Housing data for Petaluma, CA
Petaluma, CA has an estimated 59,247 residents and 25,107 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Sonoma County.
35.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,440 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−2.5%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 59,247 (±61)
- Housing units
- 25,107 (±463)
- Households that rent
- 35.5%
- Median gross rent
- $2,440
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −2.5%
What stands out in Petaluma
Working from home: 20.5% (±2.0 points) in Petaluma, higher than in Sonoma County (15.9%).
Average commute: 30.7 minutes (±1.6) in Petaluma, higher than in Sonoma County (25.1 minutes).
Median gross rent: $2,440 (±$134) in Petaluma, higher than in Sonoma County ($2,158).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 16.1% (±2.3 points) in Petaluma, higher than in Sonoma County (13.5%).
Housing in Petaluma at a glance
- Median rent: $2,440 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,536 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 57.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 35.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $115,430 median household income
- Home values: $878,600 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,098 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $5,720 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 16.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 65.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 52.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 1.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 73.8% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 30.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 228 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −2.5% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Petaluma against Sonoma County, its state and the nation
| Petaluma | Sonoma County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 59,247 (±61) | 485,040 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 25,107 (±463) | 207,699 (±145) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 35.5% (±2.4 points) | 37.4% (±0.8 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,440 (±$134) | $2,158 (±$30) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $115,430 (±$6,370) | $104,674 (±$2,030) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $878,600 (±$13,008) | $815,500 (±$6,412) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $5,720 (±$262) | $5,695 (±$106) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 52.3% (±3.3 points) | 52.1% (±1.3 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 30.7 minutes (±1.6) | 25.1 minutes (±0.4) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.9% (±1.5 points) | 94.4% (±0.4 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 45.3 years (±1.3) | 42.9 years (±0.2) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Petaluma covers 14.4 square miles of land, about 4,110 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Petaluma has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 60,767 (±51) | 59,247 (±61) | −2.5% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 23,291 (±458) | 25,107 (±463) | +7.8% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,830 (±$76) | $2,440 (±$134) | +33.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $633,900 (±$9,614) | $878,600 (±$13,008) | +38.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $91,528 (±$4,176) | $115,430 (±$6,370) | +26.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,531 (±$74) | $3,098 (±$107) | +22.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $4,411 (±$184) | $5,720 (±$262) | +29.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 34.1% (±1.8 points) | 35.5% (±2.4 points) | +1.4 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.6% (±1.0 points) | 1.9% (±1.8 points) | +0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Petaluma
In 2025, the Petaluma Police Department reported 228 violent and 1,202 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Sonoma County, the departments that report recorded 247 violent and 1,044 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Petaluma
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94954 | 14% | 37,574 | $2,554 | $840,500 | $113,527 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Petaluma
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penngrove | 4.6 mi | $2,130 | $1,196,000 | 24.5% |
| Temelec | 7.2 mi | $3,030 | $679,800 | 13.3% |
| Sonoma State University | 7.2 mi | — | — | — |
| Cotati | 7.4 mi | $2,056 | $746,800 | 40.8% |
| Rohnert Park | 8.3 mi | $2,279 | $666,300 | 50.1% |
| El Verano | 8.4 mi | $2,372 | $909,300 | 41.1% |
| Boyes Hot Springs | 9.0 mi | $1,876 | $783,300 | 39.3% |
| Glen Ellen | 9.1 mi | $1,582 | $1,371,400 | 35.3% |
Places in California most like Petaluma
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinez | $2,353 | $859,800 | $127,355 | 29.2% |
| Benicia | $2,280 | $810,000 | $121,204 | 30.5% |
| Placentia | $2,388 | $921,000 | $115,929 | 36.4% |
| Union City | $2,713 | $1,104,900 | $133,715 | 35.3% |
| Laguna Hills | $2,728 | $1,012,300 | $128,851 | 30.0% |
| San Dimas | $2,278 | $801,800 | $105,321 | 27.6% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Petaluma, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,980 | $2,155 | $2,819 | $3,903 | $4,295 |
HUD income limits for Petaluma, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $34,650 | $57,700 | $92,300 |
| 2 people | $39,600 | $65,950 | $105,500 |
| 3 people | $44,550 | $74,200 | $118,700 |
| 4 people | $49,450 | $82,400 | $131,850 |
| 5 people | $53,450 | $89,000 | $142,400 |
| 6 people | $57,400 | $95,600 | $152,950 |
| 7 people | $61,350 | $102,200 | $163,500 |
| 8 people | $65,300 | $108,800 | $174,050 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $133,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Petaluma
What is the average rent in Petaluma, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Petaluma is $2,440 (±$134) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Petaluma?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Petaluma, CA is $1,485 (±$230) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Petaluma rent-burdened?
57.3% of renting households in Petaluma pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Petaluma?
Petaluma has an estimated 8,596 (±664) renting households, 35.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Petaluma?
The median household income in Petaluma is $115,430 (±$6,370) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Petaluma, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $878,600 (±$13,008) for owner-occupied homes in Petaluma (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Petaluma growing?
In Petaluma, the number of residents went from 60,767 in 2015–2019 to 59,247 in 2020–2024 (−2.5%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Petaluma?
The ZIP code that covers Petaluma is 94954.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94954?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94954 is $2,554 (±$182) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Petaluma city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Petaluma Police Department (ORI CA0490800)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Petaluma city, California (place:56784, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .