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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Petaluma, CA Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Petaluma, CA Housing Market Trends

With 58,652 people, 23,486 houses or apartments, and a median cost of homes of $916,915, real estate costs in Petaluma are among some of the highest in the nation, although house prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive California communities.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Petaluma, accounting for 68.92% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Petaluma include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 15.51%), row houses and other attached homes ( 7.37%), and a few duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 4.94%).

The most prevalent building size and type in Petaluma are three and four bedroom dwellings, chiefly found in single-family detached homes. The city has a mixture of owners and renters, with 62.12% owning and 37.88% renting.

There is a lot of housing in Petaluma built from 1970 to 1999 so parts of town may have that "Brady Bunch" look of homes popular in the '70s and early '80s, although some of these houses were built up through the early '90s as well. There is also a lot of housing in Petaluma built between 1940-1969 ( 23.47%). A lesser amount of the housing stock also hails from between 2000 and later ( 16.03%). There's also some housing in Petaluma built before 1939 ( 9.10%).

Petaluma Home Appreciation Rates

Real estate appreciation rates in Petaluma's have tracked to near the national average over the last then years, with the annual appreciation rate averaging 5.69% during the period.

Over the last year, Petaluma appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Petaluma's appreciation rate has been -3.89%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Petaluma were at -6.37%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of -23.13%.

Notably, Petaluma's appreciation rate in the latest quarter is one of the lowest in America.

Relative to California, our data show that Petaluma's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 90% of the other cities and towns in California.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the city. Individual neighborhoods within Petaluma differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Petaluma - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Petaluma real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$916,915

Petaluma, CA Home Prices
> $1,113,000
$835,001 - $1,113,000
$557,001 - $835,000
$446,001 - $557,000
$334,001 - $446,000
$223,001 - $334,000
$111,001 - $223,000
$56,001 - $111,000
$0 - $56,000
21.0%
21.0%
38.0%
38.0%
31.7%
31.7%
2.4%
2.4%
1.1%
1.1%
1.5%
1.5%
2.4%
2.4%
0.9%
0.9%
1.1%
1.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
High

for California

Very High

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

23,486

Petaluma Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$3,298 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
62.1%
62.1%
37.9%
37.9%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
2.7%
2.7%
97.3%
97.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
16.0%
16.0%
51.4%
51.4%
23.5%
23.5%
9.1%
9.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
68.9%
68.9%
7.4%
7.4%
4.9%
4.9%
15.5%
15.5%
3.3%
3.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
1.7%
1.7%
10.1%
10.1%
22.3%
22.3%
37.4%
37.4%
24.2%
24.2%
4.3%
4.3%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes