Petaluma and Windsor receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Petaluma
Windsor
Opportunity
57 · Top 49%
vs56 · Top 49%
Growth
56 · Top 39%
vs55 · Top 41%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 14%
vs19 · Bottom 12%
Housing affordability
46 · Bottom 8%
vs63 · Bottom 25%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs64 · Bottom 9%
Economic stability
70 · Top 30%
vs71 · Top 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Petaluma | Windsor | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 59,247 | 26,081 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,430 | $133,979 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $60,931 | $55,802 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,110/sq mi | 3,507/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $878,600 | $801,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,440 | $2,433 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 64.5% | 75.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.8% | 36.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.5% | 5.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 225 | 119 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.8 | 4.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 177.8% | 197.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 84°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 33.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 42 mi | 65 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 32.9 min | 24.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.3 | 42.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.64 | 19.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 41.5% | 51.2% | 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
Petaluma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Windsor
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Petaluma, CA · Windsor, CA · How this is calculated: methodology