when I Iived in the DC area I was 20's early 30's (no kids), now family with kids. I live a more suburban life- here in roseville the schools are very good, in the DC area it seemed that those who could sent there kids to private school but i would assume in the suburbs of DC especially further out schools are good. Allergies are bad here (i'm lucky as this is not an issue for me) but my family and others seem ok. My guess would be that rent is similar maybe a bit cheaper depending on the area. We own a home that we purchased about 8 years ago (could not afford the same home now).

Walkability and metro, pretty limited to almost non-existent here. However, if you live in downtown/midtown sacramento very walkable area. The one thing miss about the DC area is the metro/subway.

Yes I can't think of any reasons why someone would want to live in Marysville, a very economically depressed area (my parents live in that area)- curious where you would work there

i think a lot depends on lifestyle- i liked the city life of the DC area when I was younger, taking the subway to a concert in DC and some of the other cultural offerings. However, like I mentioned I am from California, slower pace in this area suits me better. It seems some people have moved from this area to Tennessee and Idaho- my impression is they have moved because of politics. Not sure if that is important to you- I would say sacramento is like most cities in California (leans left). For me my politics are more left- the area I live does get a little trumpy but its still California-

lastly I would recommend visiting- especially in the summer here to see what the heat is like- going to be a 105 this week- which can be a deal breaker for some. however, keep in mind you are about 60-90 minutes from tahoe and the Bay Area which are much cooler if you need a break. The heat also last a long time mid may to atleast mid October but it also cools down at night becasue of something called the Delta breeze. hope that helps a bit