Market Overview

“Sacramento has arrived – one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S.”

Sacramento, the 18th largest DMA and the capital of the world’s 5th largest economy – California, is booming. “Forbes Magazine ranks Sacramento #6 in “Job Growth,” #11 in “Living Cost” and #12 in “Coolness.”

Downtown Sacramento is rapidly growing from brand-new condos and shops to high-rise office buildings. The new development of 301 Capitol Mall will include high-end residential, InterContinental Hotel, shopping mall and restaurant spaces that are estimated to complete by 2008.

In late 2006, Thomas Enterprises, Inc., the project’s Atlanta-based developer took ownership of the Railyards which located north of downtown Sacramento and east of Interstate 5. The Railyards offer a vibrant, urban atmosphere with entertainment venues, retails, mixed-used high-density housing, office space, theatres, riverfront amenities, parks, hotels, and museums. “In the next five years, we’re probably looking at having 10,000 new residents downtown,” says Mayor Heather Fargo. “We are in the middle of an incredible transition.”

Sacramento author, Joan Didion, wrote in a 2004 New York Times article, “Today, in the midst of a population boom, including floods of moneyed Bay Area residents moving inland in the wake of the dot-com crash, (I) hardly recognize (my) hometown. Hundreds of lofts are taking shape downtown, sharing tree-lined streets, with turn-of-the-century Victorians. Chefs from New York and Los Angeles are upgrading the restaurant scene. Two of the city’s newer residents, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the state’s first lady, Maria Shriver, have brought a little bit of Hollywood to the state capital”.

Sacramento is rapidly becoming “Silicon Valley East” with companies such as Hewlett Packard, Intel, Apple and Packard Bell/NEC establishing beachheads in the region. According to the Wall Street Journal, many Silicon Valley and Bay Area tech firms are heading 90 miles east in search of less expensive operating costs.

As an indicator of economic vitality, Sacramento trails only New York and Boston in annual class A office space costs. Additionally, Fast Company Magazine includes Sacramento in their “America’s Top Ten Fast Cities,” defined by cities demonstrating the highest rates of growth among the “creative class,” such as scientists, engineers, artists, cultural creatives, etc. With a population educated, wired, and a quality of life noted, growth continues at rates among the top nationally.

Others have taken notice. Fortune Magazine listed Sacramento 4th in the nation for “Best Workers.” Business 2.0 places Sacramento #11 on the top 20 list of Boom Towns in the U.S. Money Magazine places Sacramento in their “Top 20 Cities to Live and Work.” In 2002, Time Magazine named Sacramento “America’s Most Diverse City.” The Milken Survey of 2004 ranks Sacramento the 15th best economy in the US. An American Online survey of the top 20 media markets ranks Sacramento the 6th-best city in the nation for singles. In 2005, Men’s Fitness Magazine named Sacramento one of their “Top 10 Fittest Cities in America.” Sacramento has arrived.

Located 90 miles northeast of San Francisco, Sacramento enjoys a Mediterranean climate and is in the middle of some of the country’s greatest recreational resources. From Napa Wine Country to Lake Tahoe, to abundant golf courses to over 1,000 miles of surrounding waterways including the American and Sacramento Rivers, Folsom Lake, The Delta and Lake Natoma.

Market Demographics

Demographics
Neilson TV Households Rank	20
Adults Age 18+ Rank	19
Population of Adults 18+	2,855,501
Total Population	3,989,675
% Population Change from 1990 to 2009	50
Average Age	34.7
Average Household Income	72,338
Average Number of Vehicles per Household	2
Population Density (People per Sq/Mile)	203
Race Distribution (%)
White	66
African American	7
Asian	10
American Indian	1
Hawaiian	1
Multi-Race	6
Other	11
Ethnicity (%)
Hispanic	25
Research Profiles (%)
Traveled 500 or more total miles in a month	33.2
Household plans to buy any new vehicle next year	7.9
Have visited a casino last year	48.9
Plan to switch wireless/cellular carrier next year	10.1
Personally attended/visited a live theater last year	19.3
Participated in golf last year	12.9
Bought any items on the internet last year	55.4
Usually see a new movie opening weekend in a year	7.8
Did not read any daily newspaper(s) yesterday	55.7
Accessed the internet last month	73
Drove alone to any place last week	92
Car pooled to any place last week	7.6
Spent 30 minutes or more traveling to work one way	15.2

Sources: 2009 Census Estimates; 2009 Scarborough