Photo of Grass Valley, CA
( 20 Ratings )

Living in Grass Valley, CA

Grass Valley Area Facts

  • Grass Valley has a Livability Score of 71/100, which is considered excellent
  • Grass Valley crime rates are 22% higher than the California average
  • Cost of living in Grass Valley is 9% lower than the California average
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Grass Valley Reviews

Write a review about Grass Valley Tell people what you like or don't like about Grass Valley…
A Wonderful School 5 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 22, 2022) Everything and everyone here is amazing. This article is bs. I don't know what you are talking about. Some of my classmates are taking 11th grade math as 9th graders. Our classes are AP level and we take college classes. ...Read More Read Less
Not what it used to be.... 2.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 01, 2021) My husband and I always camped up in the town of Washington, just outside of Grass Valley. Our family enjoyed many trips and all seasons coming up here from the East Bay Area. Both my husband and I were born and raised in the East Bay, and wanted a slower pace of life, better sch ...Read More ools and a smaller community. We literally planned to retire here.
Fast forward to 2013, he was given a transfer position to the area. We were so excited. I was able to telecommute so it worked out perfectly. Magnolia Middle School was where our daughter began attending and she loved it. She really excelled there! And once she entered Bear River High she really enjoyed it.
Even though our home is located in south Alta Sierra neighborhood, we have 6+ acres, beautiful custom homes and great neighbors. But after having lived here, we are noticing this idyllic town is no longer what it used to be. Crime is rising, the amount of homeless population is growing, and we’ve lost so many wonderful family owned businesses to the pandemic. In order to do any ‘real’ shopping, it’s always a trip into Auburn, Rocklin or Roseville. There are no home improvement stores here, unless you want to pay a mint to go to Hills Flat Lumber or B&C. No real clothing stores, just boutiques that again, can be expensive. And gas and fast food is noticeably higher here than in Auburn.
I can say that our home location puts us exactly in the same distance to north Auburn or downtown Grass Valley. However, we cannot get good internet, any type of food delivery or good takeout.
We have now decided to leave the area (and the state) altogether. Read Less
Nice City Full Of Diversity 3.5 rating By Anonymous ( May 23, 2018) Living in Grass Valley, CA was a great experience for my family and I. This city falls between Sacarmento and Reno, NV, which is a city full of fun and casinos, we were able to travel back and forth in between cities. We had family in Sacramento and we travel to Reno, NV for fun. ...Read More For some reason this city has a higher than average cost of living compared to many other cities around California. There is also a wide range of diversity within the city.

The best places in Grass Valley, CA was the diverse range of restaurants offered. Some of my favorite places were South Pine Cafe service American Traditional Foods, Diego’s Restaurant and Ramen On Main Street. Most of the restaurants are found on or around Main Street. I thought the weather was nice, but some days it was hotter than others and very dry. If you don’t mind the heat than this city is very tolerable. Read Less
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Nice City Full Of Diversity 3.5 rating By Anonymous ( May 23, 2018) Living in Grass Valley, CA was a great experience for my family and I. This city falls between Sacarmento and Reno, NV, which is a city full of fun and casinos, we were able to travel back and forth in between cities. We had family in Sacramento and we travel to Reno, NV for fun. ...Read More For some reason this city has a higher than average cost of living compared to many other cities around California. There is also a wide range of diversity within the city.

The best places in Grass Valley, CA was the diverse range of restaurants offered. Some of my favorite places were South Pine Cafe service American Traditional Foods, Diego’s Restaurant and Ramen On Main Street. Most of the restaurants are found on or around Main Street. I thought the weather was nice, but some days it was hotter than others and very dry. If you don’t mind the heat than this city is very tolerable. Read Less

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Compare Grass Valley, CA Livability

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      A+ Amenities

      Are there many local amenities in Grass Valley? Yes, there are lots of amenities close to this location.

      Parks

      Memorial Park
      Devere Mautino Park
      Condon Park
      Empire Mine State Historic Park
      Empire Mine State Historic Park
      Empire Mine State Historic Park
      Watt Park
      Nevada County Fairgrounds

      Entertainment

      Sierra Cinemas
      Art Gallery & Photo Restoration
      Prosperity Lanes
      Del Oro Theater
      Litton Building
      Bourn Cottage
      North Star Museum
      Nevada County Narrow Guage Railroad Museum

      Food & Drink

      Big A's Drive In
      Grass Valley Brewing
      Long's Bottle Shop
      Gary's Place
      Pine Street Burgers
      Domino's
      Jack in the Box
      El Favorito Taqueria

      B+ Commute

      Is public transit available in Grass Valley? Of all people who commute, 0.0% take public transportation in Grass Valley.
      Drive to Work
      71%

      5% lower than the US average

      Take Public Transit
      0%

      5% lower than the US average

      Walk to Work
      6%

      3% higher than the US average

      A+ Health & Safety

      Is Grass Valley a healthy and safe place to live? Yes, there are many hospitals, police and fire stations.

      Hospitals

      Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
      Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital

      Pharmacies

      Walgreens
      Rite Aid
      GNC

      Doctors

      Grass Valley Extended Care