Sonoma County, CA

County

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2023 Population

485,642

0.572% 1-year decline

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

42.7

0% 1-year change

2023 Poverty Rate

8.57%

3.81% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$102,840

3.6% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$779,000

4.07% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

246,077

0.741% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Sonoma County, CA had a population of 486k people with a median age of 42.7 and a median household income of $102,840. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Sonoma County, CA declined from 488,436 to 485,642, a −0.572% decrease and its median household income grew from $99,266 to $102,840, a 3.6% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Sonoma County, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (59.1%), Other (Hispanic) (13.6%), Two+ (Hispanic) (9.12%), White (Hispanic) (5.41%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.58%).

None of the households in Sonoma County, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

91.4% of the residents in Sonoma County, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Sonoma County, CA are Santa Rosa Junior College (123013) (5,856 degrees awarded in 2022), Sonoma State University (2,454 degrees), and Lytles Redwood Empire Beauty College (82 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Sonoma County, CA was $779,000, and the homeownership rate was 62.2%.

Most people in Sonoma County, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Sonoma County, CA was 2 cars per household.

Sonoma County, CA borders Contra Costa County, CA, Lake County, CA, Marin County, CA, Mendocino County, CA, Napa County, CA, and Solano County, CA.

Photo by Kenny Wirth

United States California Santa Rosa, CA

Population & Diversity

Sonoma County, CA is home to a population of 486k people, from which 91.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 16.6% of Sonoma County, CA residents were born outside of the country (80.5k people).

In 2023, there were 4.33 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (287k people) in Sonoma County, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 66.3k Other (Hispanic) and 44.3k Two+ (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

91.4%

2023 Citizenship

91.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 91.4% of Sonoma County, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Sonoma County, CA was 91.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Sonoma County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Sonoma County, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
287k ± 970
Other (Hispanic)
66.3k ± 3.22k
Two+ (Hispanic)
44.3k ± 2.59k

29.4%

Hispanic Population

143k people

29.4% of the people in Sonoma County, CA are hispanic (143k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Sonoma County, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

16.6%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

80.5k people

16.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

79.3k people

As of 2023, 16.6% of Sonoma County, CA residents (80.5k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Sonoma County, CA was 16.2%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Sonoma County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
8,462 ± 631
Gulf War (2001-)
3,268 ± 410
Gulf War (1990s)
2,195 ± 359

Sonoma County, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.59 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Sonoma County, CA employs 246k people. The largest industries in Sonoma County, CA are Health Care & Social Assistance (34,898 people), Retail Trade (27,003 people), and Manufacturing (25,180 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($121,240), Information ($90,631), and Finance & Insurance ($90,067).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

246k

2023 Value

± 4,111

−0.741%

1 Year decline

± 2.36%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sonoma County, CA declined at a rate of −0.741%, from 248k employees to 246k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Sonoma County, CA, are Management Occupations (31,967 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (24,504 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (23,891 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Sonoma County, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

246k

2023 Value

± 4,111

−0.741%

1 Year decline

± 2.36%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Sonoma County, CA declined at a rate of −0.741%, from 248k employees to 246k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Sonoma County, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (34,898 people), Retail Trade (27,003 people), and Manufacturing (25,180 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Sonoma County, CA, though some of these residents may live in Sonoma County, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$61,183

Median earning men ± $1,258

$47,656

Median earning women ± $1,431

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,497), Information ($94,531), and Public Administration ($93,380).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($77,868), Public Administration ($76,822), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($72,114).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

1,390
Construction
1,189
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
805
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$2.02M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.88M
Manufacturing
$1.28M
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Sonoma County, CA went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 74.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (23%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.27%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Joseph R Biden Jr. (74.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (23%)
Republican Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.27%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Sonoma County, CA went to Joseph R Biden Jr. with 74.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (23%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.27%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Sonoma County, CA for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Sonoma County, CA awarded 8,490 degrees. The student population of Sonoma County, CA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 9,501 male students and 13,102 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Sonoma County, CA are White (3,824 and 45.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (2,901 and 34.6%), Unknown (575 and 6.87%), and Two or More Races (466 and 5.57%).

The largest universities in Sonoma County, CA by number of degrees awarded are Santa Rosa Junior College (123013) (5,856 and 69%), Sonoma State University (2,454 and 28.9%), and Lytles Redwood Empire Beauty College (82 and 0.966%).

The most popular majors in Sonoma County, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,667 and 19.6%), General Business Administration & Management (641 and 7.55%), and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) (618 and 7.28%).

The median tuition costs in Sonoma County, CA are $9,993 for private four year colleges, and $5,742 and $17,622 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Sonoma County, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 94%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.52%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 22,603 (42% men and 58% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 22,603 students enrolled in Sonoma County, CA, 42% men and 58% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 9,453 records, of which 55.9% were women and 44.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Sociology
142 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
421 degrees awarded
General Psychology
213 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Sonoma County, CA was Sociology with 142 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Sonoma County, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Santa Rosa Junior College (123013)
5,856 degrees awarded
Sonoma State University
2,454 degrees awarded
Lytles Redwood Empire Beauty College
82 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Santa Rosa Junior College (123013) with 5,856 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 3,356 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Sonoma County, CA, which is 0.654 times less than the 5,134 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 3,824 degrees mean that there were 1.32 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,901 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($9,993) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,318) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,972) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Sonoma County, CA was $779,000 in 2023, which is 2.57 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $748,500 to $779,000, a 4.07% increase. The homeownership rate in Sonoma County, CA is 62.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Sonoma County, CA have an average commute time of 25.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Sonoma County, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Sonoma County, CA is $102,840. In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income in Sonoma County, CA was Census Tract 1515.03 with a value of $173,750, followed by Census Tract 1535.02 and Census Tract 1506.07, with respective values of $149,531 and $148,704.

In 2023, 21.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sonoma County, CA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.29%.

Housing

Property

$779,000

Median Property Value 2023

±$8,876

$118,489

Median Property Taxes

±$2,266

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Sonoma County, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Sonoma County, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

62.2%

Homeownership

2023

67.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 62.2% of the housing units in Sonoma County, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Sonoma County, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 1515.03
Census Tract 1535.02
Census Tract 1506.07

In 2023, the tract with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Sonoma County, CA was Census Tract 1515.03 with a value of $173,750, followed by Census Tract 1535.02 and Census Tract 1506.07, with respective values of $149,531 and $148,704.

The following map shows all of the tracts in Sonoma County, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$102,840

Median Household Income

± $2,032

190k

Number of Households

± 3,332

In 2023, the median household income of the 190k households in Sonoma County, CA grew to $102,840 from the previous year's value of $99,266.

The following chart displays the households in Sonoma County, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Sonoma County, CA is from California.

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

In 2022, the income inequality in California was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.107% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (71%)
Worked At Home (14.4%)
Carpooled (9.24%)

In 2023, 71% of workers in Sonoma County, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.4%) and those who carpooled to work (9.24%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Sonoma County, CA have a shorter commute time (25.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 3.38% of the workforce in Sonoma County, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Sonoma County, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Sonoma County, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Sonoma County, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2023, 21.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Sonoma County, CA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 3.29%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.57% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Sonoma County, CA (41k out of 479k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Sonoma County, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2023, 10.4% of the children was living in poverty in Sonoma County, CA. From 2014 to 2023, the indicator declined 4.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.6% of the population of Sonoma County, CA has health coverage, with 48% on employee plans, 16.3% on Medicaid, 15.5% on Medicare, 13.9% on non-group plans, and 0.899% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Sonoma County, CA see 990 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.33% increase from the previous year (977 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1034 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 188 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

990 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Sonoma County, CA

Primary care physicians in Sonoma County, CA see an average of 990 patients per year. This represents a 1.33% increase from the previous year (977 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Sonoma County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.8% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 39.6% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.2% were men and 51.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.41%

Uninsured

48%

Employer Coverage

16.3%

Medicaid

15.5%

Medicare

13.9%

Non-Group

0.899%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Sonoma County, CA declined by 3.56% from 5.61% to 5.41%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Sonoma County, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2023, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 24.8 in Sonoma County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sonoma County, CA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2023, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 25.2% in Sonoma County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Sonoma County, CA.