Windsor and Petaluma 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
Windsor
Petaluma
Opportunity
56 · Top 49%
vs57 · Top 49%
Growth
55 · Top 41%
vs56 · Top 39%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs81 · Top 15%
Physical resilience
19 · Bottom 12%
vs20 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 25%
vs46 · Bottom 8%
Access
64 · Bottom 9%
vs79 · Bottom 21%
Economic stability
71 · Top 28%
vs70 · Top 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Windsor | Petaluma | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,081 | 59,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $133,979 | $115,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $55,802 | $60,931 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,507/sq mi | 4,110/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $801,100 | $878,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,433 | $2,440 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 75.6% | 64.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.8% | -1.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.3% | 43.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.9% | 6.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 119 | 225 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.6 | 3.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 197.5% | 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 | 65 mi | 42 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.0 min | 32.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.7 | 45.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.29 | 22.64 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 51.2% | 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
Windsor
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Petaluma
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Windsor, CA · Petaluma, CA · How this is calculated: methodology