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COUNTY · 2010 ACS

Sonoma County

California · 483,878 residents · 1,575 sq mi
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The short version

With 483,878 people, Sonoma County is a county in California. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $524,400. Renters pay $1,201 a month at the median. Median household income runs $63,274, well clear of the $52,703 US median. 31% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Poverty is uncommon here, at 10.3% of residents.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 39.9
US median: 37.2
More educated
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 56%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
483,878
+6%since 2000
from 458,614 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
39.9
+6%since 2000
from 37.5 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
1,575 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
377K411K445K479K513K19902000201020202024Sonoma County
2024485K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.8%(28,199)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96%(29,263)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.1%(29,724)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 196.9%(33,298)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.6%(32,068)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3412.7%(61,297)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4412.5%(60,603)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.2%(73,518)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6414.2%(68,544)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.3%(35,544)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.3%(20,614)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.3%(11,206)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$63,274
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,076 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,597
+27%since 2000
from $25,724 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
42.0%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 42.3% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
10.3%
+2.2 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.441
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information13.1%
US avg: 11.5%
Retail trade9.9%
US avg: 10.9%
Wholesale trade8.7%
US avg: 7.2%
Other services7.1%
US avg: 7%
Public administration4.6%
US avg: 4.9%
Finance & insurance3.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing3.1%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction2.7%
US avg: 1.4%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 4.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.3%
US avg: 2.4%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$524,400
+56%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $265,200 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,201
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $864 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
60.4%
−3.7 ptssince 2000
from 64.1% in 2000
39.6% rent
Vacancy rate
9.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.52 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
43.9%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 43.9% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.5%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.1% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
8.3
−6%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.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.5%(341,686)
Black1.3%(6,116)
Hispanic / Latino17.3%(79,511)
Asian3%(13,786)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic66.1%(320,027)
Black1.4%(6,769)
Hispanic / Latino24.9%(120,430)
Asian3.7%(17,777)
Other3.5%(16,756)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican20.8%(98,653)
Central American1.1%(5,286)
Salvadoran0.6%(2,657)
Puerto Rican0.3%(1,612)
South American0.3%(1,607)
Nicaraguan0.2%(1,174)
Guatemalan0.2%(958)
Spaniard0.2%(921)
Cuban0.1%(569)
Peruvian0.1%(471)
Colombian0.1%(355)
Chilean0.1%(296)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0%(224)
Argentine0%(190)
Ecuadorian0%(134)
Dominican0%(99)
Uruguayan0%(45)
Bolivian0%(23)
Ancestry
German15.8%(75,044)
Irish13.7%(64,914)
English11.7%(55,623)
Italian9.3%(44,152)
French3.8%(17,922)
Scottish3%(14,331)
American2.8%(13,241)
Scotch-Irish2.3%(11,108)
Swedish2.2%(10,479)
Portuguese1.9%(9,049)
Norwegian1.9%(8,932)
Polish1.7%(8,261)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.7%(7,984)
Russian1.6%(7,541)
Danish1.3%(6,057)
Swiss0.9%(4,332)
Welsh0.9%(4,244)
British0.7%(3,174)
Greek0.6%(2,798)
Hungarian0.4%(2,083)
Czech0.4%(2,011)
French Canadian0.4%(1,998)
Finnish0.4%(1,726)
Canadian0.3%(1,550)
Arab0.3%(1,502)
Austrian0.3%(1,432)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,269)
Iranian0.2%(1,130)
Ukrainian0.2%(888)
West Indian0.1%(705)
Croatian0.1%(685)
Armenian0.1%(589)
Romanian0.1%(577)
Ethiopian0.1%(549)
Belgian0.1%(513)
Lebanese0.1%(453)
Australian0.1%(439)
Haitian0.1%(431)
Slovak0.1%(373)
Latvian0.1%(341)
Turkish0.1%(312)
Serbian0.1%(306)
Egyptian0.1%(295)
Israeli0.1%(257)
Brazilian0%(187)
Slovene0%(160)
Bulgarian0%(145)
Syrian0%(121)
Jordanian0%(96)
Jamaican0%(92)
Moroccan0%(16)
Guyanese0%(14)
Kenyan0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
31.5%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 28.5% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
86.2%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 84.9% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
11.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.1 min
+30%since 2000
from 19.3 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
74.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
11.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
2.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
7.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
3.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
1.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.1% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
5.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
13.0%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 13.0% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
34.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
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
16.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
9.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.4% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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+76%
Home value$869,500+66%
Population132,949−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
Marin County
Income$149,091+136%
Home value$1,507,300+187%
Population253,694−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
Lake County
Income$60,621−4%
Home value$324,300−38%
Population67,772−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
San Francisco County
Income$140,970+123%
Home value$1,394,500+166%
Population826,079+70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Sonoma County, California?

Sonoma County, California has about 483,878 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Sonoma County, California earns about $63,274 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 $524,400, and the typical rent is about $1,201 a month.

How educated are people in Sonoma County, California?

About 31.5% 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 10.3% 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 95,656 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 →