The problem is that "near the Bay Area" is pretty relative; the travel between them is 2+ hours without substantial traffic, and most people aren't going to wan

The problem is that "near the Bay Area" is pretty relative; the travel between them is 2+ hours without substantial traffic, and most people aren't going to want to make that commute. So that leaves you with some of the drawbacks others have mentioned in this thread: if your company is there, you'll likely have a smaller talent pool to draw from; if you live there and you lose your job, you'll have a smaller pool of companies to move to. Having said that, Sacramento is a much nicer place than a lot of folks in the Bay Area give it credit for -- a lot of pretty, walkable neighborhoods, a lot of good cafes and bars and restaurants and "third wave" coffee places, and as you mentioned a way lower cost of living. The only real downside (setting aside the commute) is that it gets ungodly hot in the summer.