The hills can wear out your legs if youre not used to them, but taking advantage of the weather and the natural beauty of the community makes for a wonderful experience. Official Website of the City of Benicia, California. The median home price for Benicia homes is $475,500, which is 16.2% higher than the California average. Benicia is in Solano County. California is a car-centric state and you will absolutely need to have a car while living in California because things are spread far apart. A couple of them are atypical learners/creative types. Copyright © 2023 Embrace Someplace | Privacy Policy | As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. She developedasthma after moving there. If people are looking for a place to go that has a lot to do, Benicia is not the place to go. It also is the place of events, like town parades that seem to come straight out of the movies! What's the crime rate in Benicia California? Pleasant weather Abundant recreational options Easy access to fresh & healthy foods High quality of life Ample economic opportunity High cost of living Heavy tax burden Questionable governance Living in Benicia offers residents a sparse suburban feel and most residents own their homes. You will find two active Major League Baseball teams in the Bay Area for you to catch a game. Again, some people are bothered by this and some are not. Benicia is one of the the best places to raise a family in the Bay Area right now. Select a livability score between 1-100, 2. We considered buying in Benicia around this time last year. If you work in tech or film, theres no better place to live than California. Get some big dogs and move to Benicia! Benicia is a small, family-friendly town and we have lots of fun downtown activities for families and teens. Pinole has a Peet's, In n Out, and a Trader Joe's. The cost of living in Nevada is also lower than in many other states. Benicia is looking like where we might land. See, I can't say enough good things about it. It really is a beautiful hidden gem in the Bay Area and I feel lucky to live here! We have a Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Peet's etc. Los Angeles is considered one of the best food cities in America. Specialties: 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments in San Ramon, CA Welcome to Muirlands at Windemere Apartments! Also occasionally you can smell the refinery - some people are bothered by this, some are not. highest homeless populations in the country, most expensive cities in America for home buyers, 7 EPIC Places to Visit in Death Valley (With 4-Wheel Drive), 20 HONEST Pros & Cons of Living in Tucson (Locals Advice), 15 HONEST Pros & Cons of Living in Los Angeles, California. Have you considered Benicia? . Can you tell us about the schools? I spent some time there when we lived in the East Bay because there's a Chuck E. Cheese there that my kids liked, plus there was a Catholic shop downtown that I frequented on occasion. Dylyn, Berkeley Parents Network, founded in 1993,isbased in Berkeley, California andis a 501(c)(3) nonprofit online network for parents in the San Francisco Bay Area. Another really fun event is the Tree Lighting Ceremony. We absolutely love this community!! People are very interested in each other and generally extremely friendly. As another poster mentioned, with either Benicia or Martinez you would have to drive to Pleasant Hill Bart. The bridge commute isn't that bad, depending on timing. This could be due to factors like a faster pace of life . It would be fair to say that the city residents have a love-hate relationship with this service and most days, its more of the latter. Several apartment complexes and condos offer these areas as well. I like it a lot and it is definitely walkable and has a lot of charming small businesses on 1st street. Benicia City Hall, 250 East L Street Benicia, CA 94510 Phone: (707) 746-4200 We really like the look of homes in downtown Martinez and our commute to Richmond on the 4. Heres the stats on traffic for the three most populous cities in California: Los Angeles horrendous traffic is known the world over and the proof is in the pudding. We have a cute little downtown with a great library and community pool, awesome parks and playgrounds, good schools, a great Farmers market every Thursday on the main drag, a neat artist community, and wonderful people in general. There are a lot of gorgeous aspects of San Francisco to love, but the issues the city has with heroin and meth are quite problematic. You dont even need to make a drive to a national park if youre not feeling up to it because youll still be privy to incredible nature that surrounds most cities in California, this is a nature enthusiasts dream. It's 20 plus minutes to the Bay Bridge and 10 mins or so to Walnut Creek so it's not a bad commute and there is a ferry service into the city. European settlers first started coming to San Francisco Bay in the early 19th century, but it wouldnt be until 1828 when Jedediah Smith crossed the Sierra Nevada Mountains that permanent settlements were considered in the area. And 5 reasons not to live in California. If youre considering moving to California and settling further from the coast, understand that the average summer temperature exceed 95F and 100F+ days are not uncommon. If you live downtown, you can walk to everything without a car. Although not Napa or Sonoma, this is a historic town surrounded by the bay with a small-town feel and very family oriented. The town gets two big thumbs up from me!!! Although you'll want to leave early in the day to avoid traffic issues, the central location means a day trip can help you to avoid lodging expenses. In Oceanside, the cost of living is 43.8% higher than the national average. The culture is also backwards in the South, things you thought were fashionable as a given- be it clothing, music, even lingo- often dont even exist there. An average meal for two at a mid-range restaurant is about $80, which is double the cost of what the national average is in the United States. Hands down, one of my favorite things about living in California is the diversity of the people. P.S. There may be a few flaws to living in Davis. This is a city that is often said to be a "love it or hate it" type . Our initial concern about this town is that there is a refinery , but it hasn't bothered us at all since we've been here (about 6 months). I'm wondering if being in Martinez would actually save that much time compared with Benicia. The year over year appreciation rates in Redding were 4.4%, and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 6.4%. Good luck with your search! Let me know if you have any questions or comments below, its always a pleasure to hear from you! Colombia is a beautiful country and has much to offer. Ive never found it easy to get from Point A to Point B using public transportation, which is why I wouldnt even consider moving to California without a car (with the exception of San Francisco). Are you thinking about moving to California? Most expats find that living in South Korea is an efficient way to save money. 3. Even if you want a studio apartment, youre going to be paying more than $2,000 per month to live in the city. No longer do you need to be stuck in long-term lease agreements. And even in mid-winter, the temperature during the day averages 16C / 61F. For comparison purposes, the average price in the United States for the same space is about $1,175 per month. Benicia CA Real Estate & Homes For Sale 27 Agent listings 1 Other listing Sort: Homes for You 565 Lori Dr APT 5, Benicia, CA 94510 WARRING & ASSOCIATES $349,000 1 bd 1 ba 641 sqft - Condo for sale 424 Greenbrier Ct, Benicia, CA 94510 KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY-EAST BA $695,000 3 bds 2 ba 1,566 sqft - House for sale Loading. I love the East Bay especially Berkeley. Here are 5 benefits of living in California. I don't think I could ever find a more lovely town. Non-Latino Caucasians represent 37.2% of the population. We have three grandsons (ages 12, 14, and 16) who are currently attending the Benicia schools and they are all doing well and the quality of their education is excellent. You are a short drive from some of the best places in California. In some areas the traffic isnt bad especially if you dont live in a big city. Fairfield is probably 20 minutes away and Vacaville is about 30 minutes away. Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Benicia has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. The public schools in Benicia are highly rated. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 6.1%. Its hard to enjoy everything the state has to offer if you arent bringing in a considerable annual income. We looked at a lot of houses in Benicia. You can easily join a fitness class, a sports league, or some other favorite activity to start making friends when living in San Francisco. The community is warm and friendly, the schools are very good, there are many (!) I have heard very good things about the Cameron School, in El Cerrito,which offers speech therapy and preschool style classes for students who qualify in WCCUSD. It has wonderful parks, a great community, very good public schools and the town itself is just a gem. According to our analysis of FBI crime data, your chance of . It might be worthwhile to consider commuting if you can manage the traffic situation in the city. Our (only) son went off to OSU (Oregon)3 years ago. Sorry Cali. The price of most rentals is very reasonable and the houses are very nice. Some of the top places you can visit by hopping into your car include Napa and Sonoma, Yosemite, Muir Woods, Lassen National Park, Reno and Tahoe, or Apple Hill. and a Pain It generally costs more time and money to set up and fund a revocable living trust than to simply write a willas much as three times more, at least initially. There is very little police protection. California is often considered the most beautiful state in the country and its not hard to see why. 1. All this to say, unless youre working in a high-paying field, you may find the cost of living in California unrealistic, especially if youre moving to California from a small city. The cost of living in South Korea varies depending on the city one lives in. Pinole has easy access to the rest of the Bay Area but much more limited bay access. It only takes one missed stop to figure that issue out. It tends to be in the 50s in December, around the 80s in the summer, and youre going to get plenty of rain thanks to its position near the water. Rent is ridiculous and taxes will take up to 60% of your income. Perhaps the most notable benefit could be the appreciation of your new home. If you arent involved in the high-tech sector, there are still excellent jobs in healthcare, hospitality, and indirect positions that contribute to the economy. Niche requires Javascript to work correctly. Did you ever live in any other state for any amount of time? You might even say that socialization doesnt really happen unless you bring your dog along. Living in Redding, CA Redding, California is a moderately-sized city with a population of 91,320 inhabitants. 5. At the beginning of 2021, the median home price was around $382,000. 19 Pros and Cons of Living in San Antonio, Texas, 17 Pros and Cons of Living in Sarasota, Florida, 18 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of the Payback Period, 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Leasing a Car, 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Financing, 24 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of a C Corporation, 16 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediation, 18 Advantages and Disadvantages of a Gated Community, 17 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Focus Groups, 17 Key Advantages and Disadvantages of Corporate Bonds, 19 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities, 17 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Advertising. If you want to eat out while living in the city, then be prepared to pay much more than what the average American spends for the privilege. Wefeel close to everything but also far away, if that makes any sense. It really shows when you are out around town. The town puts on wonderful holiday celebrations and the entire town comes out to celebrate. Not each of them applies to every state. Since Im being honest, Id like to point out that wildfires will become a part of your daily vocabulary while living in California. Pros of Living in Palm Springs The desert resort city of Palm Springs is the axis point of affordable California living and full-scale luxury amenities. I also have found from talking to my artsy friends who grew up in Benicia that they felt fairly isolated as teenagers because they were just that little bit too far from Berkeley/San Francisco and most teen activities were focused around sports. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. The public schools in Benicia are highly rated. People from Benicia drive to Pleasant Hill BART if they're going to take BART. But if you lived walking distance to downtown you would not see them. Property values in both places took a major dive during the recession. There might be a neighborhood for everyone to find in San Francisco, but where you choose to live is going to become the definition of who you are. Yeah Im somewhere in a similar predicament. It might also be worth noting that 63% of residents also have children under the age of 18. The housing market in San Francisco is pricing everyone out. If you make more than $1 million per year, then theres a 1% surtax to pay as well. The median home price for Benicia homes is $475,500, which is 16.2% higher than the California average. As a budget traveler and travel blogger, this is definitely the number one plus for living in Europe. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The landscape is as diverse as it gets and changes drastically from north to south. 25 Pros and Cons of Living in San Diego There are many positive aspects of residing in San Diego including these that are worth mentioning: 1. One feature that Martinez has that Benicia does not have is a direct connection on Amtrak from Jack London Square (or West Berkeley). Con: Difficulty with access However, a high crime rate, high cost for shelter, and lagging economy might be a problem. I originally thought I could work primarily from home, but now it appears I will have to go into the office in downtown Oakland several times a week. Continue with Recommended Cookies. The schools are well-rated. 24+ Pros And Cons Of Living In California (You Must Know) Characterized by the quintessential beaches, surging tides, the iconic Hollywood, palms trees, the Golden Gate Bridge, and so many more California is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable states in the United States of America. Chose Glen Cove over Benicia, Re: Safe, family--oriented neighborhood? 5. There is a neighborhood for everyone here, and most people can integrate into almost any living situation. P.S. Also, I am not aware of any arts scene in Pinole, though of course I could be wrong. It all sounds like fun to move but when youre actually far from your old surrondings and family then it can be pretty frightening at the least. Housing prices are comical (well, they would be if they werent reality). 2. She treated us super well and drove us around to give us a feel of the entire town. Long days, regardless of mode of travel. Everything else becomes a lot less important if it turns out that home prices in Redding are simply unattainable. My friend who lives in Benicia says she would not make that decision again. Overall, most people seem to be okay with living in Chico. - CON: Expensive non-essentials Hmm. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Hello and welcome to the Bay! 10. Enter California, a state that averages 260+ days of sunshine per year. Benicia's schools are arguably better. When you move to California, one thing will become clear very quickly California is proof that climate change is real. I like your negative points. . I want to live where the boys can have a little freedom with stuff to do but not in a big city. Spacious new 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartment homes offer high-quality kitchen appliances, private patios or balconies and plentiful storage. You will need to deal with the tax situation when living in San Francisco. Pinole Valley is safe, family-friendly, and diverse. With prices like this, theres no denying that living in California isnt even in the same timezone as affordable. The North Bay is really a great place to live. Hi there,We are very excited and sad to be moving from our home in the Colorado Mountains to the Bay Area. If you dont have a car, public transportation is the breeding ground for all the above. Hi there Thanks a lot for that, it was very informative and helpful. Ive been living with roommates for a few years now, Btw, it will be relevant only in about a year and a halfe, I have to finish my degree here first, but I still want to wrap my head around it and I would love to get your input. That means youll want to bring a jacket and an umbrella whenever you head out. There is no way I can be a home owner in this day and age. A second silver rush in 1859 helped to keep the city active, and then the transcontinental railroad provided a direct connection with the rest of the country. Many employers offer free shuttles and other transportation services. 30 Pros and Cons of Living in the UK 1. About Benicia. The cost of living in California is 49.9% above the national average, which means you have to earn significantly higher here. We'd also love to hear about neighborhoods. Sales tax is the highest in the nation. The core downtown area is kinda cute, but Benicia's got it beat by a landslide. Mountain living is ideal for people who appreciate peace, quiet, and the chance to inhabit their own little slice of mostly untouched nature. Good Stuff. Thanks. Santa Rosa is at least an hour's drive from Vallejo. Much of the homework appears to be driven by parent demand for "rigorous" academics, so that even the teachers I know who recognize the dubious value of homework in elementary feel compelled to issue substantial homework packets. Costumes are a way of life in San Francisco. The Davis Farmers' Market has been named the best in the country, and for good reason. It is small, everyone knows everyone, which has pluses and minuses, but it also provides a hometown feel that many places in California do not. In total, more than 72% of the population is classified as married and 67% have kids. I worked in Benicia for 5 years (commuting from Berkeley), and spent time in Vallejo for work purposes during that job. 6. . If youre planning on relocating and making this area your permanent home, its nice to know that there is an ample amount of amenities and things to do within walking distance or a short drive. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Benicia, we'll see that the home price to income ratio is 5.5, which is 14.1% lower than the California average. The downtown area is pretty flat, so it is perfect for strolling around or bicycling. The Pros And Cons Of Living In Each State. Lucky for me, California is home to 12 international airports (including LAX, the second largest airport in America). Hi I'm a mom with two teen boys. California has an astounding state income tax of up to 13.3%, which makes the tax burned of living in California one of the worst in America. Even having a sourdough bread bowl filled with chowder while enjoying a view of Alcatraz makes for a memorable day. Right now not for something specific like work or study, I just really need the change. If we take a look at the data, we can find out why. Purchasing your new home can come with many financial benefits, some of which are more lucrative than others. Hear what they say to your face then listen closely what they say behind your back. The state is overcrowded. Average temperatures vary by city, but by and large, you can expect highs around 69F in the winter and 80-85F in the summer. The refineries are all ''down wind'' and don't really have any impact on your quality of life. I think you are priced out of El Cerrito if you want to keep it under $700k, but should be able to get something nice in Pinole ifyou move quickly when you see a house you like. You have to drive to Concord or Fairfield for a Trader Joes, and the closest Whole Foods is in Napa or Walnut Creek. People tend to drive faster and with more aggression, so youll need to turn up your defensive driving skills a notch. In the past year, appreciation rates for homes in the Benicia area were 5.8% and 5 year appreciation rates were 10.7%. Benicia is in Solano County. Neither town is great for commuting to Oakland. Regardless of where in California you live, youre never further than a days drive from an epic national park and some of the best hiking trails in the country. 1. Redding has a high percentage of people who are married with children when compared to the rest of the country. California has the largest network of public schools of any US state, but you know what else? Our kids are 15, 13, 11 and 8, so high school, middle and elementary. A Travel Website About Portland and Oregon. Benicia is a very sleepy town with a little bid of Santa Cruz feel to it. Benicia has a refinery and on occasion you can smell it. Antioch reminds me of Elk Grove now. Benicia has a violent crime rate of 99 crimes per 100,000 residents which is far lower than the national average. An added bonus is that the town is located right on the water so you can see the ships go by, etc. Select any tags that apply to this area. Benicia is a suburb of Vallejo with a population of 27,191. Very valuable information. Just my opinion. 80 bus from VTC to Del Norte BART. Kelly, Hmm, well, I worked in Benicia for many years and was never seriously tempted to live there. Although its gotten more expensive (like everywhere else) this last year, its still affordable compared to other nice parts of the Bay Area. Cost of Living in Benicia, California Our cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. There is more access to healthier food choices, including the presence of several farmers markets throughout the city.
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