Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 10.5 times the Santa Rosa metro’s $105K median household income. Overall it grades C, 413th of 841 graded towns in California. It is more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns and 6% of its land is conserved. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Healdsburg’s typical home value is $1,097,000, above both California’s towns ($709,000) and U.S. towns ($332,000). On history, just 101 of California’s 1,063 towns do better. Healdsburg's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Healdsburg beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Healdsburg is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 2%), so the C overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 334 in 1860, 11,340 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1849 and 3 maps from 1920 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Healdsburg, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Healdsburg.
Healdsburg owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
Since 1978, 52 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Healdsburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Healdsburg Unified school district. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Healdsburg High, with 503 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healdsburg ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 401 | – |
| Healdsburg HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 503 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
At 10.5 years of the Santa Rosa metro’s $105K median household income, the typical home (about $1.1M) costs more against local pay than in 79% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
The median rent in Healdsburg is $2,158 a month. The typical Healdsburg home is worth about $1,097,000, up 0.6% in a year, 44% above the California typical home. 60% of households own their home in Healdsburg.
| Healdsburg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,158 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 60% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 54% | 55% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
4.6 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. Healdsburg’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
| Healdsburg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Giorgi Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
| 2. Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach Park | 0.1 mi | 13 |
| 3. Badger Park | 0.2 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 8,038 U.S. towns with household incomes like Healdsburg’s, it is healthier than 58%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Healdsburg beats the California average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 31% of Healdsburg adults feel lonely.
| Healdsburg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 29% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 35% | 36% |
| What stands out | Healdsburg | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.4% | 17.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.6% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Healdsburg has mild winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 218 to 119 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 63% of towns.
| Healdsburg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (24% statewide). 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Healdsburg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 16% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.6 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 29% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.3 points). Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Healdsburg | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.2% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.2% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.9% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.2% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.9% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 14.7% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.5% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 17% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.1% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.6% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The average commute for its 4,559 working residents takes 18.7 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
About one in 5 of Healdsburg’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Healdsburg has added 704 jobs, to 5,924 in 2023. The top destinations are Santa Rosa (14%), San Francisco (4%) and Windsor (4%).
| Healdsburg | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 25% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Healdsburg. Close and well known come first.
22 mi Ancient siteFort Ross
34 mi LakeLake Berryessa
30 mi LakeClear Lake
27 mi National SeashorePoint Reyes National Seashore2.4M visitors a year
13 mi MuseumCharles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
25 mi Ancient siteBodega BayFort Ross: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake Berryessa: Unknown, Public domain · Clear Lake: Unknown, Public domain · Point Reyes National Seashore: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bodega Bay: Pixistik1687, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Healdsburg
About 5 of every 100 Healdsburg residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
3 places in Healdsburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Healdsburg.
Town in Sonoma County, California, US
Healdsburg is a city located in Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of California, United States. Situated along the Russian River, it lies at the convergence of three major wine-producing regions: the Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Russian River Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 11,340. The city was incorporated in 1867 following waves of settlement during the California Gold Rush and expansion of the railroad. Healdsburg is part of the San Francisco Bay Area and contributes to the broader California wine industry.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Healdsburg grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #413 of 841 in California. It grades B+ for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 63% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
7 notable people were born here, including Ariana Richards and Ralph Waldo Rose.
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