Santa Rosa, CA Housing Market
AI-powered market intelligence for the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area.
PropertyIQ Scores
Santa Rosa, CA Market Analysis
Market Overview
Santa Rosa’s housing market currently reads as moderate-to-weak, with a PropertyIQ Score of 35 out of 100. The low score is closely tied to home value momentum: the 12-month change is just 0.66%, while the 3-month change is -0.84%, meaning prices have tilted slightly downward in recent months. The median home value of $785,101 is above the California average of $764,158, but the year-over-year home value change of $0 shows no net appreciation over the past year.
Against state benchmarks, Santa Rosa has some underlying economic strengths. The unemployment rate of 4.4% is below the state average of 5.1%, and median household income of $104,674 exceeds the California figure of $99,122. The rent index of $2,685 is also well above the state average of $2,036. Still, these positives have not generated home price momentum.
Supply-side signals reinforce the softer tone. There are 1,123 homes for sale, median days on market is 55 days, and 19.2% of listings have a price cut. These conditions point to a market where buyers have more time and negotiating power than sellers.
Key Trends
One trend is cooling home value momentum. The 12-month home value momentum of 0.66% shows minimal appreciation, while the 3-month figure of -0.84% signals recent slippage. Combined with a year-over-year change of $0, the for-sale market has effectively flattened.
A second trend is growing buyer leverage. With 1,123 homes for sale and a median days on market of 55 days, homes are not moving quickly. The 19.2% share of listings with price cuts suggests sellers are adjusting to weaker demand. Buyers likely face less competition and more room to negotiate.
A third trend is the rental market’s relative strength. The local rent index of $2,685 is about 32% above the state average of $2,036. Even as home prices stall, rental demand may remain firmer, supported by a lower unemployment rate of 4.4% versus 5.1% statewide.
Affordability remains a hurdle. Median household income of $104,674 is above the state average, but the median home value of $785,101 is more than seven times that income. Population growth data is not available, so migration and household formation trends cannot be assessed from the provided figures.
Who Is This Market For
This market may suit patient buyers and long-term owners more than short-term flippers. First-time buyers can benefit from the 19.2% price-cut share and 55-day median days on market, which give more negotiating room, but the $785,101 median home value remains high relative to the $104,674 median household income. Entry is possible but likely requires strong income or a substantial down payment.
Move-up buyers may be better positioned because local incomes are above the state average and selling into the same market can offset high prices. The slower pace allows them to evaluate options carefully and negotiate on listings that have reduced prices.
Investors focused on rental income may find the local rent index of $2,685 attractive compared with the state average of $2,036. The below-state unemployment rate of 4.4% also supports tenant demand. However, with weak home value momentum and flat year-over-year values, investors should not depend on short-term appreciation.
Outlook
The near-term outlook is soft to flat. The 3-month home value momentum of -0.84% is the most recent price signal, following a 12-month gain of only 0.66% and a year-over-year change of $0. With 1,123 homes for sale, a median days on market of 55 days, and 19.2% of listings with price cuts, the data does not currently point to rapid upward pressure. The below-state unemployment rate of 4.4% and a rent index of $2,685 above the state average may support underlying demand, but the missing population growth data limits longer-term demographic conclusions. Overall, the numbers suggest a cautious, buyer-leaning environment rather than a market poised for sharp price gains.
AI-generated analysis based on current market data. Last updated October 4, 2026.
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Santa Rosa, CA market data
Santa Rosa, CA Housing Market Overview
Santa Rosa, CA's median home value is $785K, up 0.7% over the past year. Homes here sell in a median 55 days. Its PropertyIQ Score of 35 sits below the state average of 50, marking a market positioned to lag its state over the next three years.
Understanding the Santa Rosa, CA housing market requires looking beyond headline price figures. The PropertyIQ Score reads both sides of market strength: Zillow price momentum across 3- and 12-month windows, and Realtor.com flow signals — days on market and the share of listings with price cuts. Together they predict how this CA metro is set to perform relative to the rest of its state.
Pacific Coast housing markets feature the nation's highest price points alongside strong wage growth from technology, entertainment, and trade sectors. Supply constraints from geographic barriers and regulatory environments create persistent affordability challenges but also strong long-term appreciation potential. Within the Pacific, Santa Rosa, CA's PropertyIQ Score of 35 runs below the Pacific norm.
California's housing market is defined by extreme supply-demand imbalance, with CEQA regulations and geographic constraints limiting new construction. Despite affordability challenges, strong wage growth in tech and entertainment sectors sustains prices.
The PropertyIQ Score for the Santa Rosa, CA market is built from four inputs: Zillow home-value momentum over twelve months, Zillow home-value momentum over three months, the median days listings spend on the market (Realtor.com), and the share of listings with a price cut (Realtor.com). The score runs on a 1 to 99 scale computed across all metro markets nationally and calibrated so 50 equals the state average — a score above 50 means this market is positioned to outperform its state, and a score below 50 means it is set to lag. Momentum here has been positive, with home values up 0.7% over the past year.
Explore the interactive map to see how Santa Rosa, CA compares to neighboring metros, or view the full market dashboard for detailed analytics including time-series trends, score breakdowns, and AI-generated market reports.
Counties in the Santa Rosa, CA metro area
ZIP codes in the Santa Rosa, CA metro area
View all 33 →Market data through August 2026. Sourced from Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, U.S. Census Bureau, FRED, BLS, and BEA. Per-statistic source and date shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Rosa, CA a good place to buy real estate in 2026?
PropertyIQ doesn't label markets simply good or bad. Instead, the PropertyIQ Score measures a market's demand momentum against its own state, where 50 marks the state average. Santa Rosa, CA currently scores 35, a weak-momentum reading that leaves it positioned to lag its state over the next three years. For buyers, cooling demand usually brings more inventory, longer sale times, and real leverage to negotiate on price. Backing that up, the median home value here is $785K, up 0.7% over the past year. So whether Santa Rosa, CA is right for you comes down to your goals: a rising-momentum market can favor long-term appreciation but offers less room to negotiate, while a cooling one hands buyers more leverage. Treat the score as a timing signal to weigh alongside your budget, holding period, and plans for the property, not a verdict on the market's quality.
What is the PropertyIQ Score for Santa Rosa, CA?
Santa Rosa, CA's PropertyIQ Score is 35, indicating weak momentum on a 1-to-99 scale. The score distills four transparent inputs into a single number: Zillow home-value momentum over the past 12 months, Zillow home-value momentum over the past 3 months, the median days homes spend on the market from Realtor.com, and the share of listings with a price cut, also from Realtor.com. Rising values and faster sales push the score up, while slow sales and frequent price cuts pull it down. The scale is calibrated so 50 equals the state average, meaning a score above 50 predicts the market will outperform its state over the next three years and a score below 50 predicts underperformance. PropertyIQ computes the score across every US market nationally, then recenters it against each state, so 35 places Santa Rosa, CA below its state benchmark.
Are home prices in Santa Rosa, CA rising or falling?
Home prices in Santa Rosa, CA are rising. Over the past year, the median home value increased 0.7%, reaching $785K. Over the latest three months, values slipped 0.8%, a sign near-term demand is softening. PropertyIQ derives these figures from Zillow's home-value index, which tracks the typical value across the market rather than only the homes that happened to sell, giving a steadier read than a raw median sale price. Both the 12-month and 3-month momentum readings feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, so this price trend is one of the core signals behind Santa Rosa, CA's current score. Keep in mind that appreciation can vary widely by neighborhood and price tier across the metro area, so treat these figures as the market-wide baseline rather than a guarantee for any single property.
How quickly do homes sell in Santa Rosa, CA?
In Santa Rosa, CA, homes sell in a median of 55 days from listing to pending sale, based on Realtor.com market data. Median days on market is one of the clearest real-time reads on local demand: when homes move quickly, buyers are competing and sellers hold the advantage, while lengthening timelines signal cooling interest and more room to negotiate. Alongside sale speed, about 19% of active listings here have taken at least one price cut — a complementary demand gauge, since a rising share of reductions often precedes slower sales and softer prices. Both median days on market and the price-cut share feed directly into the PropertyIQ Score, where faster sales and fewer cuts push the score higher. As a general guide, medians under about 30 days indicate a brisk, competitive market, while medians well beyond 60 days point to buyers regaining leverage. Actual time on market still varies by price band, property type, and season, so treat the median as a market-wide baseline.
How current is this metro area data?
This Santa Rosa, CA market data is refreshed on a monthly cycle, with the latest figures current through August 2026. PropertyIQ ingests fresh data every month from a range of authoritative sources: home values and rents from Zillow, days on market and price-cut activity from Realtor.com, additional housing signals from Redfin, demographic and housing-stock data from the U.S. Census Bureau, mortgage and macroeconomic series from FRED, and employment figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The PropertyIQ Score itself is recomputed every month once the new source data lands, so the score and its four underlying inputs always reflect the most recent complete reporting period rather than a static snapshot. Because official housing data is typically released with a short lag, the current-through date usually trails the present by a few weeks, which is normal across the industry and not a sign the data is out of date.