Sonoma County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 2% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 100% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 49% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 86% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 93% of US counties
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 3% for broadband access
- bottom 1% for monthly rent
Sonoma County is a county in California with about 488,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, broadband access, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and monthly rent.
Official websitesonomacounty.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
93%60%clearovercast
Precipitation 7.3 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$99k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$75kbetter than 1% of US counties
Home Value$749k99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 1% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.71%better than 63% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden21.59%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment5.2%better than 42% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)48°F87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)65°F3rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation37.1 in36th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 96% of US counties
Sunny Days293 daysbetter than 95% of US counties
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 89% of US counties
Comfortable Days145 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk99.1better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality33 AQIbetter than 87% of US counties
School Quality85.7better than 86% of US counties
Violent Crime945/100kbetter than 39% of US counties
Property Crime1150/100kbetter than 38% of US counties
Community
Population488,43695th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.762nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5181st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9726th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+531st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)60.9%25th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.4%44th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)28.0%89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)4.3%94th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.4%82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time25 minbetter than 42% of US counties
Walkability11.0/20better than 96% of US counties
Airport Distance67 mibetter than 70% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access93.4%better than 97% of US counties
Amenities Nearby1.19better than 39% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 93% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Sonoma County an affordable place to live?
- Sonoma County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $75k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Sonoma County?
- The median home value in Sonoma County is $749k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Sonoma County?
- Median household income in Sonoma County is $99k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Sonoma County?
- Median gross rent in Sonoma County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Sonoma County safe?
- Sonoma County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 945/100k (better than 39%). Property crime is 1150/100k.
- What is the weather like in Sonoma County?
- Sonoma County averages 65°F in July and 48°F in January, with 37.1 in of annual precipitation and about 293 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Sonoma County?
- Public-school quality in Sonoma County is above average, scoring better than 86% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Sonoma County?
- The average one-way commute in Sonoma County is 25 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)