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COUNTY · 2020 ACS

Sonoma County

California · 488,863 residents · 1,575 sq mi
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The short version

Sonoma County is home to 488,863 people in California. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $640,000. Median rent is $1,743 a month. At a median age of 42.6, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Median household income runs $86,173, well clear of the $66,278 US median. The poverty rate is 8.8%, under the national 12.8%.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.6
US median: 38.8
More educated
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 61%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
488,863
+7%since 2000
from 458,614 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.6
+14%since 2000
from 37.5 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,575 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
377K411K445K479K513K19902000201020202024Sonoma County
2024485K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.6%(22,615)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(26,201)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 145.9%(29,042)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196%(29,291)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.7%(27,644)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.4%(60,699)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.8%(62,735)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.2%(59,524)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414.1%(69,090)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7412.8%(62,411)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.8%(28,475)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.3%(11,136)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$86,173
+8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,076 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$44,071
+71%since 2000
from $25,724 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
56.5%
+14.2 ptssince 2009
from 42.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
8.8%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.1% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.7%
US avg: 11.1%
Retail trade10%
US avg: 10%
Wholesale trade8.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Other services5.2%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance3.9%
US avg: 5.5%
Public administration3.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
US avg: 2.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.4%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction2.3%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$640,000
+61%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $265,200 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,743
+34%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $864 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
60.2%
−3.8 ptssince 2000
from 64.1% in 2000
39.8% rent
Persons per household
2.58 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
7.4
−16%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic58.5%(285,792)
Black1.5%(7,125)
Hispanic / Latino28.9%(141,438)
Asian4.5%(22,239)
Other4.8%(23,673)
Segregation Score
29
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
Mexican22.7%(112,740)
Central American1.5%(7,480)
Salvadoran0.8%(3,917)
South American0.6%(2,954)
Spaniard0.5%(2,581)
Puerto Rican0.5%(2,363)
Guatemalan0.3%(1,592)
Nicaraguan0.2%(946)
Cuban0.2%(943)
Colombian0.2%(878)
Peruvian0.2%(818)
Honduran0.1%(588)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Argentine0.1%(444)
Chilean0.1%(351)
Ecuadorian0.1%(281)
Panamanian0%(125)
Venezuelan0%(123)
Dominican0%(11)
Bolivian0%(10)
Asian origin
Chinese0.8%(4,179)
Filipino0.8%(4,047)
Asian Indian0.5%(2,590)
Vietnamese0.4%(2,114)
Korean0.3%(1,665)
Japanese0.3%(1,436)
Laotian0.3%(1,307)
Cambodian0.2%(959)
Nepalese0.1%(514)
Pakistani0.1%(308)
Thai0.1%(293)
Taiwanese0.1%(282)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(97)
Malaysian0%(32)
Burmese0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Native Hawaiian0.3%(1,367)
Fijian0.2%(1,130)
Samoan0.1%(340)
Chamorro0%(236)
Tongan0%(81)
Ancestry
German12.5%(62,333)
Irish12.4%(61,682)
English10.1%(50,355)
Italian8.5%(42,325)
French3.1%(15,270)
Scottish2.5%(12,480)
American2.5%(12,382)
Norwegian2%(10,140)
Polish1.8%(9,188)
Swedish1.7%(8,639)
Portuguese1.7%(8,375)
Dutch1.3%(6,681)
+ 49 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.2%(6,144)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(5,604)
Danish1%(5,076)
British1%(4,948)
Swiss0.8%(4,106)
Welsh0.8%(3,753)
Greek0.5%(2,629)
French Canadian0.5%(2,358)
Hungarian0.4%(2,096)
Finnish0.4%(1,783)
Austrian0.3%(1,677)
Czech0.3%(1,653)
Canadian0.3%(1,411)
Lithuanian0.3%(1,275)
Ukrainian0.2%(1,169)
Iranian0.2%(895)
Armenian0.2%(832)
West Indian0.2%(771)
Croatian0.1%(737)
Ethiopian0.1%(682)
Romanian0.1%(677)
Belgian0.1%(640)
Lebanese0.1%(630)
Ghanaian0.1%(566)
Slovak0.1%(471)
Haitian0.1%(446)
Latvian0.1%(409)
Jordanian0.1%(403)
Australian0.1%(367)
Brazilian0.1%(330)
Palestinian0.1%(316)
Syrian0.1%(283)
Slovene0.1%(269)
Jamaican0%(231)
Egyptian0%(214)
Bulgarian0%(214)
Turkish0%(205)
Serbian0%(184)
Kenyan0%(181)
Arab0%(164)
Nigerian0%(118)
Moroccan0%(56)
Barbadian0%(45)
Israeli0%(43)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.4%
+7.9 ptssince 2000
from 28.5% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
89.1%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 84.9% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
13.6%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 9.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
25.6 min
+32%since 2000
from 19.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
74.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
4.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.3% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−4.1 ptssince 2011
from 8.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
65.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 66.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
75.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
39.6%
+4.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.2% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.5% in 2009
Female
51.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.5% in 2009
Foreign born
16.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 16.3% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
6.0%
−8.1 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
95.0%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.4%
US average: 86.2%
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

Uninsured
6.0%
−8.1 ptssince 2013
from 14.1% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
56.6%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
18.1%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
20.5%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
18.5%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.9%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
72.4%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
36.3%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)14.5%(3,644)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)15.4%(3,876)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era43.6%(10,991)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.8%(1,957)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.6%(1,163)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 25,212 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+29%
Home value$869,500+36%
Population132,949−73%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
Marin County
Income$149,091+73%
Home value$1,507,300+136%
Population253,694−48%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
Lake County
Income$60,621−30%
Home value$324,300−49%
Population67,772−86%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SONOMA COUNTY VS
San Francisco County
Income$140,970+64%
Home value$1,394,500+118%
Population826,079+70%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Sonoma County, California?

Sonoma County, California has about 488,863 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Sonoma County, California earns about $86,173 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 $640,000, and the typical rent is about $1,743 a month.

How educated are people in Sonoma County, California?

About 36.4% 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 8.8% 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 100,641 residents, a change of about 26 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 →

Sonoma County, California (2020): demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy