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CITY

Petaluma

California · 59,688 residents (2025 est.) · 14.4 sq mi
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The short version

Petaluma is a city of 59,247 people in California. The typical home is worth $878,600, having roughly tripled since 2000. That puts it in the top 5% of US cities for household income. The median age is 45.3, about 6 years above the US median. Renters pay $2,440 a month at the median. Density works out to 4,110 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 45.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
44% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 71%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
59,247
+9%since 2000
from 54,548 in 2000
59,688 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
4,110 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 3,774 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
45.3
+22%since 2000
from 37.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
14.4 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
41K47K52K57K63K19902000201020202024Petaluma
202459K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.3%(2,547)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.5%(3,230)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.1%(3,003)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.4%(3,177)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 244.3%(2,538)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411.8%(6,982)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(7,891)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413.7%(8,120)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6414.7%(8,688)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.6%(7,439)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.8%(4,020)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.7%(1,612)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$115,430
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $61,679 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$60,931
+125%since 2000
from $27,087 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
69.8%
+21.5 ptssince 2009
from 48.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2000
from 6.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.431
+7%since 2010
from 0.404 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10.4%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade7.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services7.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Public administration4.7%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Transportation & warehousing3.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Professional, scientific, technical3.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Arts, entertainment, food2.1%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$878,600
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $282,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,440
+42%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $946 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
64.5%
−5.5 ptssince 2000
from 70.1% in 2000
35.5% rent
Vacancy rate
3.5%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 5.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.42 people
−8%since 2009
from 2.62 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
28.5%
−16.7 ptssince 2009
from 45.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
55.7%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 52.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.6
−3%since 2009
from 7.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
62
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic77%(41,996)
Black1.1%(581)
Hispanic / Latino14.6%(7,985)
Asian3.8%(2,089)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic66.8%(39,604)
Black1.2%(709)
Hispanic / Latino21.7%(12,841)
Asian3.7%(2,216)
Other6.5%(3,877)
Diversity Score
63
+9%since 2009
from 57 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican15.3%(9,073)
Central American2.3%(1,340)
Salvadoran1.2%(699)
Spaniard0.8%(494)
Colombian0.6%(363)
Guatemalan0.4%(263)
Argentine0.2%(139)
Puerto Rican0.2%(128)
Cuban0.2%(123)
Chilean0.2%(100)
Panamanian0.2%(90)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(86)
Costa Rican0.1%(59)
Honduran0.1%(49)
Dominican0.1%(48)
Peruvian0%(27)
Asian origin
Chinese1.5%(863)
Filipino0.7%(387)
Asian Indian0.5%(297)
Japanese0.3%(191)
Vietnamese0.2%(126)
Korean0.2%(105)
Kazakh0.1%(86)
Taiwanese0.1%(68)
Laotian0%(20)
Thai0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(49)
Guamanian0.1%(34)
Tongan0%(19)
Fijian0%(19)
Ancestry
Irish14.4%(8,518)
German14.4%(8,512)
English12.4%(7,345)
Italian10.5%(6,243)
French3.6%(2,148)
Scottish3.5%(2,057)
Swedish2.6%(1,516)
Polish2.3%(1,354)
Portuguese2.2%(1,289)
Norwegian2.1%(1,261)
American2%(1,210)
Dutch1.6%(968)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.6%(936)
Welsh1.2%(704)
Arab1.1%(646)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(629)
Swiss0.9%(548)
British0.9%(526)
Danish0.7%(443)
Iranian0.7%(410)
Czech0.7%(397)
Greek0.6%(382)
Canadian0.6%(336)
Belgian0.5%(281)
West Indian0.5%(267)
Ukrainian0.4%(240)
Austrian0.4%(218)
Croatian0.3%(188)
Finnish0.3%(181)
Ethiopian0.3%(166)
Egyptian0.3%(164)
Nigerian0.2%(146)
Palestinian0.2%(140)
Latvian0.2%(118)
Brazilian0.2%(106)
Armenian0.2%(92)
Lithuanian0.1%(86)
Haitian0.1%(82)
Hungarian0.1%(77)
Slovak0.1%(68)
Syrian0.1%(39)
Kenyan0.1%(38)
Lebanese0%(25)
Romanian0%(22)
Jamaican0%(12)
Israeli0%(10)
Serbian0%(10)
Slovene0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
43.8%
+13.7 ptssince 2000
from 30.1% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.0%
+6.0 ptssince 2000
from 85.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.5%
+6.2 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
30.7 min
+17%since 2000
from 26.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
66.7%
−6.0 ptssince 2009
from 72.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.6%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.8%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
20.5%
+15.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.3%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 3.3% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.4%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
5.2%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.7% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−2.2 ptssince 2011
from 6.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.4%
−5.9 ptssince 2011
from 70.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.6%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 76.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.6%
+3.4 ptssince 2009
from 12.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
47.3%
+9.3 ptssince 2009
from 37.9% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
Female
51.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
Foreign born
15.3%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 17.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
5.5%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 8.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.9%
+3.3 ptssince 2012
from 8.6% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.3%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.9%
+6.2 ptssince 2017
from 87.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
96.4%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 94.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
91.3%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 88.6% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
80.7%
+5.3 ptssince 2016
from 75.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.5%
−4.0 ptssince 2016
from 17.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.5%(8,036)
Married54.8%(13,554)
Widowed2.7%(670)
Divorced10%(2,463)
Women 15+
Never married26.4%(6,792)
Married50.2%(12,921)
Widowed6.8%(1,747)
Divorced16.6%(4,284)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.3%
−6.9 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.9%
−4.2 ptssince 2020
from 65.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 17.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
22.7%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 14.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.6%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 1.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
75.3%
−4.8 ptssince 2020
from 80.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
34.8%
+3.8 ptssince 2020
from 31.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.1%(459)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14%(374)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era41.5%(1,111)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.9%(238)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II6.2%(166)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,679 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Petaluma, California?

Petaluma, California has about 59,247 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Petaluma, California?

The typical household in Petaluma, California earns about $115,430 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Petaluma, California expensive?

In Petaluma, California, the median home is worth about $878,600, and the typical rent is about $2,440 a month.

How educated are people in Petaluma, California?

About 43.8% of adults age 25 and over in Petaluma, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Petaluma, California?

About 6.5% of people in Petaluma, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Petaluma, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Petaluma, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 16,063 residents, a change of about 37 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →