A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Calistoga$7,180/mo

Typical home $1.07M (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $1,767/mo · Housing →

Sonora$2,350/mo

Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $1,238/mo · Housing →

The difference: $4,830 a month, about $58,000 a year, between Calistoga and Sonora.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Calistoga places higher on 10 of 19 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

B−CalistogaSafer than 46% of U.S. towns DSonoraSafer than 7% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+CalistogaBetter than 68% of districts in the state B−SonoraBetter than 53% of districts in the state

Health

BCalistogaHealthier than 60% of U.S. towns C+SonoraHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns

10Calistoga

9Sonora

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

SafestSafety · 411 towns #112#379 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#830 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #211#512 Fewest smokersHealth · 844 towns #329#679 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #356#691 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #568#241 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #206#357 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #228#481

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Calistoga’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

CalistogaSonora

Snow a year0″0″

January low39°F 33°F

July high90°F 93°F

Growing season (days)263d 213d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)100th 75th

Outdoors & history

CalistogaSonora

Trails1 mi 3 mi

Conserved land1.1%1.7%

Settled1868 1850

National Register places9 7

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here3 24

Community

CalistogaSonora

Library hours a week46 hrs 52 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

126 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CalistogaCA SonoraCA

Calistoga ↔ Sonora126 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

CalistogaSonora

People

Population 5,111Highest 4,919Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +2%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 49.7±4.2Highest 31% above CA 42.1±5.8Lowest 11% above CA

Calistoga and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 16.1%±6.5Lowest CA: 22% 20.6%±5.6Highest CA: 22%

Sonora and Calistoga are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 25.2%±5.6Highest CA: 15.7% 24.2%±5.4Lowest CA: 15.7%

Calistoga and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.5%Lowest CA: 37.1% 33.2%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.3%±3Highest CA: 7.6% 4.8%±2.2Lowest CA: 7.6%

Calistoga and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $85,446±$30kHighest 14% below CA $82,690±$25kLowest 17% below CA

Calistoga and Sonora are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied — $422,300±$33k 43% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,767±$171Highest 13% below CA $1,238±$182Lowest 39% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,029Highest 41% below CA $3,016Lowest 41% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 42.8%±20.1Lowest CA: 55.3% 57.8%±12.9Highest CA: 55.3%

Sonora and Calistoga are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 5.6%Lowest CA: 12% 16.9%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 50%Highest CA: 55.9% 42.8%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 4 yrs newer than CA 1969Lowest 7 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 16% below CA 29 minHighest about the CA average

Work from home 7.5%±5.4Lowest CA: 17.2% 10.4%±5.4Highest CA: 17.2%

Sonora and Calistoga are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 26%Highest 16.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miLowest 42.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.90Lowest 1.63Highest

Top workplaceoutside town St. Helena (8%)East Sonora (4%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SonoraFew work in Calistoga

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Lowest 1.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 3.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 66.6Lowest 91.5Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#207 of 574 in CA

School district Calistoga Joint UnifiedSonora Elementary · Sonora Union High

High school in town Calistoga Junior/Senior HighSonora High

Students per teacherat that high school 14.8Lowest 23.0Highest

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Calistoga neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Calistoga’s Town Square.

Sonora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonora’s Town Square.

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Calistoga vs Sonora

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $4,830 more a month in Calistoga

Calistoga places higher on 10 of 19 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

126 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Calistoga and Sonora

Towns like Calistoga

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