The Town FilesSanta Rosa, California
City in Sonoma County · population 178,127 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $713,900
- Household income
- $99,060
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 82°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 41.2
Santa Rosa is a city of 178,127 people in Sonoma County, California. The median home is worth $713,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for cycling than 82% of California towns, better for a vacation home than 78% of California towns, more vibrant than 76% of California towns.
How Santa Rosa ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Santa Rosa is worth $713,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.2 times the median household income of $99,060, which is more affordable than 38% of California towns. Median rent is $2,152 a month. 56.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santa Rosa | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $713,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,152 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $99,060 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.2× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 56.7% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Santa Rosa
| People | Santa Rosa | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 21.2% | — |
| Work from home | 11.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.9 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santa Rosa
July highs average 81.6°F and January lows 38.4°F. About 31.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 26 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 15 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Rosa since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 1, 1958 about 4.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 18, 2011.
Severe weather in Sonoma County since 1996
Sonoma County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Sonoma County
Sonoma County had 206,849 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $71,422 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Santa Rosa itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.
Public schools in Santa Rosa
65 public schools with 28,886 students, about 20.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa High | 9-12 | 1,636 | 19.5 |
| Maria Carrillo High | 9-12 | 1,585 | 23.0 |
| Montgomery High | 9-12 | 1,433 | 18.6 |
| Piner High | 9-12 | 1,384 | 20.4 |
| Roseland Charter (charter) | K-12 | 1,250 | 18.7 |
| Elsie Allen High | 9-12 | 980 | 17.5 |
| Cesar Chavez Language Academy (charter) | K-8 | 811 | 18.9 |
| Rincon Valley Middle | 7-8 | 780 | 23.6 |
| Oak Grove Elementary/Willowside Middle (charter) | 1-8 | 714 | 23.0 |
| Herbert Slater Middle | 7-8 | 690 | 18.6 |
| Sheppard Elementary | K-6 | 572 | 23.8 |
| Yulupa Elementary | K-3 | 560 | 21.5 |
Towns near Santa Rosa
- Larkfield-Wikiup, CA5.3 mi · 8,492 people · home $704,700
- Rohnert Park, CA6.8 mi · 44,390 people · home $666,300
- Sebastopol, CA7.3 mi · 7,521 people · home $845,700
- Sonoma State University, CA7.5 mi · 2,679 people · home —
- Cotati, CA8.1 mi · 7,584 people · home $746,800
- Windsor, CA8.7 mi · 26,344 people · home $801,100
- Penngrove, CA10.2 mi · 2,637 people · home $1,196,000
- Forestville, CA10.3 mi · 3,264 people · home $730,300
Santa Rosa questions
Is Santa Rosa, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Rosa scores better for retirees than 46% of California towns and quieter than 31%. 19.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.2).
How much does a house cost in Santa Rosa?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Rosa is valued at $713,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $99,060, so homes cost about 7.2 times income. Median rent is $2,152 a month.
What is the weather like in Santa Rosa?
July highs average 81.6°F and January lows 38.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Santa Rosa get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Rosa since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 1, 1958. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)