Neighborhood Guide · Placer County
Loomis, Placer County
Where Country meets, Exquisite Estates.
Loomis is one of my favorite Placer County picks and let me tell you why. It has the small-town foothill feel that everyone who loves this region eventually wishes they had found sooner. It's a rural, close-knit community with a historic Old Town, horse and acreage properties of every type and size, and a rural-meets-suburban character no master plan can build. It sits just off I-80 and all the way to Folsom Lake, so the quiet does not cost you the connection. Lifestyles and living in Loomis, here's my guide.
What It's Like to Live Here
The Wow Factor You Can Feel
Loomis has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the region. What Loomis has that most other areas in the region, say all of El Dorado County, don't, is water, and lots of it. Ponds, streams, and good producing wells all make the area lush, green, and floral. It's also the reason Loomis' roots are founded in farming and orchards, which still fill the area with great fruit and veggie stands. Add to that rolling hills, huge granite boulders and outcroppings, and traveling down a winding Loomis road just 10 minutes off the commute on I-80 and you'll be taken back to an easier, quieter, peaceful place of your youth and dreams.
If you're looking for a premier horse property, an exquisite estate, a vineyard estate, a luxury gated community, or just want rural with large lots, Loomis is definitely worth a look.
An insider's tip:
In the quaint Old Town there is THE best brunch spot anywhere. High-Hand Café sits right inside and outside the High-Hand Nursery. Absolutely gorgeous, with great food for breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch. Also attached is a converted feed-grain warehouse with cool shops and a great nightlife.
Prices can range from $500K to $750K for moderate homes and possible fix-up opportunities, to $750K to $1M for good quality subdivision homes or acreage properties, to $1M to $4M for gorgeous, you-need-to-see-it properties that let you live the dream.
Typical Homes & Prices
What Your Money Buys
Typical Price Range
$750,000 - $1,500,000
A wide spread across the community, with horse and acreage properties commanding well into seven figures. Expect more land for the money than the big Placer names.
Typical Homes
Everything from Ranch style homes on large lots to Custom Estates
Who It Suits
Horse Lovers, Land Lovers, Country Life Lovers, and hybrid or remote workers who need quick I-80 access to Sacramento
The Practical Stuff
Commute, Schools & Everyday Life
Commute
Loomis sits right off I-80, which is the quiet part's secret weapon. Downtown Sacramento is roughly thirty minutes, Roseville and Rocklin are a quick hop, and Auburn and the mountains are an easy run in the other direction.
Schools
Loomis Union Elementary covers the K-8 picture, then Placer Union High School District takes over, with Del Oro High in town on Taylor Road. It is one of the reasons Loomis holds its families for the long haul.
Everyday Life
Old Town on Taylor Road is the heart: the cafes, the antique shops, and the community events that pull the whole town out all year round. Horses, foothills, and quiet country roads fill the rest of the days.
Steve's Take
The honest assessment
What I Love
- 1. It is a small town down to its roots. Old Town, the community events, the neighbors who know each other. That is disappearing fast in Placer County, and Loomis still has it.
- 2. Acreage and horse properties at prices the more well known Placer names cannot touch. Fewer people for the most beautiful land around.
- 3. Old Town on Taylor Road is a destination all its own, with the cafes and antique shops that draw people from all over.
- 4. Minutes off I-80. The quieter lifestyle does not cost you the commute, and that is rare.
Honest Trade-Offs
- 1. You will drive for a lot. Big-box retail, varied dining, and many services sit in Rocklin or Roseville.
- 2. Acreage is a commitment. Wells, septic, irrigation, and maintenance all come with the space.
- 3. Growth is coming. Loomis sits on Placer County's radar, so expect development chatter and the need to protect the small-town character.
- 4. It lacks the brand recognition of neighboring Granite Bay. That is a value for buyers, but you give up a little resale, while gaining more land.
Hidden Gems & Local Spots
Where Locals Actually Go
Old Town on Taylor Road punches far above its size, and the foothills around it are where people actually play.
High-Hand Cafe & Nursery
The Loomis landmark on Taylor Road, where a nursery, artisan shop, and cafe all come together. The most requested breakfast spot in the area, hands down.
Taylor RdLoomis Basin Brewing Co.
The gastropub and smokehouse on Taylor Road with a faithful local pour. Where Loomis goes when it wants a proper dinner and a beer with neighbors.
Taylor RdSmithville & Co.
A cozy Old Town coffee and community shop on Taylor Road that feels like the town's front porch. The right first stop for a Loomis afternoon.
Taylor RdMandarin Orchard Season
In the fall, a dozen or so mandarin orchards open up and the whole region flocks out here for them. Mandarin Hills Orchards is the classic stop, and there's a fun and delicious Mandarin Festival that kicks the season off.
The Hidden Gem Locals Keep to Themselves
The community itself. Loomis still throws the kind of events that pull the whole town out, from the summer festival in Old Town to the classic cars and tractors rolling down Taylor Road on the Fourth of July. It is the small-town togetherness, not any single shop or view, that makes Loomis one of my favorite picks in Placer County.
Thinking About Loomis?
Let's Find Your Piece of the Foothills
I know the acreage, the horse properties, the Old Town lots, and the coming growth here. Tell me what you want and I will be honest about what Loomis will and will not deliver.