Photo: Stepheng3 at English Wikipedia · Public domainEven on the area’s higher pay, Graton costs more to live in than 98% of U.S. towns
Down 2.1% in a year, close to the California typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area ($105K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
Only 3 sales in September 2026: in a market this size, monthly medians swing a lot, so the typical value is the steadier guide.
The grade measures what housing costs against what households in the area earn. Graton’s area earns well above the typical U.S. town ($105K against $74K), but homes, rent and taxes here run higher still. Owners keep up no better than renters: 33% of owners pay 30% or more of income for housing (typical U.S. town: 20%), against 33% of renters.
In dollars
- $768Ktypical home, 1% above the California typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $2,640a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 8.4 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$105K, Santa Rosa-area income
- 32%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 33%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
What stands out about housing in Graton
What’s behind Graton’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Graton is more affordable than 2% of U.S. towns. Rent pulls the grade down most; the share of households paying 30%+ for housing holds it up.
Values have lagged California: the typical Graton home is up 2.3% in five years, against 13.3% statewide (Zillow).
Up 2.3% in five years
Slower than California (13.3%).
Show as a table
| January | Graton | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $588,000 | $451,000 |
| 2018 | $637,000 | $499,000 |
| 2019 | $666,000 | $537,000 |
| 2020 | $663,000 | $548,000 |
| 2021 | $697,000 | $604,000 |
| 2022 | $757,000 | $700,000 |
| 2023 | $790,000 | $723,000 |
| 2024 | $792,000 | $754,000 |
| 2025 | $795,000 | $778,000 |
| 2026 | $772,000 | $763,000 |
| September 2026 | $768,000 | $762,000 |
A typical Graton home worth $575K in October 2016 is worth about $768K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 8.4 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Graton’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $356K short of a typical Graton home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,640 a month here, $1,930 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Graton’s typical property tax (0.84% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $2,640
Renters already here pay a median of $2,826.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs above the California norm
The median bill is $7,385 (California: $5,124), 0.84% of a home’s value a year, against 0.70% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Graton and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graton | D− | $768K | $878K | 0.84% | $2,640 |
Questions about the cost of living in Graton
Is Graton expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Graton costs more than 98% of U.S. towns: a D− for cost of living. The typical home costs 8.4 years of the median household income of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area ($105K).
How much does a house cost in Graton?
About $768K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, down 2.1% in a year. The California typical home is $762K.
What salary do you need to live in Graton?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $196,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $4,570 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $106,000.
How much is rent in Graton?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $2,640 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $2,826 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Graton?
The median bill is $7,385 a year, 0.84% of the median home value (California: $5,124, 0.70%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Graton going up?
No: down 2.1% in the past year and 2.3% in five years, against 13.3% across California (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Graton buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, September 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.