Population 207,144 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Santa Rosa
Household size in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.68 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.76 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.76 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.65 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
At 2.65 people per household, Santa Rosa sits right at the national average. The typical household here is smaller than in California as a whole, where it has 3.01 people. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.8 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.2 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.9 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Santa Rosa is 42.0 years old, a bit older than the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 37.8 in 2006–10, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Santa Rosa than nationally: 13.2%, against 11.6%. California as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Santa Rosa
Renters in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.9% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 44.3% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 44.1% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.8% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.1 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Santa Rosa rent their homes (41.8%), above the national share of 34.8%. Just over three in ten owners (31.1%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Santa Rosa: 6.5% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. That is in line with the rest of California. Vacancy has fallen 1.7 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1979 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The typical home in Santa Rosa was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in California overall, where the median home dates to 1976. The median year built has moved up from 1977 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,286 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,419 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,728 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,292 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,005 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Santa Rosa runs $2,292 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,005 a month since 2006–10, up 78%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 33.8% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Santa Rosa
Bachelor's degrees in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.9% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.5% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.0% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 33.9% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.0 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a third of adults 25 and older in Santa Rosa (33.9%) hold at least a bachelor's degree, close to the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.0 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.9% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 84.2% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.6% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.8% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in seven adults in Santa Rosa never finished high school, more than nationally: 84.8% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The picture is much the same across California. The share with a diploma has risen 1.9 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Santa Rosa
| Period | Santa Rosa | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.7% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in Santa Rosa: 6.2% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 2.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Santa Rosa compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa | 2.65 | 42.0 | 13.2% | 41.8% | 6.5% | 1981 | $2,292 | 33.9% | 84.8% | 6.2% |
| Fulton | 3.22 | 38.6 | 14.9% | 35.2% | 5.9% | 1972 | $3,020 | 24.6% | 89.6% | 13.3% |
| Rohnert Park | 2.60 | 35.1 | 11.0% | 50.9% | 4.6% | 1984 | $2,465 | 32.5% | 89.6% | 6.4% |
| Sebastopol | 2.43 | 51.4 | 11.3% | 27.9% | 7.7% | 1971 | $1,960 | 49.1% | 94.4% | 4.6% |
| Cotati | 2.36 | 41.2 | 7.8% | 41.0% | 4.1% | 1980 | $2,250 | 32.9% | 91.9% | 3.5% |
| Windsor | 2.85 | 43.7 | 10.4% | 23.7% | 6.2% | 1990 | $2,486 | 36.8% | 88.0% | 4.1% |
| Kenwood | 2.46 | 48.4 | 11.3% | 29.1% | 18.7% | 1965 | $2,037 | 65.4% | 99.3% | 1.1% |
| Graton | 2.41 | 51.6 | 12.6% | 23.8% | 5.5% | 1971 | $2,585 | 48.5% | 95.4% | 3.2% |
| Penngrove | 2.46 | 46.4 | 4.0% | 22.0% | 6.6% | 1981 | $1,874 | 49.2% | 95.3% | 6.1% |
| Forestville | 2.51 | 43.7 | 5.6% | 27.0% | 10.6% | 1962 | $1,856 | 42.1% | 95.9% | 6.6% |
| Glen Ellen | 2.12 | 57.7 | 4.3% | 28.0% | 11.6% | 1967 | $1,747 | 62.6% | 96.1% | 5.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: West Palm Beach, FL · West Des Moines, IA · West Chester, PA · Wesley Chapel, FL · Tustin, CA · Waterbury, CT · Van Nuys, CA · Valdosta, GA · Victorville, CA · Tuscaloosa, AL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Santa Rosa. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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