Air Quality is better than it used to be, but could be much better. Anywhere on the coast is going to be expensive. The sacramento area is still affordable, has about 60 miles of paved riverside bike trails, is located in the middle of the best that CA has to offer; mountains with snow (in winter) an hour to the East, San Francisco and the coast two hours to the west, the whole Sacramento river delta to the South and South West, redwoods to the North. It gets hot in the summer, but it is tolerable, because it has low humidity. Worst thing you have to deal with is Californians. Some of them are dumb as dirt. They drive the way they see people drive on TV. They drive huge, 10 MPG four-wheel-drive SUVs to the gym, because its fashionable. They name their kids Sierra, Brieanna, Sequoia, Aurora, and America. Anything good happens, they are 100% responsible. Anything bad happens, it wasn't their fault. I live halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento, and it is a wonderful place. But the cost? OUCH! My house has doubled in value in the last 7 years.

Tom Balmer