Cost of living in Sonoma research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Sonoma is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Sonoma is 197, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Sonoma is 2.0x higher than the national average.
Sonoma ranks as the #521 cheapest in California out of 634.
Sonoma ranks as the #6,303 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Sonoma is $941,639.
The median income in Sonoma is $101,281.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Sonoma has an overall cost of living index of 197, which is 2.0x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Sonoma has a cost of living index that's 1.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Sonoma ranks as #521 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Sonoma ranks as the #113 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Sonoma, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Sonoma. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Sonoma is 115.
The Groceries index in Sonoma is 119.
The Health index in Sonoma is 121.
The Housing index in Sonoma is 374.
The Transportation index in Sonoma is 128.
The Utilities index in Sonoma is 132.
| Living Expense | Sonoma | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 197 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 115 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 119 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 121 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 374 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 128 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 132 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Sonoma is $941,639.
The Median Rent in Sonoma is $2,216.
The Median Income in Sonoma is $101,281.
The Home Value To Income in Sonoma is 9.3x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Sonoma is 0.26x.
| Statistic | Sonoma | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $941,639 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $2,216 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $101,281 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 9.3x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.26x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Sonoma | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.45 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $16.46 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $27.22 | $18 |
| Haircut | $25.0 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.0 | $45.56 |
| Item | Sonoma | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.7 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.91 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.87 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $13.49 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.18 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.64 | $3.7 |
| Item | Sonoma | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $137.4 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $110.0 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $118.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Sonoma | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.6 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $60.97 | $59.92 |
| Item | Sonoma | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $182.51 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $180.31 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Sonoma. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Santa Rosa, CA has a cost of living index of 167, 0.8x Sonoma.
Napa, CA has a cost of living index of 172, 0.9x Sonoma.
Petaluma, CA has a cost of living index of 183, 0.9x Sonoma.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Sonoma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CA | 177,216 | 167 | 0.8x |
| Napa, CA | 78,816 | 172 | 0.9x |
| Petaluma, CA | 59,321 | 183 | 0.9x |
| Novato, CA | 52,689 | 196 | 1.0x |
| Rohnert Park, CA | 44,461 | 163 | 0.8x |
| American Canyon, CA | 21,698 | 162 | 0.8x |
| Cotati, CA | 7,533 | 166 | 0.8x |
| Boyes Hot Springs, CA | 7,031 | 166 | 0.8x |
| Lucas Valley-Marinwood, CA | 6,331 | 234 | 1.2x |
| St. Helena, CA | 5,378 | 249 | 1.3x |