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%

Sonora$2,350/mo

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

Calistoga$7,180/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

9Sonora

10Calistoga

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

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

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Sonora’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

SonoraCalistoga

Snow a year0″0″

January low33°F 39°F

July high93°F 90°F

Growing season (days)213d 263d

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

Outdoors & history

SonoraCalistoga

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land1.7%1.1%

Settled1850 1868

National Register places7 9

Archive photos—12

Famous people born here24 3

Community

SonoraCalistoga

Library hours a week52 hrs 46 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.

SonoraCA CalistogaCA

Sonora ↔ Calistoga126 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

SonoraCalistoga

People

Population 4,919Lowest 5,111Highest

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

Median age 42.1±5.8Lowest 11% above CA 49.7±4.2Highest 31% 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 20.6%±5.6Highest CA: 22% 16.1%±6.5Lowest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 24.2%±5.4Lowest CA: 15.7% 25.2%±5.6Highest 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+ 33.2%Highest CA: 37.1% 32.5%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±2.2Lowest CA: 7.6% 5.3%±3Highest 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 $82,690±$25kLowest 17% below CA $85,446±$30kHighest 14% 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 $1,238±$182Lowest 39% below CA $1,767±$171Highest 13% below CA

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.8%±12.9Highest CA: 55.3% 42.8%±20.1Lowest 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 16.9%Highest CA: 12% 5.6%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 10.4%±5.4Highest CA: 17.2% 7.5%±5.4Lowest 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 16.5%Lowest 26%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 42.3 miHighest 10.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CalistogaFew work in Sonora

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Highest 1.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.3 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2

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

Schools

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

School district Sonora Elementary · Sonora Union HighCalistoga Joint Unified

High school in town Sonora HighCalistoga Junior/Senior High

Students per teacherat that high school 23.0Highest 14.8Lowest

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.

Sonora neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonora’s Town Square.

Calistoga neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Calistoga’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sonora and Calistoga

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Sonora

+ Compare

East Sonora2,651 people · $335K homes

+ Compare

Jamestown3,265 people · $375K homes

Towns like Sonora

+ Compare

Willits4,920 people · $371K homes

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Fort Bragg7,032 people · $535K homes

+ Compare

Avalon3,338 people · $936K homes

+ Compare

Sutter Creek2,702 people · $544K homes

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.

Sonora vs Calistoga

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 Sonora and Calistoga

Bordering Sonora

Towns like Sonora

Post to Sonora

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