SonoRa or SonoMa? (San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland: ski resort, crime, home)

[Chimérique]

SonoRa or SonoMa?

Two NorCal small towns, both lovely, both separated from large metros. Which one is better to visit and/or live?

Sonora: pop 4,874, elevation 1,800 feet; located 50 miles from Modesto, 89 miles from Sacramento, and 130 miles from Bay Area.

Sonora is in Gold Country-Sierra Foothills, some vineyards-wineries. Sonora is located 33 miles from Dodge Ridge Ski resort, and a beautiful Sierra Lake. Town is remote, very near beautiful Stanislaus National Forest and Stanislaus River. Sonora is actually NORTH of Stockton. Although Modesto a further south of Stockton, as the road goes Sonora is closer to Modesto than Stockton.

Sonoma: pop 10,618, elevation 85 feet, located 51 miles from Oakland, 68 miles from Sacramento.

Sonoma is in NorCal, located in Sonoma Valley, surrounded by various Coast Mountain Ranges, rollings hills and vineyards, just under 1 hour from the Pacific Ocean.

[MtnSurfer]

If I had to pick between the two, I would go with Sonoma. I have family near there and its a beautiful part of the state. Napa Valley is there, the Bay Area is relatively close but not too close, better air quality, easy access to the coast. A lot more to see and do when one wants too in SF. Catching an international flight to anywhere is much easier. Or stay away from those crowds and head to Pt. Reyes, Bodega Bay or the local state parks.

Sonora's biggest benefit to me would be closer access to Yosemite and the High Sierra. Before moving to WA state, I actually checked out many Sierra Foothill towns due to more 'relative' affordability and great outdoor access to the mountains and lakes. Just a side note on Sonora. My dental hygienist was born and raised there and she said it has really gone downhill over the years. Lots of tweakers, meth labs and crime according her to. The lack of jobs for the youth doesn't help things. She seemed very saddened by it since its her hometown and still has family there. Normally, she is a very positive young lady, happy, energetic just to give a frame of reference. So, I was surprised to hear her story. I know that's just one person's experience. So, take it with a grain of salt. But there can be that element in some of the foothill towns with very little opportunity in terms of jobs. We get the same thing in parts of WA and OR in smaller town that used to big timber towns. The economies became depressed along with the population. The locals are having a hard time making ends meet. That said, I'm sure there are some who love it and it works out great for them. Might be a nice retirement area in parts, for example. Lots of little foothill towns around that general area.

Derek

[Chimérique]

Thanks for the feedback Derek.

I barely remember driving through Sonora decades ago, my one and only time.

But, Just spent 3 days in Sonora, what a gem for reasons that would not have got my attention just a few years ago....but I am growing to appreciate parts of California that were not on my radar before.

Highway 108, wow, so beautiful, Sonora to Pinecrest Lake, Dodge Ridge and further on up to the Snowpark where the road is closed every winter many miles before the summit at Sonora Pass.

Call be biased, but the Sierras with the Ponderosa Pines and Sequoias mixed in with the regular conifer forest and all that California winter sun tops the PNW.

Went snow shoeing 2 days in a row near the snowpark and not a single person was there. Only 3 cars drove up to the snow park in a 4 hour period, and they all turned around. We had the whole place to ourselves!

It has not snowed in the Sierras in over a month, yet there was still about 4 feet of snow at 5,600 feet. Absolutely beautiful, full sun clean crisp air.

Living in Sacramento we always go up I-80 (Donner Pass) or Highway 50 (Echo Summit), sometimes Highway 88 (Carson Pass). But rarely Highway 4 (Ebbetts Pass), never Highway 108 (Sonora Pass) until now.

I love Sonora because it is in the Gold Country, the part of the Gold Country that has had little or no growth in the last few decades.....really little growth since the 1850's!!

Highway 49 - Nevada City, Grass Valley, Auburn, Placerville, Sutter Creek, Jackson all have exploded in growth, lots of new money and all part of the Sacramento Metro but once you get south of Jackson around Mokelumne Hill down to San Andreas, Angels Camp and Sonora.....its like a part of California that time forgot....love it!

[Chimérique]

Zillow average home value Jan 2020

Sonoma, CA $943,782

Sonora, CA $402,319

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Zillow average home value Jan 2020

Sonoma, CA $943,782

Sonora, CA $402,319

Yeah, that alone is a deal breaker for most not already in Sonoma like much of the Bay Area. I mean its cheaper than SF, but its still $1M for a home! And that's probably an average one at that. Since our extended family moved there ~ 10-15+ years ago, they got in when it was much more affordable. But now, forget it.

I was actually looking at the foothill towns more around Sacramento before moving to WA three years ago. Those along with the ones a bit closer in such as Grass Valley, Auburn, Granite Bay, etc... It sounds like many Bay Area refugees have been doing the same thing. And of course, that drives up values and increases crowds at all the local spots nearby. Tahoe access is even better up I80. So, I can see why it's really growing. People have to go somewhere and spread out. The Bay Area is just not livable/sustainable for most long-term.

Honestly, the entire world economy is changing due to Covid. This is especially true within corporate cultures which have had to embrace remote work out of necessity. When I first starting working remotely pre-Covid, it was more the exception. Now, so many companies have changed their remote policies for good. The Great Resignation has also played a role in that.

Due to all of this economic change and shake up, people can start moving to those smaller towns and still make a decent living from a Bay Area company. That just wasn't really a thing before. So, I think we'll continue seeing folks spreading out more throughout CA and the rest of the nation. And towns like Sonora could actually be on the rise because of it even though somewhat stagnant and depressed economically before. This might be a good time to get in before the next wave of growth occurs.

Derek

[roadwarrior101]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Zillow average home value Jan 2020

Sonoma, CA $943,782

Sonora, CA $402,319

Wow, that's quite a difference. I can see the appeal from a financial perspective. I think Sonoma also benefits from being closer to the Bay Area job centers. I've known some people living there who commute a couple days per week into SF. It's not a fun commute, but doable if you have a hybrid working schedule.

As Derek mentioned, the sea breeze in Sonoma makes for a much more bearable climate during the summertime.

The other thing is that the Sierra foothills are far too red for my tastes. I don't thinnk I'd really enjoy that about living there. But to visit, it is a beautiful area.

[BeauCharles]

I have a soft spot for Sonora. I grew up in Oakdale just down the highway from it and in Mariposa County to the south. That entire area just feels like home to me. Sonora is a beautiful town and between it, Jamestown and Columbia there is a lot of Gold Rush history to explore.

Believe it or not I've never been to Sonoma. The Napa Valley is the only part of the Wine Country I've visited. The only thing that would put me off from either place is wildfire danger. The last dozen years has really changed my view on places in the Coast Range north of the Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada. I'm nervous where I currently live.

[General I80]

I'll go with Sonoma because it's close to San Francisco and Sacramento.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by General I80

I'll go with Sonoma because it's close to San Francisco and Sacramento.

I've been going to Sonoma since the 80's for various reasons I know it well. And, Been driving through it from Sacramento on my way to Santa Rosa for decades because we had friends there. I've always loved that Sonoma is not "really" the Bay Area, Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley both are their own thing apart from the Bay Area. But comparing it with Sonora, what a difference, SonoRa reminds of SonoMa 30 years ago.

We've been spending a lot of time in the Sierras, south of Tahoe, Highway 88, 4, 26, and 108. Great mountain towns all doable as a day trip from Sacramento by way of Highway 16 to Highway 49, no need to drive south down the Central Valley to get to these towns.

Below is the sweet spot in the Sierras between Tahoe and Yosemite, few folks travel these highways:

Highway 49 meets Highway 88 at Sutter Creek and Jackson, very cool towns, Amador and Shenahdoha Valley Wine country near Plymounth. Highway 88 is fairly deserted and gorgeous on up to Carson Pass and Kirkwood Ski Resort. Snow melt drains into Commanche Lake

Highway 49 meets Highway 26 at Mokelumne Hill, this highway goes half way up the Sierras. Anyone know much about Mokelumne Hill and the road on up?

Highway 49 meets Highway 4 at Angels Camp historic Mark Twain town "Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County" fame. Highway 4 has some beautiful vineyard areas near town of Murphys further up to town of Arnold is the Sequoia Big Trees Park, on up to gorgeous alpine lakes and several snow parks and Ebbetts Pass. Snow melt drains into New Melones Lake

Highway 49 meets Highway 108 at Sonora. Highway 108 is not traveled much either even though there is the Dodge Ridge Ski Resort half way up before Sonora Pass. Snow melt drains into New Melones Lake and Don Pedro Reservoir

[BOORGONG]

^^^^^^^^

Chimérique/


New Melones Lake has a couple of interesting toponymic features; Glory Hole recreation area and Moaning cavern… I wonder, does New Melones refer to a boob job in old Spanish?