Sacramento Region City Guide · Sacramento County

Folsom, California

Gold Rush railroad town on the American River, with Folsom Lake at its door

Sutter Street outside the Folsom History Museum, 2008. Image: UncleVinny · CC BY 3.0

By Aaron Rose, Realtor®, eXp Realty of California · Last updated October 18, 2026

Where is Folsom, California?

Folsom is a city in northeastern Sacramento County at about 325 feet, on the American River. Downtown Sacramento is about 20 miles away (straight-line), and the El Dorado County line runs along the city's eastern side. The 2020 Census counted 80,454 residents and 29,574 housing units on 27.9 square miles of land, up 11% from 72,203 in 2010. Highway 50 crosses the southern part of the city.

County and ZIP: The city is entirely in Sacramento County. Nearly all of it is ZIP 95630 (74,787 residents across the whole ZIP area, 2020 Census). The Folsom State Prison area uses 95671 (Represa), and a point we sampled in the newer plan area south of Highway 50 fell in 95683. Nearby El Dorado Hills is a separate community in El Dorado County. ZIP areas here are Census ZCTAs, which approximate USPS ZIP codes; a mailing city name doesn't always match city limits.

Who lives here: Census estimates reported by RPR put the median age at 41 and the median household income at $139,804, and about 70% of homes are owner-occupied (U.S. Census via RPR, pulled October 18, 2026).

What is the history of Folsom?

Per the City of Folsom, the town grew from the Leidesdorff estate, a 35,000-acre grant bought by Captain Joseph Libbey Folsom. Theodore Judah laid out a townsite called Granite City. Folsom died in July 1855, and his executors renamed the town for him. The townsite was recorded in December 1855.

Judah also engineered the Sacramento Valley Railroad, which made its first run on February 22, 1856, over 22 miles from Sacramento. The city calls it the first commercial railroad west of the Rockies, and the California State Library marks the run as California's first railroad. The city says light rail now follows much of the old route. Folsom was also the western terminus of the Pony Express for a time, and the city incorporated in 1946.

Folsom State Prison received its first 44 inmates on July 26, 1880, per CDCR. Folsom Dam created Folsom Lake in the mid-1950s. The city dates construction to 1948–1955, and the Bureau of Reclamation lists completion in 1956 and a capacity of about 977,000 acre-feet.

The Folsom Powerhouse

On July 13, 1895, the Folsom Powerhouse sent electricity 22 miles to Sacramento at 11,000 volts, per California State Parks. The agency calls the 1895 plant one of the oldest hydroelectric facilities in the world and a prototype for modern electrical transmission. It's now Folsom Powerhouse State Historic Park (9980 Greenback Ln.).

What are Folsom's main neighborhoods?

Historic District: Sutter Street and the blocks around it hold the Gold Rush and railroad-era downtown, including the Folsom History Museum (823 Sutter St.). Expect older homes and some historic properties nearby.

North of Highway 50: The city's established neighborhoods are north of the freeway, around Lake Natoma and Folsom Lake. RPR puts the city's median home age at 26 years. The area south of the freeway was annexed only after 2004.

Folsom Plan Area (south of Highway 50): In 2004 voters approved Measure W, which allowed the city to annex about 3,520 acres south of Highway 50. It required a new water supply and 30% natural open space, per the city. This is where most of Folsom's newest homes are being built, and builders market much of it as Folsom Ranch.

What is there to do in and around Folsom?

Folsom Lake State Recreation Area wraps around Folsom Lake and Lake Natoma, with day-use areas such as Beals Point, Folsom Point and Nimbus Flat, plus trails along both lakes, per State Parks. The historic Rainbow Bridge crosses the American River near the Historic District. South of Highway 50, the city's Measure W plan calls for more than 1,000 acres of protected open space and over 30 miles of bike paths and trails as the Plan Area builds out.

What schools serve Folsom?

Census/NCES boundaries put essentially all of the city in Folsom Cordova Unified School District; one sampled point on the far western edge fell in San Juan Unified. NCES lists FCUSD's Folsom High, Vista del Lago High and Folsom Lake High (1655 Iron Point Rd.), plus Folsom Middle, Sutter Middle and many elementaries. The city's Plan Area documents call for five new elementary schools, a middle school and a high school south of Highway 50 as neighborhoods fill in.

How local schools rate in RPR (school ratings shown in Realtors Property Resource, pulled October 18, 2026):

• Vista del Lago High: A+
• Folsom High: A+
• Folsom Preparatory School (private, K–5): A+
• Gold Ridge Elementary: A
• Sutter Middle: A
• Oak Chan Elementary: A
• Blanche Sprentz Elementary: A-

Ratings are third-party summaries, and district lines don't follow ZIP codes or community names, so confirm the district and school assignment for a specific address with the Sacramento County Office of Education or the district office.

How far is Folsom from Sacramento?

Folsom is about 20 miles (straight-line) from downtown Sacramento via Highway 50, and SacRT light rail serves the city. Census estimates reported by RPR put the average commute at about 27 minutes.

Highway 50 runs west to Sacramento and east toward El Dorado Hills and Lake Tahoe (South Lake Tahoe is about 65 miles, straight-line). Roseville is about 12 miles northwest, and Sacramento International Airport about 24 miles. Drive times vary by address and traffic, so ask Aaron for a route check from a specific property.

What are home prices in Folsom right now?

The median sold price for a single-family home in Folsom was $805,000 in September 2026, about 4.5% higher than a year earlier. Homes sold at 99.6% of list price after a median of 12 days, and the median sold home had about 2,064 square feet (Listings via RPR, pulled October 18, 2026).

Supply is tight. RPR showed 105 active listings (median list price $799,000, or $378 per square foot; median 34 days on market), 82 new listings and 32 pending sales in September, against 59 closed sales. That works out to 1.98 months of inventory, which RPR classifies as a seller's market. RPR's median estimated home value for the city is $807,110, up 1.2% over 12 months (public records and listings via RPR).

One month of single-family sales is a small sample, so ask Aaron for numbers on a specific neighborhood or price range.

How does Folsom compare with nearby towns?

Single-family homes, September 2026. Source: Listings via RPR, Sept 2026, pulled Oct 18, 2026. Year-over-year changes are omitted for comparison towns. Small towns such as Granite Bay and Orangevale had fewer than 20 sales, so their medians can swing month to month.

In short: Granite Bay's median runs about $420,000 above Folsom's; El Dorado Hills, across the county line, runs about $180,000 higher. Roseville and Rancho Cordova offer more homes for less money, and Orangevale was the only one tighter than Folsom on supply. See all Northern California neighborhood guides.

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