What a local Santa Rosa agent helps you decide
Santa Rosa has about 177,000 residents (Census ACS 2020-2024) and six main ZIP codes, and prices inside the city differ by more than $175,000 between ZIPs on Zillow's measure. Zillow's typical home value for the whole city was $708,056 in September 2026, up 0.5% in a year but 3.2% below its December 2024 peak of $731,755. Redfin's median sale price, which counts only homes that sold, was $714,660 for the three months to September 2026.
A local agent's job is to narrow three choices. First, the ZIP: 95409 on the east side, which includes Oakmont, 95404, 95403, 95405, 95401 or 95407. Each has its own price level, school districts and tax rate. Second, the home type: about 58% of the city's homes are detached houses and 11% are attached townhouses, with the rest in duplexes, apartment-style condos and buildings, and around 4% mobile homes (Census ACS 2020-2024). Third, price. Redfin reports that Santa Rosa homes sold at 100.3% of list price on average over the three months to September 2026, with 31.7% going above list, so most deals settle close to the asking price.
Buying a home in Santa Rosa
Redfin counted 423 Santa Rosa sales in the three months to September 2026, with a median of 41 days on market and 3.3 months of supply. That is a slower pace than the 28 days Redfin reports for Petaluma over the same period, so buyers here usually have time to inspect and negotiate.
Step 1 for Santa Rosa buyers: budget at today's rate
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), a buyer putting 20% down ($142,932) on Redfin's $714,660 median pays about $3,896 a month in principal and interest. Property tax at the 2025-26 rate for central Santa Rosa, 1.1375% under the county's tax rate resolution, adds about $677 a month. Insurance, HOA dues and any special assessments come on top.
Step 2 for Santa Rosa buyers: match the ZIP to the budget
Over the three months to September 2026, Redfin's median sale price ranged from $654,808 in 95407 to $842,432 in 95404. Condos and townhouses are the main route under $600,000: Redfin's median condo sale in 95403 was $509,985 and in 95409 $397,488. See our Santa Rosa ZIP code guide and Santa Rosa condo guide.
Step 3 for Santa Rosa buyers: write the offer and inspect
The median home in Santa Rosa was built around 1980 (Census ACS), so many homes have older roofs, wiring and sewer laterals. Keep inspection and insurance contingencies in the offer, and ask for permits on any rebuilt or remodeled home. Our guide to buying a house in California walks through the contract.
Selling a home in Santa Rosa
Sellers listed 542 Santa Rosa homes in the three months to September 2026, 8.1% more than a year earlier (Redfin), while 37.6% of homes went under contract within two weeks. Zillow reports that 25.3% of listings in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma metro had a price cut in September 2026, the clearest sign of where overpriced homes end up.
Step 1 for Santa Rosa sellers: price from your own ZIP
Redfin's median price per square foot was $515.89 in 95404 and $442.27 in 95409 over the three months to September 2026. A list price built from a citywide figure will miss. Ask for a comparative market analysis from recent sales on your street and of your home type, and compare it with our Santa Rosa housing market report.
Step 2 for Santa Rosa sellers: order hazard reports early
California sellers give buyers a Transfer Disclosure Statement and a Natural Hazard Disclosure, which states whether the home is in a fire hazard zone, a flood zone or an earthquake fault zone. Order the hazard report before listing. Our California seller disclosure guide lists the forms.
Step 3 for Santa Rosa sellers: work out the net
Transfer tax is higher here than in much of the county. Fidelity National Title's January 2026 chart lists Sonoma County's tax at $1.10 per $1,000 and a Santa Rosa city tax of $2.00 per $1,000, both customarily paid by the seller. On a $714,660 sale that is about $786 plus $1,429, or $2,215, before escrow, title and any agent fees. See our California transfer tax guide.
Santa Rosa areas at a glance
Zillow publishes typical values for 13 neighborhoods in and next to Santa Rosa. The figures are for September 2026; our Santa Rosa neighborhoods guide profiles each one.
East Santa Rosa: Bennett Valley and Oakmont
Bennett Valley had the highest Zillow typical value of any Santa Rosa neighborhood, $1,230,101, up 3.4% in a year. Oakmont, the age-restricted community in ZIP 95409, was $730,809, down 1.3%. Oakmont is covered on our Santa Rosa retirement communities page.
North Santa Rosa: Lomita Heights, Northwest Santa Rosa and Larkfield-Wikiup
Lomita Heights was $929,344 and Northwest Santa Rosa $697,349. Larkfield-Wikiup, an unincorporated Census-designated place that Zillow groups with Santa Rosa, was $842,765, and Redfin's median sale there was $899,572 over the three months to September 2026. Homes outside city limits pay county rather than city charges, so check the tax bill.
Central Santa Rosa: St. Rose, West End, Burbank Gardens and nearby
The central neighborhoods sat in a tight band: St. Rose $577,723 (down 5.3%, the largest fall in the city), Burbank Gardens $569,089, West End $563,828, Olive Corby $561,285, Corby/Beachwood $550,505, South Park $541,239 and Aston Ave $539,510. Sunset McMinn was $571,716. These are the lowest neighborhood values Zillow reports for the city.
New homes and wider choices around Santa Rosa
Buyers who want newer construction should read our new homes in Santa Rosa page. Nearby, Zillow's typical value was $794,051 in Windsor and $1,097,064 in Healdsburg in September 2026.
Local property checks before you buy in Santa Rosa
These checks catch most of the costs specific to a Santa Rosa address.
- Fire hazard zone. Look up the address on CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone map, since a high or very high zone brings defensible-space rules and affects insurance. Our California wildfire zones guide explains each tier.
- Insurance. Get at least two quotes before removing contingencies. Some owners use the California FAIR Plan alongside a separate policy; see our California homeowners insurance guide.
- Flood. Check the parcel on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, especially near Santa Rosa Creek and its tributaries.
- Taxes and assessments. Under Prop 13 the base levy is 1% of the purchase price. Voter-approved school, college and water bonds brought central Santa Rosa's 2025-26 rate to 1.1375%, and parcels in Bellevue, Roseland, Rincon Valley or Wright school districts carry different bond rates. Ask for the last tax bill, which also lists any special assessments. See the Sonoma County property tax guide.
- HOA dues. Oakmont and most townhouse and condo complexes have dues. Ask for the budget, reserve study and recent minutes.
How to choose a real estate agent in Santa Rosa
Interview at least two agents with the same questions and check each license on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup before you sign.
- How many Santa Rosa sales have you closed in the last 12 months, and in which ZIPs?
- How did those homes sell against list price, and how long did they take?
- Which three recent sales support your price for this home?
- Have you handled homes in a mapped fire hazard zone, and how did insurance affect the deal?
- What is your fee, what does it cover, and how long is the agreement?
Commission rules changed on August 17, 2024. Buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent, and NAR's consumer guide says the agent's pay must be clearly stated, not open-ended, and that it is negotiable and not set by law. Sellers and buyers negotiate whether the seller contributes. As an example only, 2.5% of the $714,660 median is $17,867. Our California real estate commission guide has the details.
For a starting point, see our featured local agent for Santa Rosa. How we choose featured agents explains the process.
What buyers and sellers ask about Santa Rosa real estate
Are prices dropping? Slightly, on Redfin's sold-home measure: the median fell 1.5% from a year earlier. Zillow's typical value rose 0.5% over the same year but remains 3.2% below its peak. Who lives in their own home? Census figures show 56.7% of Santa Rosa households own, and the median household income was $99,060 (ACS 2020-2024), almost equal to California's $99,122. For budgets, read our Santa Rosa cost of living guide; for schools, the Santa Rosa schools guide; and for the wider question, is Santa Rosa a good place to live. County figures are on the Sonoma County market data page.