What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Cotati, CA, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Cotati is a city in Sonoma County, California, with an estimated population of 7,403. It anchors the Santa Rosa-Petaluma metro area. The population has contracted 0.6% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in Cotati is $732,955 as of 2026-04, down 2.2% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +1.7% annual growth (-3.9% from the 5-year peak). The composite momentum score is 47 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.
Prices have come off recent highs (-3.9% from peak). Buyers may have more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.
Reasons people move here
- The data is the data: Cotati has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.
- Data is sourced from public datasets (Zillow, US Census) with full citations on the methodology page.
Things to know first
- Expensive AND not growing: median home $732,955 with only -2.2% YoY. You're paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
- Cooling: -2.2% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
- Flat or shrinking population: -0.6% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
- Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.
More about Cotati
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.