Sacramento is ranked as the third most livable metro in California in a new Rent Cafe report.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new ranking from Rent Cafe placed the Sacramento metropolitan area among the most livable metros in California.

According to RentCafe.com’s annual Most Livable Metro Areas report, Sacramento ranks third in the state and 47th out of 149 U.S. metro areas that were analyzed using 17 metrics tied to socioeconomics, quality of life, and location and community. In their report, Rent Cafe had the Sacramento metro area at a population of about 2.4 million people, with renters making up roughly 34.5% of residents.

Affordability remained a challenge for the ranking. In Rent Cafe’s metrics, the Sacramento metro’s cost of living is about 29% higher than the national average, while the poverty rate sits at 11.3%. Income growth is measured at 5%, and unemployment is 5.9%. 

Where Sacramento performs better is in quality-of-life indicators. According to Rent Cafe, 96.9% have access to exercise opportunities, and about 72.7% of residents are higher educated. Sacramento’s quality-of-life rank lands at 13.

In other categories, Rent Cafe said arts, entertainment and recreation venues are present at a rate of four per 10,000 residents. However, long commutes and severe housing problems both impacted the location and community score.

Nationally, the report shows that Midwest metros dominate overall livability, with six areas landing in the top 20. Washington, D.C., ranks first overall, followed by Portland, Maine, and Kansas City, Missouri. 

The two other California metros above Sacramento were Santa Rosa at 43 and San Francisco at 33.

To view the full report results, view the Rent Cafe chart below.


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