Stockton is not an attractive city. For outdoors activities gold country and Tahoe are 2-3 hours. The ocean is also about 2 hours. If it were me I'd choose Florida.

I lived in Stockton for 4 years in the 60's. I remember the air heavy with peat in the spring from nearby rice fields. Don't know if those fields still exist or if the peat is still a problem, but, from what I've heard about the crime in Stockton in recent years, I would shy away from it.

There are some lovely places in the Delta area, just minutes away from Stockton, if you like boating or fishing. They've been doing some habitat restoration along the levees so there are reeds as you boat by instead of rock. Waterbirds love the reeds. I've seen great blue herons, snowy egrets, a green heron and heard hundreds of blackbirds.

Stockton itself can get baking hot in the summer and socked in with thick, chilly tule fog in the winter.

I have been a resident of Stockton for the past 24 years. I visited Jacksonville a few years ago, so I do have some perspective of both cities for comparison.

The answer to your question is a matter of personal preference. Let me give you my list of pros and cons. Obviously, my list for Stockton will be much more extensive.

Stockton Pros

Thousands of miles of waterways in the Delta.

Wonderful university setting.

Lively minor league sports scene.

Affordable for California.

Warm summers that cool off in the evening due to the delta breeze.

Ethnically diverse population

Nearby to San Francisco, Yosemite, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe.

Stockton Cons

No major airport in town. Have to drive to Sacramento.

Not a large city, so missing some large city amenities.

Hiking and outdoor trails are limited.

Poor reputation for crime.

Jacksonville Pros

Large city, plenty of big city amenities.

Pro sports - NFL!

Ocean practically in your back yard.

Jacksonville Cons

Humidity...sorry.

Flat land, no mountains anywhere.

Hurricaines

To me, the weather in Jacksonville is enough to turn me off, but then again, I'm a native Californian and couldn't imagine living in Florida's humidity.

Stockton doesn't exactly have pleasant weather by California standards, but I've been told the humidity in Florida is quite bad. Also, a recently released study on the walkability of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. ranked Jacksonville at number 40!

If California were a creature, Stockton would be its armpit and Blythe would be its unmentionables. Words to live by.

Now, about Stockton... Do you really have to live *in* Stockton? Or can you just live nearby? Stockton itself has a bit of a crime problem in parts...

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