California has been marred by population decline in recent years as the cost of living and buying a home in the state continues to climb. But Roseville is bucking that trend, growing over 12% between the end of 2022 and 2023. The city is seeing a boost as residents flee increasingly expensive locales like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in search of more affordable housing. The most populous city in booming Placer County with just over 150,000 residents, Roseville is situated about 20 miles northeast of Sacramento and is considered one of the most livable midsized cities in the state. Popular with families seeking high-performing schools and safe streets, Roseville also has a rapidly growing population of retirees who appreciate access to the Bay Area at a deep discount.
“Roseville has a really high quality of living. The city has carefully planned its growth and provides a lot of services for its residents. We've got so many parks and trails," says Realtor Valerie Gross of HomeSmart Realty, who lives and works in Roseville. “It's also increasingly a hub for the medical industry. There are two major hospitals, a clinic and several Med tech companies here. That’s accompanied by really high-quality schools, so people moving here for work can send their kids to a great school.”
The city of Roseville has a new round-about entering downtown with a waler tower sign.
Downtown Roseville’s main street is Vernon Street which has many small businesses.
Sutter Medical Center is one of the two hospitals in Roseville.
You will find beautiful water features entering some of the communities of Roseville.
Linda Creek is just one of the creeks and grassland areas in Roseville.
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Home value climbing after brief decline
The real estate market in Roseville is considered very competitive, with a low inventory of listing relative to buyer demand. In line with national trends, the market has been up and down in recent years. There was a slight decline in home value in 2022, but prices rebounded the following year with 8% growth. Fewer homes sold in 2023 than in 2022, with the median days on market sitting at about 18 days in November 2023. There is a rich mix of housing options in Roseville, which has condos and townhomes, in addition to classic and contemporary single-family homes. The median home price in the city was around $620,000 in January 2024, almost $200,000 above the national number but 20% lower than the statewide average. Fifty-five-plus communities are on the rise in Roseville.
Another aspect is the unique utility situation. Roseville Electric is run by the city and serves those within its boundaries. The utility is a not-for-profit and charges what it costs to produce the service. The results are electric bills that are 34% lower for city residents than those in neighboring localities who rely on other companies for the service.
Sun City hosts many homes for the 55-plus community in Roseville.
Some of the homes in Roseville are smaller bungalows.
You will find many ranch-style homes in the communities of Roseville.
Some parts of Roseville have more upscale larger homes like this Mediterranean.
Roseville Electric is a non-profit utility company that serves most of Roseville.
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Rapidly growing, highly rated public schools
The city is served by the Roseville City Elementary School District and the Roseville Joint Union High School District, which are graded an A and A-plus, respectively, from Niche. Unlike broader California public schools, whose enrollment is in decline, schools in Roseville are growing as new construction attracts more families to the area, though not all the areas are growing at the same rate. There is declining enrollment in the east and central parts of towns, but explosive growth to the west. The district is set to add three elementary schools and one middle school in the coming years, adding to the 21 walkable community primary schools throughout the city. Ranked in the top 5% of all public elementary schools by performance in California, Blue Oaks Elementary is a STEAM-focused standout that encourages active parental involvement. Known for notable alumni like actress Molly Ringwald and famed Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, Roseville High School is graded A-minus by Niche.
Conducive to an outdoor lifestyle year-round
Though the state is dealing with population loss, there’s a reason all those people moved to California to begin with – it’s beautiful scenery and outdoorsy lifestyle. Roseville has six golf courses, five public and one private, which appeal to the growing population of retirees. There are 70 community parks in the city, boasting popular amenities like pickleball courts, aquatic facilities and off-leash areas for dogs. Dozens of miles of walking and biking trails crisscross the community, connecting neighborhoods to schools, parks and shopping areas. “There’s a park in every neighborhood, and every school has a public park adjacent to it. We've got so many trails for walking and biking, including many that are accessible from neighborhood streets. People come from out of town to use our trails," Gross says. Home to the Children’s Art Center and situated along Dry Creek, Royer Park is a community centerpiece with new play structures under shaded canopy of mature sycamore trees. The park hosts free concerts in the summer. Maidu Regional Park is situated on 152 acres and includes a library and museum, in addition to batting cages and baseball fields.
Diamond Oaks Golf Course is an 18-hole course with a driving range in Roseville.
Some kids enjoy the playground at Royer Park in downtown Roseville.
Check out a new book at Maidu Library in Roseville’s Maidu Regional Park.
There are many paved walking and biking paths that run through Roseville.
Olympus Pointe Sculpture Park has the notorious Rose of Roseville in the City of Roseville.
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Local center for the performing arts
In terms of arts and culture, Roseville has easy access to major metropolitan areas like Sacramento and particularly the Bay Area, which is one of the most rich and vibrant urban centers in the world. Closer to home, Blue Line Arts is a 5,000-square-foot facility with exhibition spaces for established and emerging artists. Located on Vernon Street downtown next to the Tower Theatre and the Roseville Tuesday Nights concert hall, Blue Line Arts has a state-of-the-art gallery that also serves as an education space for children and adults. Funded by and named after the famed American industrialist Andrew Carnegie, the Carnegie Public Library was built in 1912. Now also known as a museum, the library is home to the Roseville Historical Society, which led the charge for the building’s large-scale renovation in the 1980s.
The retail and restaurant scene in Roseville is robust for a city of its size, with shopping and dining destinations clustered downtown and in the northeast section of the city at Creekside Town Center along Roseville Parkway. Westfield Galleria at Roseville is an upscale shopping mall home to brands like Burberry and Louis Vuitton – it’s one of greater Sacramento’s premier shopping destinations. The food situation in the city is varied and diverse – independent coffee houses, pizza and burger joints, high-concept bars and multinational eats dot Roseville’s landscape. There are also multiple live music venues.
Roseville’s biggest economic mover is retail, routinely bringing in more annual sales than much larger California cities. Major shopping centers and malls attract thousands of shoppers both locally and from the surrounding suburbs. While many residents commute to state capital or the Bay Area to work, there are plenty of jobs to be found in the city. It is home to two major regional hospitals, Roseville Medical Center and Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
Roseville’s iconic Tower Theatre is home for classic movies and performing arts.
Louis Vuitton is in the Westfield Galleria in Roseville.
The Carnegie Museum was built in 1912 and is home of the Roseville Historic Society.
Roseville Westfield Galleria is a large shopping mall with many big box stores and shops.
Your family will enjoy the Fountains Shopping center with a fountain set to music in Roseville.
Enjoying art pieces at Blue Line Arts is a relaxing past time in the city of Roseville.
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Safe city but crime is ticking up
The crime outlook in Roseville is complex, with an influx of residents being a key factor in the modestly growing number of reported incidents. That said, on a per capita basis, the city’s crime rate has fallen broadly since 1980 while the population has soared. Roseville experienced a sustained spike in both violent and property crime during the pandemic, but numbers released by local police show a reduction in most offenses between 2021 and 2022. Violent crime is well below the national average, but property crime reported is about 2,000 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is 8% lower than the California average, but still 1% higher than the national mark. For comparison, crime in Roseville is 45% lower than Sacramento, 78% lower than San Francisco and 95% lower than Oakland.
City investing in flood prevention
Despite more than a half dozen creeks that run through town, Roseville’s $32 million investment in flood mitigation projects has been a success. Known for historic floods in 1986 and 1995, the city has been adding and replacing old culverts and widening stream channels for years, earning them the nation’s top flood control rating through FEMA. Broader NorCal is also facing increasingly extreme summer temperatures, with triple digit heatwaves now an annual reality, and more intense droughts and floods with less predictability. Hotter, drier conditions mean an increased risk of wildfires, which are predicted to grow in frequency and severity. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, which was released in 2019, predicts the average temperature in the region to raise by as much as 7 degrees in the coming century. Heat waves are expected to have both higher daytime and nighttime temperatures.
Easy highway access, robust public transportation
Roseville is situated directly along Interstate 80, which runs northeast to Reno and southwest through Sacramento to the Bay Area. Interstate 5 also runs through the city, connecting with Oregon to the north and Stockton to the south. Residents who commute to nearby urban centers face routine traffic woes, with Sacramento ranking high nationally in terms of time spent in gridlocked, soul-crushing traffic. While the neighborhoods are walkable to residents, the city of Roseville is spread out and not conducive to a car-free lifestyle. The Roseville Transit System operates local bus routes that run six days per week and connect to the Placer County and Sacramento Regional Transit System. The Arrow combines the flexibility of ride-sharing services with the capacity and affordability of traditional transit. The Roseville Amtrak Station also provides access to other Northern California cities along the Capitol Corridor train route.
I have been a Realtor for 36 plus years, I specialize in rehab and staging of homes for my Sellers, and renovation for Buyers when needed. My Sellers net more money at closing by critiquing their home, and I help my Buyers recognize a good home when they are less than perfect. Often the best homes are not putting their best foot forward prior to critiquing...that's what I do best....both for Buyers and Sellers. I service Placer, Sacramento, El Dorado and Yolo Counties...I was president of the Yolo Association of Realtors in 1998 and Voted Realtor of the Year by my piers in 1999. I love what I do...I love homes and people...it has always been a good fit for me. I make new friends every day.
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