Moving to
Healdsburg.

All Healdsburg data Compare Healdsburg

11,243people live here $103,554median household income▲ 28% above US $2,158median rent per month▲ 53% above US $950,100median home value▲ 186% above US

What it's like to live in Healdsburg

Healdsburg is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Healdsburg deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Short commutes
Clean air
Highly educated workforce
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Healdsburg compares

Median household income

Healdsburg$103,554

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Healdsburg$2,158

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

Median home value

Healdsburg$950,100

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Healdsburg

Based on Healdsburg's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$4,316

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $86,320 a year
50% of Healdsburg renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$190,020

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $95,010
Homes cost 9.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 53% above US

$2,158/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,158 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $950,100. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $950,100 · 50% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.4% county unemployment

Unemployment in Sonoma County is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Sonoma County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 11% below US

295 violent crimes per 100k

Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.

Property crime 795/100k · Healdsburg Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 28% below US

19 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 25% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

62%

Work from home

25%

Carpool

7.0%

Walk

3.9%

Other

1.3%

Public transit

1.2%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 13% above US

41% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 41% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

4 public schools inside the boundary

There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Point Reyes National Seashore (39 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Healdsburg's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,158/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (25% of workers here already work from home), people who want short commutes, and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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