The Town Files

Elk Grove, California

City in Sacramento County · population 176,124 (2020 Census)

Aerial view of Elk Grove, California
Aerial: USDA NAIP (public domain)
Median home
$630,100
Household income
$125,924
Jan low / Jul high
39° / 93°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
4
Median age
39.4

Elk Grove is a city of 176,124 people in Sacramento County, California. The median home is worth $630,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 86% of California towns, more vibrant than 78% of California towns, more of a college town than 75% of California towns.

Map: where Elk Grove is in CaliforniaElk Grove
Elk Grove in our rankings:

How Elk Grove ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Elk Grove lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement33rd pctFamilies86th pctQuiet20th pctWalkability68th pctFirst-time buyers38th pctYoung professionals64th pctVibrancy78th pctHip & trendy35th pctCollege town75th pctUpscale73rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling55th pctTransit74th pctDriving36th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Elk Grove is worth $630,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.0 times the median household income of $125,924, which is more affordable than 76% of California towns. Median rent is $2,262 a month. 73.8% of households own their home.

Elk Grove vs Sacramento County vs typical California townElk GroveSacramento CountyTypical California townHome value$630,100$534,200$596,900Household income$125,924$92,175$91,557Monthly rent$2,262$1,790$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingElk GroveTypical California town
Median home value$630,100$596,900
Median rent$2,262$1,827
Median household income$125,924$91,557
Home value ÷ income5.0×6.4×
Homeownership73.8%67.4%
Median year built20001977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.3%—

Who lives in Elk Grove

PeopleElk GroveTypical California town
Median age39.440.2
Age 65 and over13.9%17.7%
Under 1825.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher38.9%27.7%
Below the poverty line8.0%10.3%
Veterans5.1%—
Born outside the U.S.25.4%—
Work from home21.2%13.4%
Average commute30.8 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband96.9%93.3%

Weather in Elk Grove

July highs average 92.6°F and January lows 39.2°F. About 18.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 76 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 15 nights at or below freezing.

Elk Grove monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing56°39°Jan61°42°Feb66°45°Mar72°47°Apr80°52°May88°57°Jun93°59°Jul92°59°Aug89°57°Sep79°50°Oct65°43°Nov56°39°DecPrecipitation (in)3.73.52.71.30.80.20.00.00.10.81.73.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Sacramento Executive Ap station (8.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Elk Grove since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on October 22, 2012 about 2.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 8, 2022.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Elk Grove by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s22000s12010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Sacramento County since 1996

Storm events in Sacramento County since 1996 by typeHail8Flood163Tornado12Lightning1Heavy Rain29Flash Flood9Funnel Cloud7Thunderstorm Wind7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Sacramento County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Sacramento County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Sacramento County

Sacramento County had 726,937 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $80,125 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Elk Grove itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.

Largest industries in Sacramento CountyHealth care & social assistan…122,313 jobs · $70,286Retail60,902 jobs · $43,927Hotels & restaurants56,033 jobs · $30,141Construction45,496 jobs · $86,710Professional & technical serv…41,507 jobs · $130,718Administrative & support41,330 jobs · $56,380
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Sacramento County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Sacramento 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Elk Grove

39 public schools with 39,276 students, about 22.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Franklin High9-122,65923.7
Pleasant Grove High9-122,51222.6
Monterey Trail High9-122,29822.5
Cosumnes Oaks High9-122,15122.2
Laguna Creek High9-122,11921.2
Elk Grove High9-121,69220.4
Katherine L. Albiani Middle7-81,39121.7
Toby Johnson Middle7-81,33522.6
Edward Harris Jr. Middle7-81,17921.8
Zehnder Ranch ElementaryK-61,04825.6
Elizabeth Pinkerton Middle7-81,04721.8
Harriet G. Eddy Middle7-81,01319.9

Towns near Elk Grove

Elk Grove questions

Is Elk Grove, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Elk Grove scores better for retirees than 33% of California towns and quieter than 20%. 13.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.4).

How much does a house cost in Elk Grove?

The median owner-occupied home in Elk Grove is valued at $630,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $125,924, so homes cost about 5.0 times income. Median rent is $2,262 a month.

What is the weather like in Elk Grove?

July highs average 92.6°F and January lows 39.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 18.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Elk Grove get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Elk Grove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on October 22, 2012. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Elk Grove's Census boundary (GEOID 0622020). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.