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COUNTY

Sonoma County

California · 486,444 residents (2025 est.) · 1,575 sq mi
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Part of the Santa Rosa metro area
The short version

With 485,040 people, Sonoma County is a county in California. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $815,500. Few US counties rank higher on income. At a median age of 42.9, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Median rent is $2,158 a month. Median household income runs $104,674, well clear of the $82,259 US median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.9
US median: 38.9
Average education
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 69%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
485,040
+6%since 2000
from 458,614 in 2000
486,444 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
308 / sq mi
+4%since 2009
from 295 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
42.9
+14%since 2000
from 37.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,575 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
377K411K445K479K513K19902000201020202024Sonoma County
2024485K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.6%(22,502)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(24,877)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.6%(27,313)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196%(29,157)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(26,530)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.3%(59,605)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.3%(64,458)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5412.3%(59,789)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.7%(66,420)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7412.9%(62,373)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.2%(30,094)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.5%(11,922)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$104,674
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,076 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$56,640
+120%since 2000
from $25,724 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
64.5%
+22.2 ptssince 2009
from 42.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
8.9%
+0.8 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.462
+5%since 2010
from 0.441 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.7%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade10%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade9%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.6%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$815,500
+69%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $265,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,158
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $864 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
62.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2000
from 64.1% in 2000
37.4% rent
Vacancy rate
8.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.49 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
31.7%
−12.2 ptssince 2009
from 43.9% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
7.8
−12%since 2009
from 8.8 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
59
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.5%(341,686)
Black1.3%(6,116)
Hispanic / Latino17.3%(79,511)
Asian3%(13,786)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic57.9%(280,966)
Black1.5%(7,185)
Hispanic / Latino30%(145,518)
Asian4.3%(21,090)
Other6.2%(30,281)
Diversity Score
71
+20%since 2009
from 59 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
29
−1%since 2020
from 29 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican24.3%(117,693)
Salvadoran1%(4,971)
South American0.8%(3,709)
Spaniard0.6%(2,993)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,213)
Guatemalan0.4%(1,957)
Colombian0.3%(1,315)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,047)
Cuban0.2%(842)
Honduran0.2%(763)
Peruvian0.2%(741)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(660)
Panamanian0.1%(534)
Chilean0.1%(441)
Ecuadorian0.1%(289)
Dominican0.1%(243)
Uruguayan0%(67)
Bolivian0%(58)
Asian origin
Filipino0.9%(4,442)
Chinese0.9%(4,355)
Vietnamese0.7%(3,154)
Asian Indian0.6%(3,036)
Korean0.2%(1,193)
Japanese0.2%(1,156)
Nepalese0.2%(767)
Cambodian0.2%(758)
Laotian0.1%(538)
Thai0.1%(391)
Taiwanese0.1%(320)
Hmong0.1%(250)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Indonesian0%(211)
Pakistani0%(113)
Burmese0%(109)
Kazakh0%(100)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.4%(1,885)
Fijian0.2%(802)
Samoan0.1%(605)
Chamorro0.1%(306)
Tongan0%(87)
Guamanian0%(66)
Ancestry
German12.4%(59,978)
Irish12.2%(59,215)
English12.1%(58,636)
Italian8%(38,687)
French2.8%(13,602)
Scottish2.7%(12,923)
American2.5%(12,249)
Polish1.8%(8,763)
Norwegian1.7%(8,439)
Swedish1.7%(8,126)
Portuguese1.3%(6,296)
Russian1.2%(5,865)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.1%(5,314)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(5,283)
Danish0.9%(4,376)
British0.8%(4,003)
Welsh0.8%(3,784)
Swiss0.6%(2,936)
Arab0.5%(2,563)
Greek0.4%(2,130)
Czech0.4%(1,804)
Hungarian0.3%(1,560)
Ukrainian0.3%(1,537)
French Canadian0.3%(1,483)
Finnish0.3%(1,451)
Austrian0.3%(1,389)
Canadian0.3%(1,384)
Croatian0.2%(955)
West Indian0.2%(923)
Iranian0.2%(872)
Armenian0.2%(807)
Slovak0.2%(755)
Lithuanian0.1%(705)
Belgian0.1%(635)
Romanian0.1%(585)
Lebanese0.1%(468)
Brazilian0.1%(448)
Jordanian0.1%(421)
Latvian0.1%(413)
Egyptian0.1%(396)
Palestinian0.1%(394)
Ethiopian0.1%(348)
Serbian0.1%(335)
Jamaican0.1%(329)
Haitian0.1%(310)
Kenyan0.1%(287)
Nigerian0.1%(265)
Australian0.1%(257)
Syrian0%(219)
Bulgarian0%(204)
Turkish0%(194)
Slovene0%(149)
Israeli0%(114)
Moroccan0%(60)
Guyanese0%(57)
Iraqi0%(23)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.5%
+9.9 ptssince 2000
from 28.5% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
88.7%
+3.8 ptssince 2000
from 84.9% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
14.6%
+4.8 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+30%since 2000
from 19.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
69.4%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
9.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.9%
+9.0 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.5%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
4.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 8.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
64.0%
−2.3 ptssince 2011
from 66.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 75.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
14.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.6%
+7.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.2%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
50.8%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
16.8%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
4.8%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.6%
+1.9 ptssince 2012
from 10.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.1%
−9.0 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.4%
+9.3 ptssince 2017
from 85.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.1%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 95.0% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.7%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 86.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
73.0%
−1.1 ptssince 2016
from 74.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
21.0%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 20.0% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.6%(73,402)
Married51.5%(103,182)
Widowed2.4%(4,747)
Divorced9.5%(19,139)
Women 15+
Never married30.6%(64,146)
Married47.5%(99,642)
Widowed7.7%(16,204)
Divorced14.2%(29,886)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.1%
−9.0 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.1%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 56.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.8%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 18.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
22.3%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 20.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.5%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 18.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.5%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 1.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
70.5%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 72.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.6%
+3.3 ptssince 2020
from 36.3% 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)16.7%(3,157)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)14.4%(2,716)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era43.1%(8,140)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.5%(1,036)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3%(561)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 18,880 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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Sonoma County to nearby counties

SONOMA COUNTY VS
Napa County
Income$111,471+6%
Home value$869,500+7%
Population132,949−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
Marin County
Income$149,091+42%
Home value$1,507,300+85%
Population253,694−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
Lake County
Income$60,621−42%
Home value$324,300−60%
Population67,772−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
San Francisco County
Income$140,970+35%
Home value$1,394,500+71%
Population826,079+70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Sonoma County, California?

Sonoma County, California has about 485,040 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Sonoma County, California?

The typical household in Sonoma County, California earns about $104,674 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Sonoma County, California expensive?

In Sonoma County, California, the median home is worth about $815,500, and the typical rent is about $2,158 a month.

How educated are people in Sonoma County, California?

About 38.5% of adults age 25 and over in Sonoma County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Sonoma County, California?

About 8.9% of people in Sonoma County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Sonoma County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Sonoma County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 96,818 residents, a change of about 25 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 →