct! Millennials are beginning to move to Sacramento at record rates, and are showing no signs of slowing down in the near future. In 2016 alone, Sacramento saw an influx of nearly 16,000 new millennial residents. Knowing this, I am going to investigate what Sacramento has to offer, and what is driving this age group to the city more than ever.
Reasonable Cost of Living
If you have seen the most recent study about the cost of living in San Francisco, you know that coastal cities in California come with a hefty price tag. Unlike those more expensive cities, Sacramento continues to be attractive to younger generations for several reasons. The most significant reason is that Sacramento offers more reasonable costs of living, something that may not be viable in other cities. In 2017 alone, a comparison of Sacramento and San Francisco found that Sacramento is nearly 33% cheaper than its competition. For millennials looking to make their mark in their fields, this is an incredibly appealing part of the city. Unlike San Francisco, millennials find themselves feeling more confident moving to Sacramento, because they do not have to be concerned about finding jobs that can cover the high costs of the city.
Job Availability
It can be difficult to imagine finding another job market that is growing as much as San Francisco, which has become one of the largest tech capitals in the country. Fortunately for job-seekers, the market in Sacramento is only continuing to grow right now, and are not showing any signs of slowing down. In 2017, the Sacramento Business Journal named the city of Sacramento as the fifth best city for job-seekers. In addition to tech jobs, Sacramento is home to a wide variety of industries, making it easier for job-seekers to find the field that they are most passionate about. The market is not only growing in Sacramento, but it is now providing more opportunities to job-seekers than ever before.
Culture
While we all know and love the city of San Francisco, the stress of affording to live in the city continues to deter people, especially young adults, from moving to the area. Sacramento, on the other hand, offers a great culture while remaining more affordable than many of its neighbors. Additionally, anyone who would like to experience a city that is a smaller than San Francisco will be excited to hear that Sacramento’s population of 490,000, which is about half the size of San Francisco’s population. To go along with that, Sacramento includes a wide variety of attractions, from historical businesses like the Sacramento History Museum to the boardwalks along their many beaches. The city is known for its culture, because of its diverse history. In addition to its growing culture, Sacramento has began doing a total revitalization of its historic downtown area, in an effort to modernize the real estate while maintaining its rich history. This project, among other things, is only one of the exciting features that Sacramento has to offer.
From more affordable living to a prosperous job market, the city of Sacramento is quickly becoming one of the biggest attractions in the state of California. After growing faster than any of the largest cities in California, Sacramento will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.