City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Santa Rosa, CA

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

177,216
Residents
$97,410
Median income
$685,000
Median home
$2,827
Median rent (state)

Santa Rosa - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Santa Rosa places in the 76th percentile for household income and the 41st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

76th
percentile, household income
92nd
percentile, home value
96th
percentile, median rent
41st
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: Santa Rosa, CA

Santa Rosa is a mid-sized U.S. city in California, home to 177,216 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Santa Rosa brings in $97,410 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.4%. Home values in Santa Rosa run a median of $685,000, and the median resident age is 40.5 years. About 34.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 62.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 292 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 75% from five years earlier. Santa Rosa reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1662.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Santa Rosa's yearly average temperature at 59.0°F with 31.5 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. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,827 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $275 across California, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 99.1 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

177,216 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$97,410 /yr

Poverty 5.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Santa Rosa compare to other US cities?

Here's how Santa Rosa stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 76% higher than other cities
Home value 92% pricier than other cities
Median rent 96% pricier than other cities
Safety 41% 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: Santa Rosa ranks #176 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Santa Rosa against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Median Gross Rent sits close to the middle of California's city distribution

Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Santa Rosa ranks #429 - the 69th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Santa Rosa only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#542 of 1,338
59th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#429 of 1,458
69th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#458 of 1,343
66th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#803 of 1,450
44th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#529 of 1,458
64th percentile in California

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

76thIncome percentile
41stSafety percentile

76th percentile nationally for median household income · 41st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Santa Rosa's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Santa Rosa'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 41 Avg. percentile National median
Santa Rosa'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 Santa Rosa's home value compares nationally

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

$685,000 8th percentile more affordable than 8% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $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. Santa Rosa $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 - Santa Rosa, CA Santa Rosa, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA median $97,410/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%
Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 34.8%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.8%

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

Population
177,216
Median Income
$97,410
Median Home Value
$685,000
Median Age
40.5
Poverty Rate
5.4%
Labor force participation
62.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
34.8%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1662.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
342.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1320.0
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
59.0°F
Annual Precipitation
31.5"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
63
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
175,000 residents176,000 residents177,000 residents178,000 residents179,000 residents180,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 177,938 residents 179,437 residents ▲ +0.8%
Santa Rosa's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
292
housing units authorized
Single-Family
292
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1,190
2020 628
2021 1,451
2022 1,197
2023 1,346
2024 292

Permit volume decreased 75% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
73.1%
Carpool
11.1%
Public Transit
1.1%
Walk
2.3%
Work from Home
10.5%
Other
1.9%

Based on 88,876 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 Santa Rosa sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,827/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Elk Grove
177,221 people
Ontario
178,347 people
Rancho Cucamonga
174,693 people
Oceanside
172,542 people
Garden Grove
170,603 people
Lancaster
170,013 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Santa Rosa's 177,216 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Eugene, OR
177,520 people
Cary, NC
176,686 people
Salem, OR
176,666 people
Aurora, IL
179,867 people
Clarksville, TN
171,897 people
Chattanooga, TN
182,832 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Santa Rosa's $97,410 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

New Berlin, WI
$97,414 median income
Loop, PA
$97,396 median income
Viera East, FL
$97,386 median income
Waterman, IL
$97,386 median income
Falmouth, PA
$97,386 median income
Delhi Hills, OH
$97,439 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Santa Rosa, 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 Santa Rosa, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 56.2% 6.5% 20.0% 13.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 35.8% White 56.2% Black or African American 1.9% Asian 6.5% American Indian 1.4% Native Hawaiian 0.6% Some other race 20.0% Two or more races 13.4% 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 Santa Rosa 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
Santa Rosa (this city) 177,216 $97,410
Elk Grove 177,221 $122,229
Ontario 178,347 $82,806
Rancho Cucamonga 174,693 $109,511
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Santa Rosa, CA?

What is the population of Santa Rosa, CA? +

The population of Santa Rosa, CA stands at 177,216 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Santa Rosa, CA? +

Santa Rosa households earn a median of $97,410 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Santa Rosa? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Santa Rosa; 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 Santa Rosa, CA safe? +

Santa Rosa has a total crime rate of 1662.6 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 Santa Rosa, CA? +

A typical home in Santa Rosa is worth $685,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Santa Rosa? +

The average annual temperature in Santa Rosa runs 59.0°F, 31.5 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

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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.