City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Petaluma, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Petaluma - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

59,321
Residents
$109,823
Median income
$834,900
Median home
$3,604
Median rent (state)

Petaluma - the verdict

Petaluma ranks in the 83rd percentile for household income and the 48th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

83rd
percentile, household income
95th
percentile, home value
99th
percentile, median rent
48th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Petaluma, CA

California's Petaluma is a small city, with 59,321 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. The typical household in Petaluma brings in $109,823 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.5%. Typical homes in Petaluma are valued around $834,900, and the median resident age is 45.0 years. About 42.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.9% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 9 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 86% from five years earlier. Petaluma reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1444.6 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 58.0°F with 25.6 inches of precipitation per year.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $3,604 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Petaluma workers runs 24.9 minutes, with 69.6% driving alone and 18.0% working from home. Natural-hazard exposure scores 96.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

59,321 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$109,823 /yr

Poverty 2.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Petaluma compare to other US cities?

Where Petaluma sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 83% higher than other cities
Home value 95% pricier than other cities
Median rent 99% pricier than other cities
Safety 48% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just California and the picture shifts: Petaluma ranks #129 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Petaluma's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

83rdIncome percentile
48thSafety percentile

83rd percentile nationally for median household income · 48th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Petaluma's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Petaluma's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 45 Avg. percentile National median
Petaluma's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Petaluma's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$834,900 5th percentile more affordable than 5% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Petaluma $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Petaluma, CA Petaluma, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Petaluma, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Petaluma, CA median $109,823/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Petaluma, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Petaluma, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 42.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.9%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
59,321
Median Income
$109,823
Median Home Value
$834,900
Median Age
45.0
Poverty Rate
2.5%
Labor force participation
60.9%
Bachelor's Degree+
42.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1444.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
271.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1172.8
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
58.0°F
Annual Precipitation
25.6"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
36
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
58,500 residents59,000 residents59,500 residents60,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 59,752 residents 59,688 residents ▼ -0.1%
Petaluma's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
9
housing units authorized
Single-Family
9
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 64
2020 21
2021 111
2022 90
2023 221
2024 9

Permit volume decreased 86% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.9 minutes
Drive Alone
69.6%
Carpool
6.8%
Public Transit
1.5%
Walk
2.5%
Work from Home
18.0%
Other
1.6%

Based on 29,578 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Petaluma sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,604/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Hanford
59,389 people
Santee
59,485 people
Monterey Park
59,639 people
Cupertino
58,886 people
Gardena
59,765 people
Gilroy
58,561 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Petaluma's 59,321 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Shoreline, WA
59,280 people
Dubuque, IA
59,271 people
Kokomo, IN
59,375 people
Des Plaines, IL
59,408 people
Blue Springs, MO
59,416 people
Mayagüez zona urbana, PR
59,427 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Petaluma's $109,823 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Lodi, WI
$109,821 median income
James, WY
$109,808 median income
Glasgow, DE
$109,803 median income
Barbourmeade, KY
$109,800 median income
Cary, IL
$109,790 median income
Woods Landing-Jelm, WY
$109,861 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Petaluma, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Petaluma, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 71.6% 6.7% 15.1% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 21.1% White 71.6% Black or African American 1.4% Asian 4.2% American Indian 0.9% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 6.7% Two or more races 15.1% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Petaluma compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Petaluma (this city) 59,321 $109,823
Hanford 59,389 $73,544
Santee 59,485 $105,613
Monterey Park 59,639 $77,605
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Petaluma, CA?

What is the population of Petaluma, CA? +

Petaluma, CA counts 59,321 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Petaluma, CA? +

The median household income in Petaluma is $109,823 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Petaluma? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Petaluma; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Petaluma, CA safe? +

Petaluma has a total crime rate of 1444.6 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Petaluma, CA? +

Petaluma's median home value sits at $834,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Petaluma? +

The average annual temperature in Petaluma runs 58.0°F, 25.6 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.