Residential comparison · 13 facts
Novato, CA vs Santa Rosa, 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 $84,000 in Santa Rosa to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Santa Rosa, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $86,000 in Novato.
A few differences
- Novato is higher on median household income ($115,736 vs $99,060).
- Santa Rosa is lower on cost of living index (138 vs 161).
- Santa Rosa is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,192/mo vs $2,557/mo).
Novato vs Santa Rosa · facet by facet
| Facet | Novato, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,032,500 | $713,900 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,557/mo | $2,192/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 | 138 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $115,736 | $99,060 |
| 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 · Santa Rosa, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Novato cheaper than Santa Rosa?
- Santa Rosa has the lower day-to-day cost index (138 vs 161 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Santa Rosa equals $85,000 in Novato?
- A household earning $85,000 in Novato needs about $84,000 in Santa Rosa to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Santa Rosa lifestyle costs about $86,000 in Novato.