Sonoma County, California

CA · FIPS 06097 Democrat

Located in California, Sonoma County has a population of 485,040 residents and a median age of 42.9 years, making it the #150 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.9%. The median home value is $815,500, and the median household income is $104,674, which is 39% above the national median.

485,040
Population
#150 of 3,222
$104,674
Median Income
+39.3% #126 of 3,222
42.9 years
Median Age
+10.3% #1,227 of 3,222
8.9%
Poverty Rate
-29.4% #553 of 3,222

Demographics

Sonoma County has a population of 485,040, making it the #150 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.9 years, which is 10.3% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

83.2%
Native Born
16.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sonoma County is $104,674, ranking #126 out of 3,222 counties — 39.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.9% and unemployment stands at 5.7%.

Income#126
$104,674
+39.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Per Capita#108
$56,640
+37.3%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poverty#553
8.9%
-29.4%
vs nation
83th percentile
Unemployment#2,395
5.7%
+7.3%
vs nation
26th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sonoma County is $815,500 (+189.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $2,158/mo and the homeownership rate is 62.6%.

Home Value#30
$815,500
+189.3%
vs nation
99th percentile
Rent#25
$2,158
+85.6%
vs nation
99th percentile
Homeownership#2,875
62.6%
-2.8%
vs nation
11th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sonoma County, 38.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 14.2% above the national average, ranking #330 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
38.5% +14.2% vs nation
Rank #330 of 3,222
90th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sonoma County is 80.6 years. 14.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#163
80.6
+7.3%
vs nation
95th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#384
14.4%
-26.4%
vs nation
88th percentile
Diabetes#224
8.3%
-25.4%
vs nation
93th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#705
34.0%
-8.9%
vs nation
78th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,971
5.8
+3.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,313
4.3
-3.8%
vs nation
58th percentile
Uninsured Rate#687
6.7%
-36.4%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#96
17.4%
-34.0%
vs nation
97th percentile
Food Insecurity#387
10.5%
-27.1%
vs nation
88th percentile

Substance Use

10.5% of adults in Sonoma County smoke , 28.3% are obese , and 22.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#68
10.5%
-41.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Adult Obesity#116
28.3%
-25.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,459
22.3%
+12.3%
vs nation
22th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,119
29.1
-9.9%
vs nation
47th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Sonoma County is 2.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.6 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#172
2.4
-70.0%
vs nation
89th percentile
Suicide Rate#610
14.3
-27.6%
vs nation
76th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#198
7.9
-56.0%
vs nation
92th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#323
9.6
-52.7%
vs nation
89th percentile

Families & Children

9.5% of children in Sonoma County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 3.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#26
3.1
-53.8%
vs nation
98th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#255
7.9
-63.6%
vs nation
92th percentile
Child Poverty#285
9.5%
-50.0%
vs nation
91th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sonoma County is 75.2%. The mean commute time is 27.6 min, which is 0.1% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.6 min +0.1% vs nation
Rank #1,342 of 3,222
58th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sonoma County voted Democratic with a margin of 46.2%. The vote was 71.4% Dem / 25.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 5.3 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +46.2%
71.4% 25.2%
Dem 251,426 votes Rep
2020 DEM +51.5%
74.5% 23%
Dem 268,252 votes Rep
2016 DEM +47.9%
70.7% 22.8%
Dem 164,060 votes Rep
2012 DEM +44.8%
70.8% 26%
Dem 175,738 votes Rep
2008 DEM +49.6%
73.6% 24%
Dem 229,351 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sonoma County, California

Sonoma County, California has a total population of 485,040, making it the 150th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sonoma County is 42.9 years, which is 10.3% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sonoma County is $104,674, which ranks #126 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 39.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.9%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.7%.

The median home value in Sonoma County is $815,500, 189.3% above the national median. Renters in Sonoma County pay a median gross rent of $2,158 per month. The homeownership rate is 62.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sonoma County, 38.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 14.2% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.6 min.

Sonoma County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 57.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (30.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).

All data for Sonoma County, California comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.