Now’s The Time to Move to San Joaquin

San Joaquin County, together with the Sacramento Valley, makes up the Great Valley, accounting for one-tenth the landmass of California. Historically, San Joaquin County has been a magnet for settlers from all over the world.

Some two decades before the first American immigrants arrived in 1841, the area was a favorite among French fur trappers. Among the county’s cities, Lodi was settled by German immigrants and Ripon became home to settlers from Holland. By the 1930’s, the largest Filipino population outside of the Philippines were living and working in Stockton. And, at one time, the largest Japanese population in the United States were found in Stockton home, as well as the largest population of Chinese in California.

If you’re thinking about relocating to San Joaquin County, now’s a great time to make the move. And you won’t be alone –  based on California’s current population trends, by 2050, more than 6.5 million people will be living the Central Valley home – a huge 72% increase from today’s population.

An amazing turnaround for San Joaquin County, home price gains led the nation’s metropolitan areas with a one-year increase of more than 19 percent, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index. The housing market experienced one of its strongest quarters since the boom in the middle of the last decade.

According to the California Association of Realtors, the median price of an existing, single-family detached home in San Joaquin County jumped 8 percent in July from June to $225,000. For the year, that was up nearly 34 percent.

If you’re not in the market to buy a home, you might consider renting at first. Or check into a rent-to-own program available in the county. If you do, don’t overlook obtaining renter’s insurance. You may be able to save on insurance costs by combining renter’s or homeowner’s insurance with your car insurance.

Have you ever lived in this area or planning to relocate here?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!