I concur. I grew up in Sacramento and I'm contemplating buying a place there (I'm currently in Santa Cruz County; I'd love to stay here forever, but it is too

I concur. I grew up in Sacramento and I'm contemplating buying a place there (I'm currently in Santa Cruz County; I'd love to stay here forever, but it is too expensive for me to buy unless I live in the mountains) and working remotely from there, though prices have risen considerably this year due to its popularity with Bay Area mega-commuters and remote workers. Sacramento has a lot going for it; it's a diverse metro area with a lot to do, and there are many nice, safe neighborhoods. I also like Sacramento's walkable central areas, though these areas are a bit pricey (they're an absolute bargain compared to the Bay Area, but they're more expensive than Sacramento's suburbs). Sacramento has a California State University campus (Sacramento State University), and University of California, Davis is only 15 minutes west of Downtown Sacramento. An alternative that I'm considering is Merced, which is roughly two hours from Silicon Valley. Merced is much smaller than Sacramento, so it lacks Sacramento's amenities and variety of neighborhoods. However, Merced is home to University of California, Merced, which opened in 2005. UC Merced has been expanding and is becoming more popular with students. While Merced does not yet have a college-town atmosphere (at least to me), Merced has the potential to develop this feel. Merced has the cheapest housing of all cities that host a UC campus (though Riverside comes close). A mortgage on a brand-new three-bedroom house in Merced is cheaper than the rent on a one-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area. Finally, I'm also considering some of Southern California's desert cities that are part of the greater Los Angeles metro area, such as Palmdale and Lancaster in the Antelope Valley as well as the Inland Empire area. These areas have relatively affordable housing yet are very close to Los Angeles and all of its amenities.