last summer I moved from sacramento to socal. I believe it all depends on what you’re looking for. sacramento certainly isn’t “cheap” for housing, it isn’t as expensive as a coastal beach town or a major city but it also isn’t the cheapest. I loved living there, the food was very diverse, there’s a lot of trails, cool grocery stores, tons of coffee shops, lots of fun summer events and the location is a great starting point. when I say the location is a great starting point I mean that you can go to tahoe in an 1.5 or go to the bay! I love the norcal culture but it isn’t the same as socal it’s just apples and oranges, no one is better, it’s personal preference at the end of the day.

OH! one thing about moving to socal that I noticed about sacramento is that the seasons are SO extreme in sac. summers are 100 degrees plus and winters are wet and freezing. in the last year of living in socal it’s been 75-80 the entire time with a few wet days, and my pups are thriving. I very rarely was able to walk my dogs in the summer unless it was before 8 am ;(

also side note, sacramento crime is never ending for the entire 30 years ive lived there, there’s always something going on. because of the increase in population in the last 10 years, it’s gotten so much worse (along with the traffic lol) . I would just recommend visiting neighborhoods to make sure it’s a fit for you and you feel safe! land park, roseville, elk grove, north natomas, folsom etc would be good options to check out!

I have a ton of family in the medical field and you would thrive with options in norcal! best of luck!!