What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Santa Rosa, 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.
Santa Rosa is a city in Sonoma County, California, with an estimated population of 177,524. It anchors the Santa Rosa-Petaluma metro area. The median home value in Santa Rosa is $720,443 as of 2026-04, down 2.0% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +1.6% annual growth (-3.4% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Santa Rosa average $2,534 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.7%). The composite momentum score is 49 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (-2.0% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- The data is the data: Santa Rosa 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 $720,443 with only -2.0% YoY. You're paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
- Cooling: -2.0% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
More about Santa Rosa
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.