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Santa Rosa, CA
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
177,090
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
41.2
years ∙ half population younger than 41.2, half older
Diversity Index
61.7%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
21.2%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Santa Rosa is a city within Sonoma County, California, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC38.445824° N, 122.706181° W
DMS38° 26′ 44.97″ N, 122° 42′ 22.25″ W
Population Density & area
4,167/sq mi
(1,607/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
48.8%
male
Male
48.8%
Female
51.2%
males per 100 females
Santa Rosa
95.2
Sonoma County
96.9
California
99.8
Nativity
21.2%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Santa Rosa
21.2%
Sonoma County
16.8%
California
27%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
41.2
years ∙ half population younger than 41.2, half older
Dependency ratio
64.1
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Santa Rosa
64.1
Sonoma County
68.3
California
60.4
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 20.1% | 19% | 22% |
| Working age (18-64) | 60.9% | 59.5% | 62.3% |
| Senior (65+) | 19% | 21.5% | 15.7% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 64.1 | 68.3 | 60.4 |
| Child dependency ratio | 33 | 32.1 | 35.2 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 31.2 | 36.2 | 25.1 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
61.7%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Santa Rosa
61.7%
Sonoma County
57%
California
69.6%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Santa Rosa population
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 37.4% | 30% | 40.2% |
| Mexican | 31.4% | 24.3% | 32.3% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Cuban | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 5.3% | 5.1% | 7% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 62.6% | 70% | 59.8% |
| One race | 58.1% | 65% | 55.4% |
| White | 48.7% | 57.9% | 33.8% |
| Black or African American | 1.9% | 1.5% | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 6.3% | 4.3% | 15.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Some Other Race | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 4.5% | 5% | 4.4% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
62.3%
family
Family
62.3%
Non family
37.7%
% family households
Santa Rosa
62.3%
Sonoma County
63%
California
67.8%
Average household size
2.53
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Santa Rosa population
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 68,321 | 190,998 | 13,548,091 |
| Average houshold size | 2.53 | 2.49 | 2.84 |
| Family households | 42,564 | 120,254 | 9,191,176 |
| Average family size | 3.13 | 3.05 | 3.41 |
| Married couple family | 30,765 | 90,465 | 6,557,184 |
| Other families | 11,799 | 29,789 | 2,633,992 |
| Male householder | 4,040 | 9,887 | 857,732 |
| Female householder | 7,759 | 19,902 | 1,776,260 |
| Non-family households | 25,757 | 70,744 | 4,356,915 |
| One-person households | 19,512 | 53,067 | 3,289,307 |
| Male householder | 7,440 | 21,167 | 1,493,062 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 2,936 | 9,007 | 460,668 |
| Female householder | 12,072 | 31,900 | 1,796,245 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 7,339 | 19,620 | 886,142 |
| Other living arrangements | 6,245 | 17,677 | 1,067,608 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
71,382
housing units
Santa Rosa
71,382
Sonoma County
207,699
California
14,644,735
Occupancy status
95.7%
occupied
Occupied
95.7%
Vacant
4.3%
vacancy rate
Santa Rosa
4.3%
Sonoma County
8%
California
7.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
69.1%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1980
Half of houses were built before 1980, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5 | 5.1 | 5 |
| 1–3 rooms | 18.8% | 17.1% | 21% |
| 4–6 rooms | 58.7% | 57.9% | 54.7% |
| 7+ rooms | 22.6% | 25.1% | 24.4% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 3.6% | 2.8% | 5% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.3% | 11.1% | 13.2% |
| 2 bedrooms | 32.1% | 30% | 26.9% |
| 3 bedrooms | 36.1% | 38.2% | 32.8% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 16.8% | 17.9% | 22.1% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1980 | 1979 | 1976 |
| Total housing units | 71,382 | 207,699 | 14,644,735 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
56.7%
owners
Renter-occupied
43.3%
Owner-occupied
56.7%
homeownership rate
Santa Rosa
56.7%
Sonoma County
62.6%
California
55.9%
Average household size
2.52
Owner-occupied
2.54
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Santa Rosa
2.52
Sonoma County
2.51
California
2.95
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 68,321 | 190,998 | 13,548,091 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 24.9% | 21.7% | 23.4% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 42.7% | 39.8% | 41.2% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 17.7% | 18.1% | 17% |
| 1999 or earlier | 14.7% | 20.3% | 18.5% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 94.2% | 95.2% | 91.8% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 3.4% | 3.1% | 5% |
| 1.51 or more | 2.4% | 1.8% | 3.2% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 6.2% | 4.8% | 7.1% |
| 1 vehicle | 32.1% | 29.8% | 30.7% |
| 2 vehicles | 36.8% | 37.4% | 36.3% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 24.9% | 28% | 25.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 69.8% | 68.3% | 64.4% |
| Electricity | 27.1% | 26.1% | 29.5% |
| Solar | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| All other fuels | 1.2% | 3.5% | 1.6% |
| No fuel used | 0.7% | 0.9% | 3% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| No telephone service available | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$713,900
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
37.5%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $713,900 | $815,500 | $734,700 |
| Under $100,000 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 4.2% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.7% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 2.6% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 10.1% | 7.6% | 17.1% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 65.5% | 56.2% | 42.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 15.2% | 27.6% | 29.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 68.3% | 65.9% | 67.4% |
| Without a mortgage | 31.7% | 34.1% | 32.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $2,894 | $3,040 | $2,946 |
| Without a mortgage | $854 | $927 | $829 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $2,152 | $2,158 | $2,036 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
35.1%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Santa Rosa
35.1%
Sonoma County
38.5%
California
37.1%
Adults without a high school diploma
14.6%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Santa Rosa
14.6%
Sonoma County
11.3%
California
15.2%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
39,431
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
37.7%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 39,431 | 105,177 | 9,917,839 |
| Nursery / preschool | 4.7% | 4.8% | 5% |
| K–12 | 68.6% | 67% | 64.9% |
| Kindergarten | 4.8% | 5.8% | 4.9% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 17.9% | 18.2% | 18.7% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 23.4% | 20.9% | 19.9% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 22.4% | 22.1% | 21.5% |
| College or graduate school | 26.8% | 28.1% | 30.1% |
| College, undergraduate | 22.7% | 23.7% | 24.3% |
| Graduate, professional school | 4% | 4.4% | 5.8% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 37.7% | 42.8% | 46.8% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 89.9% | 88.7% | 85% |
| Private school | 10.1% | 11.3% | 15% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
127,459
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 127,459 | 354,661 | 27,073,960 |
| Less than 9th grade | 8.8% | 6.6% | 8.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 5.8% | 4.7% | 6.5% |
| High school diploma or GED | 19.1% | 18.8% | 20.5% |
| Some college, no degree | 21.4% | 22.2% | 19.3% |
| Associate's degree | 9.8% | 9.2% | 7.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% | 38.5% | 37.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 21.5% | 23.9% | 22.7% |
| Graduate or professional | 13.6% | 14.6% | 14.4% |
| High School or higher | 85.4% | 88.7% | 84.7% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$57,963
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
3.6%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Santa Rosa | Sonoma County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $57,963 | $59,929 | $56,395 |
| Less than high school graduate | $40,293 | $38,865 | $32,480 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $45,683 | $47,008 | $41,382 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $55,046 | $55,532 | $50,157 |
| Bachelor's degree | $80,403 | $80,301 | $80,933 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $95,856 | $95,166 | $111,188 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 19.7% | 16.4% | 20% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 12% | 11.2% | 13.9% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 9.2% | 8.6% | 10.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 3.6% | 4.7% | 5% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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