Is Petaluma Center, CA a Good Place to Live?
Petaluma Center is a small town of 849 in California, with a median household income of $75,455 and a 2.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 110 (US average = 100), which is 10% above the national average.
Strengths: Petaluma Center stands out for short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living. Whether Petaluma Center is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Petaluma Center city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 110.1Petaluma Center's overall cost of living index is 110.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Petaluma Center costs roughly 10% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Petaluma Center, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | N/A | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,289 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 2.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $75,455 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AveragePetaluma Center's violent crime rate is 284.0 per 100,000 residents — 25% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Petaluma Center, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 26.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 99.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Petaluma Center sees average highs of 57.6°F in January and 80.8°F in July, with 32.6 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Petaluma Center, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 57.6°F |
| Average High — July | 80.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 32.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Petaluma Center, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 849 | — |
| Median Age | 22.3 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 13.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 58.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30.7% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 36.3% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 0.0% | 16.8% |