Tuolumne County Jail · National Register of Historic Places
Sonora’s story
176 years in pictures
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1850Sonora is settled
SonoraCA
A town of 4,919, settled in 1850. A typical home worth about $403K.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Karl98007 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
4,919
+2% since 2010
Typical home
$403K
−1.8% in a year
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
42.1
years
Jobs based here
4,315
A job hub
What makes Sonora stand out
The 3 things Sonora does most differently from other towns.
$403Ktypical home
Housing
$403K typical home
47% below the CA typical home
Down 1.8% in a year.
4,315jobs here
Work
4,315 jobs
based in Sonora, a regional job hub
16% of working residents work in town.
100 U.S. towns● Sonora
Safety
Safer than 7%
of U.S. towns we grade
Safety Grade D. FBI data, crimes reported to police.
A job hub
Every workday, about 3,878 people come to Sonora for work
Where Sonora’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4,315jobs based in Sonora
16%of working residents work in town
42 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Sonora’s report card
Housing$403K47% below the CA typical homeCommute42 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyDLess crime than 7% of U.S. townsOutdoors3 miof trails · 1.7% conservedSchoolsB−Beats 53% of CA districtsHazards75/100High risk of storm & flood damageClimate93°/34°Summer high · winter lowHealthC+Healthier than 40% of U.S. towns
Now in Sonora
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Sonora is #830 of 844 in CA for “Lowest depression”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Sonora’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →68°
Patchy Smoke then Sunny
H 91° · L 65°
Local news
All →- Settlement Reached In Case Involving Former Sonora Physical TherapistmyMotherLode.com · Sep 24
- Isaac HudsonSports Illustrated · Sep 19
- Eli IngallsSports Illustrated · Sep 18
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sonora. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Sonora home is worth about $403K
The typical Sonora home is worth about $403,000, down 1.8% in a year, 47% below the California typical home.
$403KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sonora$403K
California$764K
Market temperature
15
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
−1.8%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Sonora
Most working residents leave Sonora for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are East Sonora (4%), Sacramento (3%) and Tuolumne City (2%). Half commute less than 42 miles.
16%work in town
Where working residents work
In Sonora16%
East Sonora4%
Sacramento3%
Tuolumne City2%
Modesto2%
42 mi
median commute distance
4,315
jobs based in Sonora
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 7% of U.S. towns
Sonora reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 93% report less.
DSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Sonora7.3
California4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Sonora20.7
California18.2
U.S.15.5
7th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
8th
percentile among CA towns
35
violent crimes reported in 2025
100
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Outdoors
1.7% of Sonora is conserved land
3.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
1.7%conserved
1.7%
conserved · 34 of 2,015 acres
3.3 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
#288
most walkable in CA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mother Lode Fairgrounds | — | 20 |
| 2. Woods Creek Rotary Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Sonora’s public schools outperform 53% of California districts
The public schools Sonora’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 53% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonora Elementary | K–8 | 643 | B |
| Sonora High | 9–12 | 880 | B+ |
| Theodore Bird High | 9–12 | 65 | C |
| Dario Cassina High | 10–12 | 44 | C− |
| Tuolumne County Special Education | K–12 | 42 | D− |
| Tuolumne County Community/ISP | K–12 | 27 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduationAll 7 schools →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireHeat waves
6
paid flood claims since 1986
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Sonora has mild winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
93°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–56°
Spring43–68°
Summer57–90°
Fall46–76°
Nov 9
typical first frost
Apr 9
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
Healthier than 40% of U.S. towns
Sonora beats the California average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. California
3 better17 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Sonora | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 24% | 28.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.3% | 5.1% |
Oak Valley Hospital District
30.3 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
30th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Landmarks
7 places in Sonora on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Sonora
21 notable people were born in Sonora.
About Sonora
City in California, United States
Sonora is the only incorporated city in Tuolumne County, California, United States, of which it is also the county seat. Founded during the California Gold Rush by Mexican miners from Sonora (after which the city is named), the city population was 5,003 during the 2020 census, an increase from the 4,610 counted during the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1850
- Population
- 5,003
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,785 ft
- ZIP code
- 95370–95373, 95370
- Area code
- 209
Sonora’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Sonora.
East SonoraJamestownSonora
More about Sonora
Still missing for Sonora:archive photosupcoming events