Where to Live in Yolo County: Towns Compared by Services, Levees and Rules

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Choosing where to live in Yolo County starts with two questions: is the parcel inside one of the four cities (Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento or Winters) or in the unincorporated county, and which levee system and reclamation district protect it? After that, the practical differences are the water source (city surface water, a small community services district, or a private well), whether the town is on a Yolobus route or near the Davis Amtrak station, and, for farmland, whether a Williamson Act contract limits how the land can be used or split.

This guide compares places only by housing types and lot sizes, jurisdiction, utility service, transportation, local rules and ownership costs. It does not describe residents, safety or schools, and it contains no prices or market statistics. For listings, start on our Yolo County homes page.

Cities and unincorporated communities

Inside the four cities, the city sets planning, building and rental rules. Everywhere else is unincorporated Yolo County, where the county is the land-use authority. That includes Esparto, Clarksburg, Knights Landing, Yolo, Madison, Capay, Guinda, Dunnigan and Zamora, as well as El Macero and Wild Wings, which are county service areas rather than cities. For listings and local detail, see Davis real estate, Woodland real estate, West Sacramento real estate, Winters real estate, Esparto homes for sale and Clarksburg homes for sale.

Several unincorporated areas use a Davis or Woodland mailing address. Check the jurisdiction on the county parcel record before you rely on any rule in this guide. Our city, farm and Delta property comparison explains how those three settings differ as property types.

Town-by-town comparison

Sources for each column are in the sections below. "Confirm" means we did not verify that item against an official page for this guide.

Levees, flood protection and reclamation districts

Much of Yolo County sits behind levees, and the levee system that protects a parcel can matter as much as the town. Yolo LAFCo’s flood protection services review, adopted September 26, 2024, maps who maintains each system:

• West Sacramento. Reclamation District 900 is the local maintaining agency for the 46.98-mile West Sacramento levee system, which the review rates high risk. The West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, a joint powers agency of the city and RD 900 formed in 1994, is working toward a 200-year level of flood protection by 2040.
• Woodland. RD 2035 maintains the 29.1-mile Cache Creek–RD 2035–Willow Bypass system, which protects part of the city and is rated high risk.
• Davis. The Putah Creek Unit 1–Yolo Bypass–Willow Slough Unit 2 system, rated moderate risk, is maintained by the state Department of Water Resources rather than a local district.
• Knights Landing and Clarksburg. County Service Area 6 and the Knights Landing Ridge Drainage District maintain the Knights Landing system; RDs 307, 765 and 999 maintain the SacYolo South system around Clarksburg. Regional goals cited in the review are 200-year protection for Davis, West Sacramento and Woodland and 100-year protection for Clarksburg, Knights Landing and Yolo.

Reclamation districts can levy landowner assessments; the review recommends regular assessments for some districts, so check the tax bill for a reclamation district line. A parcel’s FEMA flood zone affects insurance and lending, and West Sacramento lists a staff contact for flood zone questions. Read our Yolo County flood zone, levee and insurance records guide and flood insurance in California before you write an offer.

Water, sewer and wells

Davis and Woodland share a surface water supply through the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency, a joint powers authority of the two cities and UC Davis. In the small towns, community services districts do the work. Yolo LAFCo’s community services district review (public review draft, January 6, 2021) says Esparto CSD provides water, wastewater, stormwater, street lighting and parks; Cacheville CSD provides domestic water and street lighting to the town of Yolo, where homes use septic systems; and Madison CSD manages and operates Knights Landing CSD under a shared services arrangement.

On farm parcels, a private well and septic system is common. Yolo County Environmental Health reviews new well permits for interference with nearby wells and subsidence risk under state drought rules; domestic wells using under two acre-feet a year are excluded from that review but need a declaration. Check whether those procedures still apply when you apply. For septic records, ask the seller and Environmental Health for the permit history.

Transportation: Yolobus, Amtrak and highways

Yolobus runs local routes in West Sacramento (37, 40, 41, 240) and Woodland (211, 212); intercity routes 42A/42B and 138 linking Woodland, Davis, West Sacramento, downtown Sacramento and Sacramento Airport; Route 215 from Woodland to Esparto and Capay; and express routes to Sacramento from Davis (43, 43R, 44, 230) and Woodland (45). It also serves Winters. Its route page does not list Clarksburg, Knights Landing, Madison or Dunnigan.

Davis is the county’s Capitol Corridor station, between Sacramento and Suisun-Fairfield, with trains on to the Bay Area and San Jose. By car, I-80 crosses Davis and West Sacramento, I-5 runs through Woodland and Dunnigan, US 50 begins in West Sacramento, and SR 113, SR 16 and SR 128 serve Woodland, the Capay Valley and Winters.

Farmland and the Williamson Act

Farm parcels in Yolo County may be under a Williamson Act contract, which runs with the land. The county’s Williamson Act guidelines, presented to the Board of Supervisors in April 2018, set minimum parcel sizes for new contracts of 40 gross acres for irrigated, cultivable prime land, 80 acres for non-irrigated cultivable land and 160 acres for non-prime land. Contracts renew themselves each year unless a notice of nonrenewal is filed, and after nonrenewal the contract runs out its remaining term (nine years for a land use agreement). Cancellation requires Board findings and a fee of 12.5% of unencumbered fair market value for a nine-year agreement. Up to two housing units are allowed on agriculturally zoned parcels if clustered within 250 feet, or three in the Clarksburg Agricultural Overlay Zone. Check for a later version of the guidelines, and read our farmland, Williamson Act and mitigation guide and Williamson Act basics.

Ownership costs and rental rules

Transfer tax. The Yolo County Recorder lists documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 (the same as $0.55 per $500). The recorder’s fee page lists no city transfer tax; confirm with the city. See California transfer tax.

Special taxes. Newer subdivisions in the cities can carry Mello-Roos (CFD) taxes, and rural parcels can carry reclamation district assessments. We did not verify each city’s district list for this guide, so read the full tax bill and ask for the district’s rate and method. Our Yolo County special tax and assessment records guide and Mello-Roos in California explain what to request, and plan for a supplemental tax bill after closing.

Rentals. Short-term and long-term rental rules differ by city and were not verified for this guide. Start with our Yolo County rental property rules by city and California short-term rental rules, then check the city’s current code.

Choosing a short list

1. Decide between a city lot on city water and sewer and a farm or Delta parcel on a well and septic.
2. Identify the levee system and reclamation district, and check the FEMA flood zone.
3. Decide whether a Yolobus route or the Davis station matters for your routine.
4. For farmland, confirm any Williamson Act contract before you plan a home, split or new use.

We can pull parcel records and listings for your short list; start on our buyer page or contact us. Comparing counties? See our Sacramento County, Placer County and El Dorado County guides.

Questions people ask

Is El Macero part of Davis?

No. El Macero is a county service area in unincorporated Yolo County, so county planning and building rules apply even with a Davis mailing address.

Who maintains the levees in West Sacramento?

Reclamation District 900 is the local maintaining agency, and the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, formed by the city and RD 900, is working toward 200-year protection by 2040.

Where does Davis and Woodland water come from?

Both cities are members, with UC Davis, of the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency, a joint powers authority that manages a shared surface water supply.

Which Yolo County towns have a train station?

Davis, on the Capitol Corridor. Yolobus connects Woodland, West Sacramento, Esparto, Capay and Winters to Davis and Sacramento.

Can I build a second home on Williamson Act land in Yolo County?

Possibly. The county guidelines allow up to two housing units on agriculturally zoned parcels if clustered within 250 feet, or three in the Clarksburg overlay. Confirm with county planning.

What is the transfer tax in Yolo County?

$1.10 per $1,000 of value, or $0.55 per $500. Confirm with the city whether any city tax applies.

Do rural Yolo County homes have their own wells?

Many do. Small towns such as Esparto, Yolo and Knights Landing have district water; outside them, a private well and septic system is common. Confirm for the parcel.

Sources & notes

1. Yolo LAFCo: Flood protection services MSR/SOI, LAFCo No. 23-03 (adopted September 26, 2024).
2. City of West Sacramento: Flood protection.
3. Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency.
4. Yolo LAFCo: Community services districts MSR/SOI (public review draft, January 6, 2021).
5. Yolo County Environmental Health: Water well program.
6. Yolobus: Routes.
7. Capitol Corridor: Locate a station.
8. Yolo County: Williamson Act guidelines (Board of Supervisors, April 2018).
9. Yolo County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder: Recording fees.

Notes: Winters’ status as an incorporated city reflects common jurisdiction records; confirm any parcel’s status on the county parcel record. West Sacramento and Winters water and sewer, septic rules, city CFD lists, short-term and long-term rental rules and any city transfer tax were not verified for this guide. The CSD review is a 2021 draft; district services may have changed. Rules change; verify before you buy.

General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Updated November 2026. Primary sources are linked in this guide.

Related: Yolo County homes · City, farm and Delta property comparison · Flood zone and levee records · Clarksburg vineyards