Santa Rosa, CA
Census place 0670098 · pop 177,090
The largest city in Sonoma wine country and longtime home of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$713,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
99/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,546/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
352 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
56.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.45 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
10.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1354 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
9.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
35.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
22.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.70% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$99,060 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
19 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Santa Rosa, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Santa Rosa scores 47/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Santa Rosa, CA?
- Santa Rosa reports 352 violent crimes per 100k and 1354 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Santa Rosa, CA expensive to live in?
- Santa Rosa has a median home value of $713,900 and typical rent around $2,546/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Santa Rosa, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($713,900) — 9/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Santa Rosa, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (19 AQI) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: The largest city in Sonoma wine country and longtime home of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.