National Center for Healthy Housing

Sacramento, CA

Location Summary

Positive Findings: Compared to the national average, the Sacramento metro area has fewer homes with water leaks from outside and siding and window problems. Homes in the central city are less likely to have broken plaster or peeling paint and incomplete plumbing compared to the national average. Areas outside the central city have fewer signs of mice, water leaks from outside, exposed wiring, and foundation problems. There are fewer rental homes with siding and window problems compared to the national average. Owner-occupied homes are less likely to have rooms without electrical outlets and foundation problems.

Areas for Improvement: Compared to the national average, Sacramento has more homes with signs of rats, flush toilet breakdowns, and lacking complete kitchens. Heating equipment breakdown is more likely in central city units, and areas outside the central city are more likely to have room heaters without flues. Owner-occupied homes are more likely to have problems with water supply stoppages, flush toilet breakdowns, sewage disposal breakdowns, and roofing problems.

Community Information: The Sacramento MSA is comprised of El Dorado, Placer, and Sacramento Counties, California. In 2004, the MSA included 669,400 occupied dwelling units, 24.4% of which were located in the central city of Sacramento. The housing stock of the MSA ranks among the youngest and most heavily rental of the cities surveyed. The percentage of post-1940 homes ranked 9th (4.5%) for the MSA and 15th (11.7%) for the central city. The median house age in the Sacramento MSA was 1979. The percentage of rental units ranked 12th (28.9%) for the MSA and 17th (44.5%) for the central city. Compared to other locations, Sacramento had a lower poverty rate. Its poverty rate ranked 7th (8.6%) for the entire MSA and 5th (12.3%) for the homes in central city.