Demographics

Healdsburg is situated between Fitch Mountain to the east and a range of low mountains to the west, and is located 65 miles north of San Francisco off Highway 101.

Established in 1867, the earliest residents were members of the Pomo Indian tribe. In 1867, Healdsburg was incorporated and developed around a central Spanish-style plaza. This unique plaza is one of the few remnants of early California town planning existing in the U.S. today. Historic homes and quaint storefronts retain the flavor of Healdsburg’s rich heritage.

Demographic Facts: Healdsburg encompasses approximately 3.56 square miles (2,276.5 acres) and serves a population of 11, 711 in a greater trade area of 50,000. There are about 900 businesses in town, employing more than 5,000 persons. Operating under a Council/ Manager government, Healdsburg has a General Plan that is updated at five-year intervals.

Race: White/79%; Hispanic/28%; other/1%

Language Spoken at Home: (by persons 5 years and over): English/82%; Spanish/15%; other/3%

Altitude: 108 feet

Weather: Snow free and smog free, the city is dry in summer with average temperatures ranging between 70 and 95 degrees, cooling off by evening. Winter’s average rainfall is forty inches with temperatures ranging from 28 to 60 degrees, December through February.

Housing: Healdsburg offers a mix of classic and modern, rural and apartment/townhouse living. Average rental of a 1-bedroom apartment is $700/mo; 2 bedroom apartments are $850/mo. House rentals are from $1050/mo and up. Purchase price of a single-family dwelling starts at $575,000; condos average $375,000. Commercial downtown retail space rents for about $4.00/sq.ft; warehouse space is about $.85/sq.ft.

School: Healdsburg has both a traditional and vocational high school, one junior high (7-8), and three elementary schools all on a semester calendar. Also available are a parochial school (pre-school-8), a Christian academy (9-12), pre-schools and day care centers. A 2-year college, Santa Rosa Junior College, is located 15 miles south; numerous courses are offered off-site at Healdsburg High School. The high school also has a satellite down link from Chico State. Sonoma State University is a four-year college located 22 miles south in Rohnert Park.

City Services: Police, fire, park and recreation facilities are city maintained, along with an independent electrical, water, and sewer utility system. A municipal airport allows additional access to the town, and local transit system provides transportation for residents and visitors. www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us

Community Parks and Recreation: There are lighted tennis courts, picnic and playground facilities including the Healdsburg Family Playground in Giorgi Park. Historic downtown Plaza Park. Carson Warner Skate Park. Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach is open to the public for swimming, fishing, canoe rentals and picnics. A community swimming pool is open all year. The 9-hole golf course is located on 60 acres and includes a pro shop. Lake Sonoma is located 11 miles west of Healdsburg.

Churches: Healdsburg is home for 19 churches, providing a strong base for community interaction

Edwin Langhart Museum: Specializing in the presentation of Northern Sonoma County history, the museum is in the restored historic library building at 221 Matheson Street. www.healdsburgmuseum.org

Library: An 11,400 sq. ft. library, located at 139 Piper St., is part of the Sonoma County Library System. The book capacity is 35,000 with 15,000 volumes for children. It also houses the Sonoma County Wine Library. www.sonoma.lib.ca.us

Hospital: Healdsburg District Hospital is a full service, 49-bed acute care hospital, providing 24-hour emergency care. www.h-g-h.org

Average Household Income: (EST): $61,800

Average Age: 37.4 years

Number of Households: 
2005; 4,680
Percent Owner Occupied: 60.3

Major Shopping Areas: Downtown Plaza Area, Dry Creek Center, Healdsburg Center, and Vineyard Plaza.

Major Industries: Agriculture/wine, lumber, tourism, small businesses.

Industries most likely to grow: small businesses, tourism.

Tax Revenues for 2003-2004:
Local Sales Tax; $2,818,000
Hotel/Motel Bed Tax; $932,000

Largest Employers:
Employer: Gross annual revenues; No. of employees; products or services

• Capital Lumber Co.: $25 million; 32; lumber/wholesale
• City of Healdsburg: $14.5 million;179
• Entraco $3.3 million; 43; cables/couplings
• Gallo Sonoma: $35 million; 100; winery
• Healdsburg District Hospital: $18.3 million; 241
• Healdsburg Lumber: $7 million; 60; lumber
• Healdsburg School District: $14 million; 358
• Jordan Vineyard & Winery/ Jordan Oil & Gas Co: $20 million: 75: winery/oil & gas
• Klein Family Vintners: $40 million; 275; winery
• Max Machinery: $8 million; 55; flow meters/urethane dispensers
• Nu Forest Products: $15 million; 49 lumber
• Silveira Pontiac, Buick, GMC: $23.5 million, 65; auto sales
• Simi Winery: $15.2 million; 52; winery
• Syar Industries: $16.5 million; 75; asphalt/concrete, grapes
• Timber Crest Farms: $8 million; 65; dried fruit
• Versatron Corp.: $15 million, 48; aerospace engineering
• Wine Alliance (includes Clos du Bois): $74 million; 143; winery

Sonoma County Demographics:
Geographic Area: 1,512.72 sq. miles
Population: 458,614
Median Age: 34.8

Health & Safety

Medical Services
Residents can choose from traditional medical practitioners, physicians, surgeons, specialists, pharmacists, and chiropractors. Alternative homeopathic care includes acupuncture, jin-shin, aromatherapy, nutrition counseling, and herbal treatment. Qualified psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors also practice their healing arts. Other professionals eager to keep Healdsburg healthy include optometrists, ophthalmologists, podiatrists, dentists, and orthodontists.

Hospital Facilities
A full-service, 49-bed acute care hospital, Healdsburg District Hospital, is located on the north end of town, just five minutes from the Plaza. Healdsburg General also furnishes 24 hour emergency care. Alliance Medical Center provides low-cost care to residents as well.

Fitness Opportunities
The search for a fit lifestyle continues beyond the health club or spa. Sonoma County residents take advantage of our temperate and beautiful weather to hike at Lake Sonoma, bicycle past rambling vineyards or jog along tree-lined streets. Jazzercise and karate classes are other active pursuits. Community parks supply lighted tennis courts, playgrounds, and a 60 acre golf course. A municipal pool is open all year and the Russian River offers swimming, canoeing, and fishing. Local softball and soccer fields provide open space for sports. Annual sporting events such as the Healdsburg Harvest Century Bicycle Tour and the Fitch Mountain Footrace make for healthful challenges right here in town.

Police
The Healdsburg Police Department is organized in a traditional police format, with administrative, patrol, investigative, and technical service functions. With 29 full time employees, the police department is well staffed for a community of Healdsburg's size. The department is very active in the community, with programs including: Youth Services Counseling School; Officer Community Awareness Forums; Downtown Foot Patrol; Police Reserve and Explorer Programs; Adopt-A-Cop; Parent Awareness Coalition; Police Citizen Academy; and Citizen Ride-A-Long (patrol car).

Fire
The Healdsburg Fire Department is a combination department comprised of 11 paid staff and 36 Volunteer Firefighters. It provides fire protection, rescue and emergency medical services to the City and to Fitch Mountain and the lower Dry Creek Valley through a contract with the County of Sonoma responding to approximately 1450 incidents a year. The department maintains a Rescue Trailer for responding to complex rescues and a Multi-Casualty Trailer for handling incidents with large numbers of patients. The department also administers the City’s Disaster Preparedness and Weed Abatement Programs and conducts free fire prevention inspections for the business community. In addition to these activities, the department has been certified by the state to administer hazardous materials, hazardous waste and underground tank programs, maintaining the lowest fees for these programs in the county.
Other activities offered by the department include a program offering free smoke detector installation to City residents and a daily “R U OK” program, which phones homebound persons on a daily basis to check their welfare. Both are done for no cost. The department also offers CPR classes in English and Spanish for a nominal charge.
To reduce the fire hazard to the community, the department administers a no interest loan program through the Redevelopment Agency to fund the retrofitting of fire sprinkler systems. This program is available to those businesses identified by the insurance industry as having a high fire flow or buildings with a historic designation by a recognized historic organization.