Petaluma Center, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 763, Petaluma Center's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Petaluma Center is a small community located in California, within Sonoma County. The total population is 763. It ranks as the 1137th most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Petaluma Center is 25.1 years. This is 34% lower than the state median of 37.9 years. With 31.2% of the population under 18, Petaluma Center has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Petaluma Center is $75,682. This is 24% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 6% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Petaluma Center. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The unemployment rate is 7.1%. This is 7% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. 2.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 96% lower than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Petaluma Center is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 39.1%. The Asian population (2.4%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

24.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% lower than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 99.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Petaluma Center, California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.