Where Do I Move?

West · California · pop 177.2K

Santa Rosa, CA

Fit score

Fair match

at the reference profile: one person earning $6,700/mo gross, default weights.

Personalize this score →

After estimated taxes in CA, your $6,700/mo income nets about $5,120, while estimated essentials run about $5,172/mo — roughly $52 short.

Expect summer highs near 82°F, winter lows around 39°F, and about 0 sunny days a year.

Reported crime rates sit below most similar-sized cities in this dataset.

Tradeoff: home prices run high relative to local incomes, so buying may take longer than elsewhere.

AFFORDABILITY49HOUSING21JOBS56SAFETY60CLIMATE69AMENITIES38

The Santa Rosa fit print

Est. monthly cost

$5,172/mo

Typical rent

$2,534/mo

Home value ÷ income

7.0×

Score breakdown

Affordability
49
Housing
21
Jobs
56
Safety
60
Climate
69
Amenities
38

The data behind the score

Money (Census ACS · HUD)

Median gross rent
$2,534/mo
Median home value
$685,000
Median household income
$97,410
Population
177,216

Work (BLS)

Unemployment rate
0.0%
Job growth (1yr)
0.0%

Safety (FBI CDE, per 100k)

Violent crime rate
0
Property crime rate
0

Climate (NOAA normals)

Avg. summer high
82°F
Avg. winter low
39°F
Sunny days / year
0
Days ≥100°F by 2050 (air temp)
≈9/yr
Dangerous humid days by 2050 (feels-like)
≈0/yr
Unhealthy air days
≈10/yr
Annual rain
32"
Annual snow
0"

Community & access (approx.)

2024 county margin
D+46
Bachelor's degree or higher
≈35%
Major airport
≈15 mi
Time zone
PT
Walkability
40/100
Transit
30/100
Disaster risk
53/100
Top natural hazard
Drought
Local pay is tight here. A typical Santa Rosa household earns about $97k, roughly 2% below the $100k it takes to cover local costs here. Local pay stretches, but it's tight.
A citywide number is an average. Rent, safety, and everything else vary block by block — treat these figures as a starting point and research specific neighborhoods before committing.

Data vintage: acs2023-5yr+zori-2026-06-30. Sources & methodology

Natural-hazard risk

Wildfire

high risk

Hurricanes

low risk

Tornadoes

low risk

Flooding

high risk

Earthquakes

high risk

Severe winter

low risk

Per-hazard risk-index scores from FEMA's National Risk Index for this city's county, with any hazard FEMA doesn't score filled in by our model. Screen by hazard from search.

Track Santa Rosa affordability

We'll email you if rents or costs in Santa Rosa shift. Occasional, no spam.

We'll only email you what you asked for. Unsubscribe anytime. See our privacy policy.

Go deeper

Buy vs. rent the median home

Owning the median Santa Rosa home would run about $4,699/mo (mortgage, tax, insurance, upkeep) versus $2,534/mo to rent — about $2,165/mo more to buy at today's 6.60% rate.

To own$4,699/mo
Mortgage (P&I)
$3,500
Property tax
$428
Insurance (state avg)
$200
Maintenance
$571
To rent$2,534/mo

Buying costs about $2,165/mo more.

Median home $685,000 · $137,000 down

Estimate only: 30-year fixed, state-average property tax and homeowners insurance, ~1%/yr maintenance. Part of the mortgage payment builds equity, which a pure outlay comparison ignores; and the median home is typically larger than the median rental, which biases the gap toward renting. Ignores closing costs, HOA dues, PMI on low down payments, and the opportunity cost of the down payment. Not a lending quote.

What will the move cost?

Moving to Santa Rosa

About 2,565 mi from New York, NY.

DIY — rental truck

$3,150$4,550

One-way truck, mileage, and fuel. Your labor.

Full-service movers

$7,700$11,050

Pros load, drive, and unload. Packing usually extra.

Rough estimates from distance and household size — real quotes vary with season, access, exact inventory, and fuel. Get a few binding quotes before you book.

Find jobs in Santa Rosa

Opens each board's search pre-filled for Santa Rosa, CA.

Nearby cities

Cities like Santa Rosa

see all 9 →