177,132
Population
Sunny Days: 256
73100 Affordability
89100 Schools
50100 Diversity
80100 Safety
The chosen spot of all the earth as far as nature is concerned. - Luther Burbank
Santa Rosa, California
Saint Rose
The Best Thing About Santa Rosa?
In Vino Veritas
Santa Rosa is not only a wonderful place for growing grapes but also growing families looking to get some distance from San Francisco. 12 months of mild weather provides the perfect climate for enjoying the amazing parks and trails and excellent public schools make the area popular with families.
Summary of the Santa Rosa benefits from a local:
-temperate climate (a few nights of freezes in the winter) not often too hot, very clean air. An hour from San Francisco with world class theatre, ballet, opera, a number of museums, amazing restaurants. Santa Rosa in Sonoma County has 425 wineries, has just been named a prime area for craft beers (Russian River Brewing Company - home of Pliny the Younger), amazing cheeses. Twenty minutes from the gorgeous Pacific Coast with migrating whales heading south to Mexico in the winter and heading back to Alaska with the babies in the spring, visible from a number of places on the coast. Old Growth Redwoods. Russian River - great kayaking. Farm to Table restaurants. Bike trails everywhere and the new train has places for bikes on every car. Iron Man in the summer and lots of other bike races. Farm Trails, Cheese Trails, Art Trails
For more reviews of what living in Santa Rosa is like from locals check out: The Buzz
The Worst Thing About Santa Rosa?
Grapes of Wrath
Wine country doesn’t come without some drawbacks. Anything within a ninety minute drive of San Francisco is going to cost a pretty penny for housing. Being surrounded by beautiful vineyards and state parks makes this issue even worse. Wine country has also been hit hard by recent wildfires, which makes it a beacon for climate risk, but that hasn't suppressed pricing any.
Here's a summary of the cost issues from a local:
Is Santa Rosa a good place to raise a family?
No, not really, not unless you are very rich, and your kids will inherit.
AS things stand now, unless your kid grows up to be a CEO or Doctor, they won’t be able to have what one would call a “normal life” in Santa Rosa, as they won’t be able to buy a house, have normal stuff, etc.
This is a big big issue, not just for SR, but for many “blue” left leaning “cool places”, as the folks who live there support good economics and sharing, but don’t want more building (to lower housing costs), and in fact just voted down some bonds to MAKE more affordable housing
Lifestyle of Santa Rosa
Located in the heart of wine country USA, Santa Rosa locals enjoy a life centered around that classy commodity and the weather that goes along with them. Nights out for the upper crust are usually spent enjoying a nice glass of wine and a locally-sourced gourmet meal. Santa Rosa is also only an hour or so from San Francisco and Oakland for those looking for some bigger city vibes, and only 45 minutes from the beaches if you favor a more traditional Cali experience. Raising kids here, while expensive, is pretty heavenly. Lots of sports they can play year round, great public schools, and big cities not too far if you want them to get some culture.
If you're interested in seeing all that happens here check out the calendar of events: https://www.visitsantarosa.com/special-and-signature-events
Worklife of Santa Rosa
If you're looking to break into the wine industry Santa Rosa should be at the top of your list, tech and healthcare are also high volume options. Commuting to San Francisco happens but that drive is rough. We'd highly recommend you only consider that if you're working from home most/all days.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
Escape From Alcatraz
If you’re looking to retire or are a Bay Area family looking for better schools and an escape from the challenges or raising kiddos in SF or Oakland, Santa Rosa is an excellent option. At least for those who've done the math.
Living in Santa Rosa
Neighborhoods in Santa Rosa
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Downtown
Young Professionals/DINKs/SINKs
If you work in Sonoma, Napa or very far north in Marin county but you want a bit of a lifestyle then look at Downtown Santa Rosa. It’s on the smaller side but it has a pretty dense collection of bars, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, gyms and boutique shopping to keep you busy on weekends (or weeknights). The streets are beautiful and everything is walkable so check out the loft apartment buildings or townhomes and prepare for a chill but fun lifestyle.
- Downtown
Fountaingrove
LGBTQ+
The Fountaingrove neighborhood was burned to the ground in the fire of 2017. Since then if has recovered quite a bit and not only is one of the best neighborhoods for the LGBTQ+ community but it even has an LGBTQ+ retirement community!
- Fountaingrove
Memorial Hospital
Families
Most of Santa Rosa is family-friendly but one of the particularly perfect areas is the Memorial Hospital neighborhood. Not shockingly, given the name, it is near the hospital. It’s a bigger neighborhood with a mix of families and retirees who enjoy both the excellent housing options and a downtown area make it a perfect mix of suburban and commercial. Local schools are excellent and crime rates are extremely low.
- Memorial Hospital
- Roseland
Oakmont Village
Retirees
The premier neighborhood for retirees is Oakmont Village. It’s a 55+ un-gated community with all its own amenities including; ganks, salons, cleaners, a deli-market, fire station, medical offices and plenty of restaurants and cafes. Oakmont Golf Club is also in the neighborhood. This includes two 18-hole courses, one a par 72 and the other a par 63 executive-level course. It also sits right next to Annadel State Park, two other state parks, and plenty of world-class wineries so you will never run out of healthy and enjoyable things to do.
- Oakmont Village
- Bennet Valley
- Memorial Hospital