Citrus Heights celebrated it’s 10 year anniversary of cityhood in 2007 and managed to get a 89% approval rating from it’s residents on the survey it took. The city has been working feverishly to update and upgrade many of the areas that have been neglected and it appears that the residents are pleased with the improvements. Timing the tax base increase certainly helped by funding the many projects undertaken in addition to luring businesses to expand their operations in or near the Sunrise Marketplace.

Citrus Heights has a population of 87,000 residents with an average income of just under $50,000 year. When I first moved to Sacramento in 1988 I landed in the northeastern corner of Citrus Heights which borders Orangevale. We lived in a new home built when one of the farmers sold off a portion of land to a small developer getting in on the housing boom of the late 1980’s.

The mix of sleepy town with urban sprawl most clearly describes this area just south of the Placer county line. Like most of the valley towns this one started out as an agricultural community and built the first school prior to the gold rush. Most of the community is tract housing with a few acreages left for farm animals. San Juan School District had a variety of schools available and has closed a couple of the grammar schools in the past few years due to declining enrollment. There are charter schools available (which attracted my family) that you can enroll your children so long as you are willing to transport them.

Sunrise Rollerland is one of the few roller skating rinks left standing in the valley and I’ve spent many Saturday afternoons there at children’s birthday parties. Coming from the bay area we found this area to be very family friendlyand offered a more balanced environment to raise our kids. There is a real sense of community and it shines on the minor holidays when the city hosts parades or gathers to light the city Christmas tree. I think cityhood has been good for this town and am encouraged by the positive growth.