Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
1,287 people live in this town in California.
The best of Sea Ranch’s subject grades is an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. 74% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Sea Ranch, against 29% in California’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Only 89 of California’s 1,058 towns score lower on cost of living. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 83% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Sea Ranch has 5 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Condominium 1 and Baker House. Sea Ranch has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Sea Ranch beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Sea Ranch is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Sea Ranch is unincorporated, so Sonoma County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Sea Ranch.
FEMA puts 61% of Sea Ranch’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 37% to inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among adults in Sea Ranch, 9.4% binge drink. No town among the 848 in California we compare has a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Sea Ranch. Of 32 CDC measures, Sea Ranch beats the California average on 17 and trails it on 8. Only 4 of the 848 California towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Sea Ranch.
| Sea Ranch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 16% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 31% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Sea Ranch | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5% | 14.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.6% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17.3% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median household income for Sea Ranch comes to $139,000. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 34, to 175. Most working residents leave Sea Ranch for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are San Francisco (8%), Santa Rosa (5%) and Timber Cove (4%).
| Sea Ranch | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 44 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $139,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Sea Ranch’s peak summer temperature stands at 67°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The biggest place to walk is Gualala Point Regional Park, 164 acres with 1.6 miles of trail. Walkers can cover 10 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Sea Ranch’s trail network density comes in at 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gualala Point Regional Park | 1.6 mi | 164 |
| 2. Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve | 0.8 mi | 22 |
| 3. The Hot Spot | — | 29 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
In Sea Ranch, 95% of households are owner-occupiers.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Sea Ranch; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Sea Ranch residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
1,305 counted in 2010 and 1,169 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
5 places in Sea Ranch on the National Register of Historic Places.
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Sea Ranch (also known as The Sea Ranch) is an American unincorporated Pacific Coast community, in Sonoma County, California, United States, approximately 100 mi (160 km) north of San Francisco. It was developed as a planned community beginning in the 1960s. It is known for its distinctive timber-frame structures designed by several noted American architects. The first unit built at Sea Ranch, Condominium One, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The community's ten-mile development played a role in the establishment of the California Coastal Commission. The population was 1,169 at the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defin…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
1,287 people live in this town in California.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,372,000, 80% above the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
