Elk Grove, California

Elk Grove is a pure suburb. The city is working hard to correct some of the blandness of that experience but in the meantime doing what suburbs do best - providing families with “affordable” housing, kid-friendly blocks, and really good public schools. We qualify the idea of affordability because this is California and the Sacramento area blew up during the pandemic as Bay Area residents moved here in droves.

Pretty much everyone understands the drawbacks of traditional suburbs for social experiences but we’re still going to hammer Elk Grove for not being quick enough to build out a bigger commercial district. Residents need more to do when they don’t feel like driving into Sacramento and they're going to get it. Hooray!!!

There is a section of town called Old Town, a charming little area with a handful of restaurants/pubs but they need commercial development here stat. A recently approved mixed-use project known as [Elk Grove Railroad Courtyards](http://www.egcitizen.com/news/planning-commission-approves-mixed-use-project-for-old-town-eg/article_a7c4c8da-d301-11ec-9b00-076d0f1805a6.html ) will help.

Whatever you imagine the lifestyle of a traditional suburb, the good and the bad, is available in Elk Grove. Lots of families put their kids through school here, save for college, do little league-type sports, commute to jobs in Sacramento, and just try to live the American dream in a crazily expensive state.

The huge bonus you get in Elk Grove is sunshine nearly every day of the year and a less than two-hour drive to Lake Tahoe to the east and San Francisco to the west. If you’re up for the drive it is an amazing place for an outdoor lifestyle. You’re in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range so when you are up for getting the kiddos out of the suburbs the wilderness is close.

Check out the calendar of events for Elk Grove.

We highly recommend visiting Elk Grove and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel in Sacramento or somewhere a few miles away to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

There is no business district within the city limits of Elk Grove. Which means you either work from home or you’re doing the 15+ mile commute into Sacramento. That doesn’t sound like much but traffic is brutal so be ready for that. There are legends of super-commuters who make the hike into San Francisco from this area but seriously that is not a life.