Sonoma County, California Housing Market Prices
Sonoma County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 3% above the California median More expensive than 72% of counties in California$667,194
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Median rent 6% above the California median More expensive than 79% of counties in California$2,158
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Sonoma County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $667,194 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 7.3% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,158 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Sonoma County is about 3% higher than in California. Rent is about 6% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sonoma County, up about 7.3% and 5.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Sonoma County rose about 63.5% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,320 to $2,158. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 6.3 yearly household incomes in Sonoma County.
Buying the median-priced home in Sonoma County costs roughly 25.8 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Sonoma County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Sonoma County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $667,194 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $105,553 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 6.3 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Sonoma County rose about 69.7%, while median household income rose about 55.0% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Sonoma County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 57.6% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 34.4% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 8.0% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
Sonoma County has a homeownership rate of 57.6%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 8.0%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Sonoma County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.49 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1978 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Sonoma County was built around 1978. On average, 2.5 people live in a home with about 5.1 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Sonoma County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Sonoma County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 485,012 residents against a local median of 134,769. There is no headline here. Every measure below sits within 15% of the median across the nearest counties, which makes Sonoma County, CA an unremarkable member of its own neighbourhood rather than an outlier in it.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 10% below the local median at $667,194 against $737,594. Sonoma County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County, CA | 485,012 | $667,194 #4/6 | $2,158 #4/6 | 62.6% #4/6 |
| Marin County, CA | 257,932 | $737,594 | $2,667 | 64.6% |
| Napa County, CA | 134,769 | $902,338 | $2,237 | 63.4% |
| Lake County, CA | 68,148 | $355,339 | $1,368 | 72.2% |
| San Francisco County, CA | 829,818 | $1,276,188 | $2,475 | 38.2% |
| Colusa County, CA | 21,984 | $195,643 | $1,157 | 62.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Sonoma County, California.
What is the median home price in Sonoma County, California?
The median home price in Sonoma County, California is $667,194, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Sonoma County, California?
The typical home price in Sonoma County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $667,194. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Sonoma County, California?
The median gross rent in Sonoma County, California is $2,158 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Sonoma County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Sonoma County, California was $1,742 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Sonoma County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Sonoma County, California is about 25.8, meaning it would take roughly 25.8 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Sonoma County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Sonoma County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Sonoma County, up about 7.3% and 5.8% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Sonoma County, California?
57.6% of households in Sonoma County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Sonoma County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Sonoma County, California is 8.0%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.
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