The Town Files

Penngrove, California

Community in Sonoma County · population 2,637 (2020 Census)

Penngrove, California
Photo: Stephen R. Gold (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$1,196,000
Household income
$107,147
Jan low / Jul high
39° / 81°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
50.8

Penngrove is a community of 2,637 people in Sonoma County, California. The median home is worth $1,196,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more of a college town than 96% of California towns, better for retirees than 89% of California towns, more seaside character than 87% of California towns.

Map: where Penngrove is in CaliforniaPenngrove
Penngrove in our rankings:

How Penngrove 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.

Penngrove lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement89th pctFamilies40th pctQuiet60th pctWalkability58th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals70th pctVibrancy46th pctHip & trendy69th pctCollege town96th pctUpscale78th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character87th pctCycling52nd pctTransit37th pctDriving18th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Penngrove is worth $1,196,000, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 11.2 times the median household income of $107,147, which is more affordable than 5% of California towns. Median rent is $2,130 a month. 75.5% of households own their home.

Penngrove vs Sonoma County vs typical California townPenngroveSonoma CountyTypical California townHome value$1,196,000$815,500$596,900Household income$107,147$104,674$91,557Monthly rent$2,130$2,158$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingPenngroveTypical California town
Median home value$1,196,000$596,900
Median rent$2,130$1,827
Median household income$107,147$91,557
Home value ÷ income11.2×6.4×
Homeownership75.5%67.4%
Median year built19721977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Penngrove

PeoplePenngroveTypical California town
Median age50.840.2
Age 65 and over32.0%17.7%
Under 1821.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher51.6%27.7%
Below the poverty line8.2%10.3%
Veterans6.6%—
Born outside the U.S.3.8%—
Work from home14.0%13.4%
Average commute35.2 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband93.4%93.3%

Weather in Penngrove

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.

Penngrove monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing58°39°Jan61°40°Feb65°42°Mar68°44°Apr72°47°May78°50°Jun81°52°Jul81°53°Aug82°51°Sep76°48°Oct66°42°Nov58°38°DecPrecipitation (in)4.85.23.31.70.90.30.00.10.11.32.75.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Petaluma Ap station (4.5 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penngrove 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 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 23, 1996.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Penngrove by decade11950s01960s01970s01980s21990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Sonoma County since 1996

Storm events in Sonoma County since 1996 by typeHail21Heat20Flood256Dense Fog17High Surf19High Wind69Heavy Rain24Debris Flow67
NOAA Storm Events Database, Sonoma County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 57 deaths recorded.

Sonoma County has been included in 36 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
October 16, 2020FireDR-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 Penngrove itself the ACS puts it at 7.2%.

Largest industries in Sonoma CountyHealth care & social assistan…33,992 jobs · $75,712Retail22,460 jobs · $46,087Hotels & restaurants21,171 jobs · $36,237Manufacturing21,072 jobs · $94,399Construction16,281 jobs · $85,465Administrative & support12,838 jobs · $54,054
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Sonoma County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Sonoma 3.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Penngrove

1 public school with 477 students, about 25.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Penngrove Elementary (charter)K-647725.1

Towns near Penngrove

Penngrove questions

Is Penngrove, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Penngrove scores better for retirees than 89% of California towns and quieter than 60%. 32.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.8).

How much does a house cost in Penngrove?

The median owner-occupied home in Penngrove is valued at $1,196,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $107,147, so homes cost about 11.2 times income. Median rent is $2,130 a month.

What is the weather like in Penngrove?

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 Penngrove get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Penngrove since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 1, 1958. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Penngrove's Census boundary (GEOID 0656476). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.