If you’ve been priced out a San Francisco or Marin, and are tired of long commutes and gridlock, Sonoma County offers a great community with a high quality of life, and is also among the most affordable in the Bay Area. Check out the numbers or come visit and see for yourself.
| Sonoma County | Marin County | San Francisco County | Contra Costa County | Napa County | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | ||||||
| Median Sales Price – Jul 2021 | $761,000 | $1,750,000 | $1,852,500 | $940,000 | $939,000 | car.org |
| YtoY Change – Median Home Sales Price (Jul 2021) | 6.5% | 13.2% | 11.3% | 19.7% | 20% | car.org |
| Median 1-Br Rental – Aug 2021 | $1,602 | $2,305 | $2,399 | $1,680 | apartmentlist.com | |
| Median 2-Br Rental – Aug 2021 | $2,145 | $2,850 | $2,776 | $2,062 | apartmentlist.com | |
| YtoY % Change – Median Rental Price (Aug 2021) | 10.2% | 5.3% | 0.25% | 5.7% | apartmentlist.com | |
| Household | ||||||
| Number of Households – 2019 | 190,689 | 105,298 | 365,851 | 399,792 | 48,107 | census.gov |
| Commute | ||||||
| Average Commute Time (Minutes) – 2019 | 26.1 | 33.5 | 34.7 | 39.3 | 26.9 | census.gov |
| Wages | ||||||
| Mean Hourly Wage – Q1 2021 | $30.43 | $36.01 | $44.53 | $36.70 | $30.41 | labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov |
| Mean Annual Wage – Q1 2021 | $63,289 | $74,906 | $92,619 | $76,328 | $64,248 | labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov |
Below are highlights from the 2022 Sonoma County Indicators Report, an annual measure of Sonoma County’s overall health using six metrics— economic, environment, health, society, tourism and workforce. The report also benchmarks Sonoma County’s performance to similar counties in California, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz. Read full report at the Sonoma County Economic Development Board’ website.
The median sale price of existing single-family homes recorded in Q4 2020 across Bay Area counties shows Sonoma County to have a relatively low median sale price of $678,000. This is exceptionally low compared to Santa Clara County, with a median home price of $1.1 million and Marin County, with a median home sale price of $980,000. Contra Costa ($626,000) and Monterey ($633,000) counties were the only two with lower median home prices.
As median rent continues to rise, Sonoma County fares well relative to its Bay Area neighbors. With a median 1-bedroom rent of $2,215 Sonoma County has the lowest median rent of the Bay Area counties. Considering its proximity to the Bay Area, it is likely that rent will continue to increase in Sonoma County in the years to come.
Sonoma County’s adult population has become increasingly more insured since 2011. With better access to insurance, the healthcare and support industry has benefitted from more local demand. This decrease in percent of residents who are uninsured in Sonoma County is likely due to the wider access to health care offered by the Affordable Care Act.
Sonoma County out performs the California average in rates of attending Some College, attaining a Bachelor’s Degree, and attaining a Graduate/Professional degree. It still trails Marin County in Bachelor’s and Grad/Professional Degree attainment. In terms of attaining at least a high school diploma, Sonoma County aligns with the U.S. average (89.5%).
Air quality relates to the quality of life through the risk on human health brought on by pollution. In 2019, Sonoma County ranked highest for air quality among comparable counties in the Bay Area. The quality of air was classified as “good” on 348 days (88%) of the year. Sonoma County never experienced a day classified as unhealthy, even for sensitive groups. (2019)
The 2020 crime rate data reveals Sonoma County has among the lowest crime rates in the Bay Area. This is particularly true regarding property crime rates, where Sonoma County has the lowest rate (1,312 per 100,000 residents). When factoring in both property and violent crimes, Sonoma County ranks lowest among other Bay Area counties. Crime rates are related to public safety, an important indicator for societal health.
