You are looking for accommodation in the capital of California and want to know which are the best neighborhoods in Sacramento and the areas to avoid.
An ideal destination for its sun, its quality of life and its tourist attractions, Sacramento attracts young people looking to settle, but also many tourists.
But whether it is for a search for a hotel or accommodation, everyone asks themselves questions:
- Is Sacramento a safe city?
- Are there any dangerous neighborhoods or areas to avoid?
- What are the best areas to stay in Sacramento?
Here's a guide to Sacramento neighborhoods with a map that will help you choose the best place to stay and avoid dangerous neighborhoods.
This guide was written by summarizing a great deal of information published on the web (press articles, forums, rankings and statistics). This article therefore does not contain any judgment or discrimination.
Is Sacramento a dangerous city in 2024?
To find out if Sacramento is a dangerous or safe city, you have to compare its level of crime with other cities in the US but also around the world.
Is Sacramento globally dangerous
To compare globally, Sacramento is average.
It is not one of the most dangerous cities like Johannesburg, Acapulco ou Rio de Janeiro. But it is also not one of the safest cities in the world like Dubai, Prague or Quebec city.
For a global comparison, see Numbeo.com which ranks 400 cities around the world according to their crime index. On this site, we see that Sacramento has a crime index of only 48,81. In comparison with the other cities in this ranking, we can say that Sacramento is not among the most dangerous cities in the world.
It is also confirmed on all the sites which have published a ranking of the most dangerous cities in the world and which have never mentioned the city of Sacramento: statista.com, populationu.com, worldata.com.
Is Sacramento a dangerous US city?
No, Sacramento is not on the list of the most dangerous cities in the US. In terms of crime, we can say that it is in the average of American cities. You can verify this for yourself by studying the statistics of the FBI and city data.
Indeed, Sacramento is not listed on the ranking Most Violent Cities in America published on the worldpopulationreview or neighborhood scout.
In comparison, the city of Sacramento would be less dangerous than many other American cities like San Francisco, Anaheim, Seattle, Portland, Miami, Orlando ou Phoenix.
On the 2024 ranking of Numbeo.com, its crime index of 48.81, places Sacramento in the average.
Areas to avoid in Sacramento for tourists?
Overall Sacramento is a safe city for visitors. Except for a few neighborhoods to avoid, listed below, the city of Sacramento is not dangerous for tourists.
In fact, in general, violent crimes do not directly target tourists. Crime is mainly linked to drug trafficking and rivalries between gangs. It is concentrated in certain areas of Sacramento that tourists do not usually frequent.
Sacramento Neighborhoods
Sacramento is divided into 8 districts:
- District 1 in the North West
- District 2 in the North East
- District 3 covers the central North area
- District 4 covers the Central West area
- District 5 which is the South Central Zone
- District 6 is in the southeast central area
- District 7 in the South West
- District 8 in the South
All these districts are themselves divided into several neighborhoods, the main ones being:
- Ben Ali
- Blvd Park
- Colonial Heights
- Curtis Park
- Del Paso Heights
- Downtown Sacramento
- Eastern Sacramento
- Elmhurst
- Gardenland
- land park
- Lavender Heights
- Meadowview
- Midtown
- Natomas
- New Era Park
- North Sacramento
- Oak park
- Old Sacramento
- Pocket Greenhaven
- oak
- Southeast Village
- Southside Park
- Swanston Estates
- Tahoe Park
- Upper Land Park
- Valley View Acres
Map of Sacramento Neighborhoods
Here is the map of the main neighborhoods of Sacramento. You will be able to identify the areas to avoid, the safest and the best places to stay in Sacramento (listed below):
Areas to Avoid Sacramento
According to information published on forums, blogs and statistics, the areas to avoid in Sacramento are mainly located in the North and in the center of the city in districts 2, 3 and 4 (see the Sacramento Police statistics).
Sacramento's Most Dangerous Neighborhoods
When we qualify dangerous neighborhoods, we refer to neighborhoods with the highest crime rates per inhabitant. But these rates include violent crimes, property crimes and also petty crimes. Suddenly, these are the least safe neighborhoods of Sacramento but not necessarily dangerous enough to risk your life!
By summarizing the many data on the web (forums, blogs and specialized sites such as neighborhoodscout.com, areavibes.com, crimegrade.org or communitycrimemap.com), here are the most dangerous neighborhoods in Sacramento:
- Parker Homes
- del paso
- Midtown (only some parts of Midtown)
- Gardenland
- Upper Land Park
- South Hagginwood
- Richmond Grove
- Rio Triangle Back
- woodlake
- Hagginwood
- Noralto
Where are the areas to avoid in downtown Sacramento?
To find out where the most dangerous neighborhoods in central Sacramento are, you can consult the crime map by geographical areas published by the City of Sacramento.
Is Downtown Sacramento dangerous?
Overall, downtown Sacramento is pretty safe. You should also know that in Downtown Sacramento, crime is mainly linked to thefts and lively nightlife areas.
Sacramento's Safest Neighborhoods
According to the websites of real estate agencies and the advice of Internet users on the best forums, the safest neighborhoods in Sacramento are:
- River park
- Natomas Park
- College/Glen
- Hollywood park
- west lake
- Village
- Valleyview Acres
- River park
- Natomas Park
- Elmhurst
- Tahoe Park
- College Greens
- South east
- Willowcreek
- Natomas Park
- Raley Industrial Park
- Richardson Village
Best neighborhoods in Sacramento to live in
If you are planning to live in the pretty city of Sacramento, here are the most popular neighborhoods for families and young couples:
- Hollywood Park
- East Sacramento (East Sac)
- Natomas Park
- land park
- Meadowview
- Tahoe Park
Best neighborhoods to stay in Sacramento
For a business trip or for a tourist stay, in the center of the city, Downtown et Central Business District are the 2 best neighborhoods to stay in Sacramento.
By staying in one of these two adjacent neighborhoods, you can enjoy all the attractions of Sacramento!
- The California State Capitol and its museum,
- City Hall,
- Crocker Art Museum,
- the California Museum,
- the Stanford Mansion,
- the Governor's Mansion,
- the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.
In addition, this area is home to California's largest shopping mall: the Westfield Horton Plaza.
And, in terms of entertainment, it is also the district of Downtown where is the Community Center Theater, the Wells Fargo Pavilion and many bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Where to stay in Downtown Sacramento?
If you are looking for one of the most beautiful hotels, very well located in the heart of the most beautiful attractions of Sacramento, I recommend the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel.
And for those who prefer to choose a cheap hotel in Downtown Sacramento, then you can book the Holiday Inn which has a very good value for money:
