Residential comparison · 13 facts
Novato, CA vs Petaluma, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Novato needs about $80,500 in Petaluma to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Petaluma, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,500 in Novato.
A few differences
- Novato is higher on median household income ($115,736 vs $115,430).
- Petaluma is lower on cost of living index (152 vs 161).
- Petaluma is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,536/mo vs $2,557/mo).
Novato vs Petaluma · facet by facet
| Facet | Novato, CA | Petaluma, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,032,500 | $878,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,557/mo | $2,536/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 161 | 152 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $115,736 | $115,430 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Novato, CA · Petaluma, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Novato cheaper than Petaluma?
- Petaluma has the lower day-to-day cost index (152 vs 161 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Petaluma equals $85,000 in Novato?
- A household earning $85,000 in Novato needs about $80,500 in Petaluma to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Petaluma lifestyle costs about $89,500 in Novato.