Living in Petaluma, CA
Suburb in California
Petaluma is a suburb in California, home to about 59,000 people, with 1.2 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a moderate pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Petaluma a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 7 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Dog-friendly: 7 dog parks within 9 mi
- Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $842k, and rent is $3,890 a month
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.67% property tax
- Fewer graduates: 43% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Petaluma ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Petaluma: common questions
What is the cost of living in Petaluma?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $842k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,890 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 108, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Petaluma?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.67% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Petaluma safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (0.8× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Petaluma?
Petaluma has mild winters: winter days average around 59°F and summer days around 80°F.
Does Petaluma get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.88 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Petaluma?
The nearest major airport is OAK, about 42 mi away.
How Petaluma scores
Each bar compares Petaluma with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Petaluma right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.