Sonoma County · California · West · 177k residents
Santa Rosa, CA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Santa Rosa: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the California median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: ACS place data; supplementary fields may use state estimates.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,409/wk. California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%. Commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh.
Compare Santa Rosa side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$1,409/wk
Corporate income tax
8.84%
Bachelor's degree or higher
35.1%
Commercial electricity
25.5¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Santa Rosa's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
57/100
Steady
Ranks Santa Rosa's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| ACS median home value | $713,900 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $470 |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $1,721/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,192/mo |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% |
| Corporate income tax | 8.84% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $1,409/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.1% |
| Commercial electricity | 25.5¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 46.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $148,630 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $174,550 |
| Wage: General manager | $109,970 |
| Wage: Customer service | $51,810 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $40,650 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $62,620 |
| Wage: Electrician | $77,380 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $39,570 |
| Cost of living index | 138 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo |
| Transit pass | $90/mo |
| Gas price | $4.80/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,450/mo |
| Median household income | $99,060 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% |
| Population | 177k |
| Crime index | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 |
| Walkability | 38/100 |
| Disaster risk | 99/100 |
| Avg. commute | 29 min |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days |
| July high | 82°F |
| January low | 38°F |
| Annual snowfall | 0 in |
| Home price YoY | -1.8% |
| Home price MoM | -0.3% |
| Rent YoY | +1.0% |
| Rent MoM | +0.2% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.3% |
| Building permits YoY | +123.3% |
| Ocean coast | 18 mi |
| Big lake | 32 mi |
| Mountains | 60 mi |
| Major airport | 58 mi |
| Ski resort | 143 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Petaluma, CA · 59k
- Novato, CA · 53k
- Napa, CA · 78k
- Vallejo, CA · 124k
- San Rafael, CA · 60k
Similar size
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA · 175k
- Elk Grove, CA · 179k
- Ontario, CA · 181k
- Oceanside, CA · 172k
- Garden Grove, CA · 171k
Real listings in Santa Rosa
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Santa Rosa a good place to run a business?
- California's corporate income tax rate is 8.84%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $1,409/wk; commercial electricity averages 25.5¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Santa Rosa, CA?
- Santa Rosa indexes at 138 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,192/mo and a acs median home value of $713,900.
- How much does a house cost in Santa Rosa?
- The acs median home value in Santa Rosa is $713,900 (Census ACS estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Santa Rosa?
- A two-bedroom in Santa Rosa rents for about $2,192/mo.