94954 receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
95404
94954
Opportunity
56 · Top 48%
vs58 · Top 44%
Growth
51 · Top 49%
vs56 · Top 40%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 13%
vs19 · Bottom 13%
Housing affordability
48 · Bottom 11%
vs43 · Bottom 7%
Access
67 · Bottom 10%
vs80 · Bottom 22%
Economic stability
65 · Top 40%
vs72 · Top 26%
Measured values
| Metric | 95404 | 94954 | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,011 | 37,574 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $105,437 | $113,527 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $66,144 | $57,466 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 491/sq mi | 604/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $903,900 | $840,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,949 | $2,554 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 60.9% | 67.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45.3% | 38.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.1% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 683 | 225 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 3.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 164.7% | 177.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 84°F | 79°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.8" | 20.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 61 mi | 40 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 33.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.4 | 45.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 8 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.50 | 22.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 53.6% | 41.5% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
95404
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
94954
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: 95404 — Santa Rosa, CA · 94954 — Petaluma, CA · How this is calculated: methodology