The Town FilesCotati, California
City in Sonoma County · population 7,584 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $746,800
- Household income
- $110,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 8
- Median age
- 38.5
Cotati is a city of 7,584 people in Sonoma County, California. The median home is worth $746,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks hipper than 89% of California towns, better for young professionals than 88% of California towns, more of a college town than 87% of California towns.
How Cotati ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Cotati is worth $746,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.7 times the median household income of $110,750, which is more affordable than 45% of California towns. Median rent is $2,056 a month. 59.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cotati | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $746,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,056 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $110,750 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 59.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1984 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Cotati
| People | Cotati | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 16.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.9% | — |
| Work from home | 15.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 92.1% | 93.3% |
Weather in Cotati
July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 39.0°F. About 25.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 21 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cotati since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 1, 1958 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 18, 2011.
Severe weather in Sonoma County since 1996
Sonoma County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| October 16, 2020 | Fire | DR-4569: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Sonoma County
Sonoma County had 206,849 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $71,422 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Cotati itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.
Public schools in Cotati
1 public school with 447 students, about 22.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Page Academy | K-8 | 447 | 22.4 |
Towns near Cotati
- Rohnert Park, CA1.4 mi · 44,390 people · home $666,300
- Sonoma State University, CA2.2 mi · 2,679 people · home —
- Penngrove, CA2.9 mi · 2,637 people · home $1,196,000
- Petaluma, CA7.4 mi · 59,776 people · home $878,600
- Sebastopol, CA8.1 mi · 7,521 people · home $845,700
- Santa Rosa, CA8.1 mi · 178,127 people · home $713,900
- El Verano, CA12.0 mi · 3,867 people · home $909,300
- Boyes Hot Springs, CA12.0 mi · 6,215 people · home $783,300
Cotati questions
Is Cotati, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cotati scores better for retirees than 51% of California towns and quieter than 27%. 16.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.5).
How much does a house cost in Cotati?
The median owner-occupied home in Cotati is valued at $746,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $110,750, so homes cost about 6.7 times income. Median rent is $2,056 a month.
What is the weather like in Cotati?
July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 39.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 25.6 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Cotati get tornadoes?
8 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cotati since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 1, 1958. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)