City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Sonoma, CA

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

10,726
Residents
$101,281
Median income
$954,300
Median home
$2,773
Median rent (state)

Sonoma - the verdict

Nationally, Sonoma sits in the 78th percentile for household income and the 51st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

78th
percentile, household income
97th
percentile, home value
96th
percentile, median rent
51st
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: Sonoma, CA

Sonoma is a small town in California, home to 10,726 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Sonoma brings in $101,281 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 4.5%. Home values in Sonoma run a median of $954,300, and the median resident age is 54.4 years. 47.7% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 50.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 32 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 56% from five years earlier. Sonoma reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1332.3 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 puts Sonoma's yearly average temperature at 59.0°F with 28.4 inches of precipitation per year.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,773 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Sonoma workers runs 20.8 minutes, with 67.4% driving alone and 22.4% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 95.3 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

10,726 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$101,281 /yr

Poverty 4.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Sonoma compare to other US cities?

Sonoma measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 78% higher than other cities
Home value 97% pricier than other cities
Median rent 96% pricier than other cities
Safety 51% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, Sonoma ranks #114 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

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

California-relative analysis

Median Home Value places Sonoma toward the top of California's cities

Among the 1,343 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median home value data, Sonoma ranks #263 - the 80th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Sonoma only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#492 of 1,338
63rd percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#451 of 1,458
68th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#263 of 1,343
80th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#893 of 1,450
38th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#303 of 1,458
79th 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.

78thIncome percentile
51stSafety percentile

78th percentile nationally for median household income · 51st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Sonoma's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Sonoma'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 44 Avg. percentile National median
Sonoma'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 Sonoma's home value compares nationally

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

$954,300 3rd percentile more affordable than 3% 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%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Sonoma $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 - Sonoma, CA Sonoma, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Sonoma, 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 Sonoma, CA median $101,281/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%
Sonoma, 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 Sonoma, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 47.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.8%

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

Population
10,726
Median Income
$101,281
Median Home Value
$954,300
Median Age
54.4
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Labor force participation
50.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
47.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1332.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
179.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1152.8
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
59.0°F
Annual Precipitation
28.4"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,500 residents10,600 residents10,700 residents10,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 10,726 residents 10,537 residents ▼ -1.8%
Sonoma's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
32
housing units authorized
Single-Family
21
detached homes
Multifamily
11
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 72
2020 7
2021 4
2022 13
2023 8
2024 32

Permit volume decreased 56% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.8 minutes
Drive Alone
67.4%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.8%
Work from Home
22.4%
Other
3.1%

Based on 4,794 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 Sonoma sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,773/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Placerville
10,730 people
Morro Bay
10,717 people
Lake Arrowhead
10,746 people
Soquel
10,691 people
Calimesa
10,680 people
Citrus
10,813 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Sonoma's 10,726 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Saks, AL
10,727 people
Scenic Oaks, TX
10,727 people
Campton Hills, IL
10,724 people
Worth, IL
10,731 people
The Hills, NJ
10,732 people
Essex Junction, VT
10,720 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Sonoma's $101,281 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Helena Valley Northwest, MT
$101,278 median income
Palisades Park, NJ
$101,295 median income
Alamo Beach, TX
$101,297 median income
Anderson, AK
$101,250 median income
Big Delta, AK
$101,250 median income
Rico, CO
$101,250 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Sonoma, 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 Sonoma, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 85.7% 7.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.8% White 85.7% Black or African American 1.3% Asian 2.1% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 2.9% Two or more races 7.5% 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 Sonoma 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
Sonoma (this city) 10,726 $101,281
Placerville 10,730 $70,602
Morro Bay 10,717 $92,553
Lake Arrowhead 10,746 $88,147
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Sonoma, CA?

What is the population of Sonoma, CA? +

10,726 people live in Sonoma, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Sonoma runs $101,281, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Sonoma? +

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

Sonoma has a total crime rate of 1332.3 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 Sonoma, CA? +

A typical home in Sonoma is worth $954,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Sonoma? +

Climate normals put Sonoma's yearly average temperature at 59.0°F, 28.4 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.