Citrus Heights, California

California can be obscenely expensive for those not used to coastal housing prices. The Sacramento area is cheaper than its counterparts on the coast but Citrus Heights really gets more gentle on the wallet with a median home price hovering around $450k. If you work in the capital or are looking to escape the Bay Area housing crisis and can work from home then Citrus Heights should be on your shortlist. This is really true if you're a lover of the outdoors and the skiing and mountains of the Sierra as Citrus Heights is just an hour from the foothills and just another 45 minutes or so the rest of the way to Tahoe.

Suburban families get nice homes, blocks, schools and outdoor recreation. However, if you want a suburb with a built-in nightlife this ain’t it. There are a couple casinos and bars/restaurants but if you want to go out you really have to drive the 15 miles to downtown Sacramento. Many suburban cities have purposely built up their commercial districts so locals can have some fun without the big drive but Citrus Heights isn’t one of them (yet!).

As noted above the lifestyle of Citrus Heights is pretty much entirely built around families and children. Suburban homes, nice blocks, good schools, and plenty of great parks and sports fields for kiddo play dominate activities. There are plenty of more adventurous outdoor activity spots both in-town and east in the Sierras so if you’re an outdoor person or family you’ll like it here.

Nightlife lifestyle is largely spent making the commute into downtown Sacramento. Not unusual for a suburb to have the in-town lifestyle filled with family fun and then nights out making the 20-30 minute drive to the big city.