These Are The 10 Worst Sacramento Suburbs

Discover the 10 Least Desirable Suburbs of Sacramento in 2026

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Sacramento is known for its vibrant culture, diverse activities, and robust economy, consistently ranking as one of the top places to live in the United States. However, city life isn’t for everyone. Many individuals prefer the quieter surroundings of the suburbs.

This raises an important question: do the suburbs surrounding Sacramento offer the same appeal as the city itself?

In this article, we will analyze data to identify which Sacramento suburbs might need some improvement—essentially, the areas that fall short of the high standards set by Sacramento proper. While it’s unrealistic to expect every suburb to match the city’s charm, some suburbs, like Gold River, certainly try their best.

We assessed the 32 largest suburbs of Sacramento to pinpoint the least desirable places to live. Although these suburbs may not rank among the worst in the state of California, they do lag behind in terms of quality of life:

Lemon Hill
North Highlands
Rio Linda
Florin
Rancho Cordova
Rosemont
Foothill Farms
Elverta
Citrus Heights
Parkway

Continue reading to learn how we determined the suburbs that could use a boost, and remember, this is merely an analysis based on available data. Once you finish, check out the full ranking at the end of the article.

How We Identified the Least Desirable Sacramento Suburbs

To evaluate the livability of each suburb, we focused on the factors that people generally value. We established criteria based on the most recent available data to ensure comprehensive and accurate results. Using the latest American Community Survey data from 2020-2022, we focused on the following criteria:

High unemployment rates
Low median income
Low population density
Low home values
High dropout rates from high school

Each suburb with a population over 5,000 was ranked according to these criteria from least to most favorable. The suburb with the lowest average ranking across these factors is deemed the least desirable.

Read on to discover more about these suburbs around Sacramento or skip to the end for a complete list ranked from worst to best.

This list is based on objective data analysis and is presented without bias. Any humor is intended solely for entertainment. Buckle up!

1. Lemon Hill

Lemon Hill, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 12,767
Median Income: $27,101
Median Home Value: $101,800

2. North Highlands

North Highlands, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 44,899
Median Income: $40,986
Median Home Value: $146,500

3. Rio Linda

Rio Linda, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 14,581
Median Income: $50,873
Median Home Value: $174,100

4. Florin

Florin, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 50,791
Median Income: $40,183
Median Home Value: $143,800

5. Rancho Cordova

Rancho Cordova, CA

Source: Flickr

Population: 67,167
Median Income: $53,563
Median Home Value: $195,600

6. Rosemont

Rosemont, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 22,824
Median Income: $54,384
Median Home Value: $184,500

7. Foothill Farms

Foothill Farms, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 33,024
Median Income: $44,590
Median Home Value: $158,600

8. Elverta

Elverta, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 5,547
Median Income: $60,718
Median Home Value: $176,200

9. Citrus Heights

Citrus Heights, CA

Source: Wikipedia

Population: 84,678
Median Income: $51,150
Median Home Value: $191,100

10. Parkway

Parkway, CA

Source: Google Maps

Population: 14,756
Median Income: $33,959
Median Home Value: $151,300

Suburbs Around Sacramento to Avoid

In summary, these are the suburbs that could use some improvements, with Lemon Hill ranking the lowest. However, it’s important to note that not all surrounding suburbs are undesirable; Gold River shines as a top choice for living near Sacramento.

Comprehensive List of Sacramento Suburbs

Place	Rank	Population	Median Income	Median Home Value
Lemon Hill	1	12,767	$27,101	$101,800
North Highlands	2	44,899	$40,986	$146,500
Rio Linda	3	14,581	$50,873	$174,100
Florin	4	50,791	$40,183	$143,800
Rancho Cordova	5	67,167	$53,563	$195,600
Rosemont	6	22,824	$54,384	$184,500
Foothill Farms	7	33,024	$44,590	$158,600
Elverta	8	5,547	$60,718	$176,200
Citrus Heights	9	84,678	$51,150	$191,100
Parkway	10	14,756	$33,959	$151,300
Diamond Springs	11	12,105	$52,483	$235,100
Carmichael	12	63,314	$54,598	$282,400
Fruitridge Pocket	13	5,802	$32,853	$106,800
Mather	14	4,806	$86,705	$262,200
West Sacramento	15	49,946	$53,307	$248,000
Arden-Arcade	16	92,844	$45,750	$279,500
La Riviera	17	11,529	$58,694	$208,300
Cameron Park	18	18,831	$74,690	$336,900
Orangevale	19	34,449	$65,288	$262,000
Vineyard	20	25,640	$76,084	$266,000
Antelope	21	47,798	$64,122	$212,000
Fair Oaks	22	31,256	$73,295	$350,000
Granite Bay	23	22,646	$118,063	$608,500
Elk Grove	24	158,455	$79,051	$269,600
Lincoln	25	44,397	$70,870	$328,300
Roseville	26	124,250	$76,712	$317,800
Rocklin	27	59,002	$79,274	$336,900
Loomis	28	6,589	$82,813	$288,800
Shingle Springs	29	4,562	$82,788	$403,500
Folsom	30	73,334	$100,163	$393,600
El Dorado Hills	31	43,862	$118,306	$472,000
Gold River	32	7,658	$102,500	$381,800

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Author

Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

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