Students on steps of Joy School, c. 1893
Occidental’s story
150 years in pictures
Census counts: 97 in 1880, 1,132 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1893 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
- 1876Occidental is settled
OccidentalCA
A town of 1,225, settled in 1876.
Photo: Stepheng3 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
1,225
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.05M
+3.3% in a year
Household income
$108K
median
Median age
55.1
years
Jobs based here
293
Balanced
Is Occidental a good place to live?
The best of Occidental’s subject grades are an A for walkability and health; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Occidental, against 29% in California’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only 62 of California’s 1,058 towns score higher on cost of living. Occidental has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Occidental stand out
Where Occidental beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 95% of U.S. towns
7.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. California
16 better12 too close to call4 worse
| Widest gap | Occidental | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.1% | 10.6% |
HealthA
Healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and earthquakes at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,225 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Occidental grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Occidental is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.1 of 20; 0.6% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →HealthSutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital 11.9 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & income$108K median household incomeB+Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 78° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 55.1–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 179 attractions →Fort Ross and 34 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Occidental. Close and well known come first.
19 mi Ancient siteFort Ross
39 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
11 mi National SeashorePoint Reyes National Seashore2.4M visitors a year
10 mi Ancient siteBodega Bay
40 mi LakeLake Berryessa
38 mi MountainMount TamalpaisSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Fort Ross: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muir Woods National Monument: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Point Reyes National Seashore: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bodega Bay: Pixistik1687, Public domain · Lake Berryessa: Unknown, Public domain · Mount Tamalpais: Originally uploaded by Nelso (Transferred by DimiTalen), CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Occidental: who provides what
Occidental is unincorporated, so Sonoma County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOccidental Community Services DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSonoma CountySonoma County provides services here
SchoolsWest Sonoma County Union High School DistrictHarmony Union School District2 districts serve Occidental; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSonoma County Registrar of VotersSonoma County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2026
ZIP codes95472, 95465, 9541995472 51% · 95465 32% · 95419 17%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Occidental.
HealthA
Fewer of Occidental’s adults feel lonely than in the typical California or U.S. town
28% of adults feel lonely in Occidental, where California’s towns sit at 36% and U.S. towns at 33%. 14% of Occidental adults report frequent mental distress. Occidental beats the California average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Occidental | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
16 better12 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Occidental | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.4% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 6.4% |
Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
11.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
Public schools in Occidental beat 76% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the Harmony Union Elementary school district. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
76%of CA districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Creek School - A CharterLargest public middle schoolGrades 2–8 | Grades 2–8 | 162 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Occidental faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B−
A typical Occidental home is worth about $1.05M
The typical Occidental home is worth about $1,053,000, up 3.3% in a year, 38% above the California typical home.
$1.05MZillow home value
Typical home value
Occidental$1.05M
California$762K
+3.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Occidental, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Occidental has warm winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Occidental is 76°F.
78°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–58°
Spring45–65°
Summer52–76°
Fall48–71°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
78°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of Occidental’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Occidental for work: only 7% work in town. Occidental’s average trip to work is 45 minutes. Jobs based in Occidental grew to 293 in 2023, 28 more than in 2013.
7%work in town
| Occidental | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 45 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Occidental7%
Santa Rosa12%
San Francisco6%
Petaluma4%
Sebastopol3%
20 mi
median commute distance
293
jobs based in Occidental
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.9%conserved
| Occidental | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
1.9%
conserved · 59 of 3,161 acres
6.1 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Occidental
17pages on Occidental
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Occidental
Santa Rosa Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Santa Rosa12.3 mi$1,318 in-state tuitionSonoma State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Rohnert Park14.6 mi$8,624 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Occidental residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Occidental
Census-designated place in California, United States
Occidental is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California, United States. The population was 1,132 at the 2020 census, up from 1,115 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 594 ft
- ZIP code
- 95465
- Area code
- 707
Questions about Occidental
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Occidental, CA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.