CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.63° N · 121.25° W · GEOID 0630345

Gold River

Sacramento County, California · part of the Sacramento, CA metro

CaliforniaGold River, CAGold RiverGold River

The short answer

Gold River is home to 7,924 people. Median household income is $175,120 a year and median rent is $2,448 a month, 16.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $724,400, about 4.1x annual median household income.

Gold River stands out on value for money. Home values run 34% below what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area. Also notable: High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 95% of places we track, yet 57% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

79OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Gold River scores better than 79% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 23rd of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%60
Economy 20%59
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%44
Education 10%92
Commute 10%62
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,448
79% above the median place
Median household income
$175,120
118% above the median place
Median home value
$724,400
127% above the median place
Unemployment
6.7%
37% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Gold River

  • Value for moneyRent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 98 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.
  • Work and commutingCounting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 115 hours a year commuting, less than in 90% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Gold River

Sacramento County loses about 4.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in51,321
Moved out57,099
Net−5,778

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Placer County, CA5,0888,918−3,830
Yolo County, CA3,3842,795+589
El Dorado County, CA2,0882,695−607
Alameda County, CA2,7361,527+1,209
Santa Clara County, CA2,7231,270+1,453

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$72K
Leavers$74K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Sacramento County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Sacramento County report $71,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $73,700.
Income you would need
$97,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,448 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,336 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $724,400.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 35.8% work from home; 1.3% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Ashton-Sandy Spring, MD matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
7.9%
38% above the median place
Moved from another state1
0.9%
56% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
-4.5
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureGold RiverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.9%38% above
Moved from another state1County figure0.9%56% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-4.5below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$71,6742% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$73,6865% above
02

What it costs to live here

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $143,100 a year, more than in 93% of the 1,875 places under 10,000 people we track.

Gold River16.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$97,920
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.8%
18% below the median place
Home price to income
4.1x
9% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$143,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Gold River, $2,448 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.8 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Gold River, but easier on the budget

Places that match Gold River on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Ashton-Sandy Spring, MD759.4% vs 16.8%$14,200Compare
Incline Village, NV7514.1% vs 16.8%$5,800Compare
Springdale, NJ696.4% vs 16.8%$10,600Compare
Lake Norman of Iredell, NC679.2% vs 16.8%$18,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Gold River.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Gold River? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,336
78% above the median place
Median home value1
$724,400
127% above the median place
Homeownership1
86.8%
31% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureGold RiverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,44879% above
Rent to income116.8%18% below
Property tax rate10.9%1% below
Home price to income14.1x9% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure106.76% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,20136% above
HUD area median income4County figure$124,00016% above
Property tax paid (median)1$6,50499% above
Median home value1$724,400127% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure0.6%82% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure36.9%28% below
Homeownership186.8%31% above
Renters paying 30%+156.8%12% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,33678% above
Vacant homes1County figure4.6%35% below
Median year built119911% above
03

Work and pay

36% of workers skip the commute by working from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 92% of places.

Works from home1
35.8%
187% above the median place
Income per person1
$92,573
131% above the median place
Median household income1
$175,120
118% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureGold RiverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$175,120118% above
Income per person1$92,573131% above
Unemployment1County figure6.7%37% above
Average annual pay6County figure$82,00324% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure2.3%38% below
Jobs6County figure733,061387% above
Poverty rate1County figure12.5%16% above
Mean commute123 min7% below
Works from home135.8%187% above
Commutes by transit1County figure1.3%58% above
04

Who lives here

Median age is 53.9, 38% above the median place.

Median age1
53.9
38% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.2%
6% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
97.6%
6% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher65.6% 2.0×
Household size2.2 −11%
Born abroad17.7% 2.0×
All 8 people measures
MeasureGold RiverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17,9244975th largest
Median age153.938% above
Bachelor's or higher165.6%104% above
High school or higher198.2%6% above
Household size12.211% below
Born abroad117.7%101% above
No health insurance1County figure4.9%23% below
Homes with broadband197.6%6% above
05

Life in Gold River

The nearest National Park Service site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, about 58 miles away.

112 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 7 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.1 −1%
Playgrounds per 10k2.5 −73%
Grocery stores per 10k1.3 −41%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k8.8 −21%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails5 km 2.3×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.8 3.6×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial 58 miles
  • John Muir National Historic Site 65 miles
  • Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site 70 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars20.5 −1%
Shops23.5 −22%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.2 −22%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.0 −11%
Child care centers2.1 −9%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Public schools12
1
89% below the median place
Students per teacher12
23.7
54% above the median place
Public school students12
712
85% below the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureGold RiverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12189% below
Public school students1271285% below
Students per teacher1223.754% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure20.51% below
Shops per 10k8County figure23.522% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.222% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure18.011% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.19% below
Parks per 10k910.11% below
Playgrounds per 10k92.573% below
Grocery stores per 10k91.341% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k98.821% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails94.5125% above
Transit stops per sq mi90.8257% above
Nearest National Park Service site1057.888% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure112above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 94°F, 8% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Gold River. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high13
94°F
8% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
19.5 in
55% below the median place
Wildfire risk14
95.9
57% above the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureGold RiverAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure94°F8% above
January average low13County figure39°F55% above
Average temperature13County figure62°F13% above
Annual precipitation13County figure19.5 in55% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure98.16% above
Tornado risk14County figure65.020% below
Wildfire risk14County figure95.957% above
Heat wave risk14County figure96.17% above
Median air quality index15County figure4914% above
Good air days15County figure54.2%21% below
08

Gold River in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Gold River does better than 61% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 35%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,448/mo (2024)$3,170/mo$2,600 to $3,860/mo+4.4%
Median household income$175,120 (2024)$225,000$190,000 to $266,000+4.3%
Median home value$724,400 (2024)$1,028,000$747,000 to $1,417,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 4.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 4.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Gold River

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Oak Brook, IL$2,590$175,870Compare
Annapolis Neck, MD$2,489$173,879Compare
Woodmoor, CO$2,276$171,875Compare
Franklin Center, NJ$2,748$157,212Compare
Franklin Center, NJWoodmoor, COAnnapolis Neck, MDOak Brook, ILGold River, CAGold RiverOak BrookAnnapolis NeckWoodmoorGold RiverOak BrookAnnapolis NeckWoodmoor

Places built like Gold River

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Gold River performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Gold River, CA16.8%8.0%/yrn/a
Blackhawk, CA17.1%2.7%/yrn/aCompare
El Granada, CA11.4%6.1%/yrn/aCompare
Malibu, CA21.6%5.2%/yr-10.1%Compare
Vashon, WA16.6%8.8%/yrn/aCompare
Westlake Village, CA23.3%5.0%/yr-6.5%Compare
Porters Neck, NC15.0%5.7%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Gold River a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 79 out of 100, better than 79% of the places we rate and 23rd of 654 in California. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 98 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 115 hours a year commuting, less than in 90% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 42 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Gold River expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $724,400.

What salary do you need to live in Gold River?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $97,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Gold River?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Oak Brook, IL, Annapolis Neck, MD, Woodmoor, CO and Franklin Center, NJ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Gold River with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Gold River itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/gold-river-california

Citytistics. “Gold River, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/gold-river-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.