Fresno vs Sacramento
The short version
- Fresno is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Sacramento area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $374,800 in Fresno and $506,300 in Sacramento.
- Households earn more in Sacramento ($87,321 vs $70,991 median).
- Fresno has more scorching days: 113 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 90.
Side by side
| Fresno, CA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 555,549 | 536,449 |
| Growth since 2020 | +2.5% | +2.2% |
| People per square mile | 4,793 | 5,438 |
| Median age | 32.8 | 36.0 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 37% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $70,991 | $87,321 |
| Median home value | $374,800 | $506,300 |
| Home value to income | 5.3× | 5.8× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,421 | $1,779 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 102.2 | 106.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 95.7 | 130.2 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $76,600 | $80,000 |
| Homeowners | 50% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.03% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 25.3 |
| Work from home | 11% | 20% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.9% | 6.6% |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 13.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 55° / 41° | 57° / 41° |
| July high / low | 98° / 69° | 94° / 61° |
| Precipitation per year | 11 in | 19 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 113 | 90 |
| Nights below freezing | 11 | 4 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.3 | 98.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 29% | 35% |
| Home prices, past year | +2% | +0.1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.5% | +19.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Fresno: March to May and October to November. Sacramento: February to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Fresno weather by month and Sacramento weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $76,600 in Fresno and $80,000 in Sacramento. Moving from Fresno to Sacramento, you would need about $78,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Fresno and Sacramento
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Fresno and Sacramento.
Which would you pick?
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