The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Petaluma, CA for 2023

Home to farm-to-table restaurants, peaceful parks and unique festivals, such as the annual Petaluma Antique Faire, Petaluma is a welcoming community for retirees. It’s listed on the AARP Age-Friendly Network for its high access to health care, range of grocery stores and farmers’ markets and cultural amenities. Residents enjoy 260 sunny days annually and warm weather throughout the year, and affordable health care makes medical services affordable to many seniors with fixed incomes. The city has a large senior community, with those aged 65 and over accounting for nearly a fifth of the 60,000 residents.

Petaluma also has several assisted living communities, providing seniors with comfortable housing, individualized care services and daily meals. These facilities often have on-site amenities such as fitness centers and libraries, and many are pet-friendly. On average, assisted living facilities in Petaluma charge $6,300 per month, which is high compared to state and national respective norms of $5,250 and $4,500.

Through this guide, readers can learn more about the cost of assisted living in Petaluma and common ways residents pay for services. The guide also provides information on the rules assisted living facilities follow and agencies that help seniors navigate the system.

Petaluma’s assisted living facilities follow rules set by the California Senior Care Licensing Program. Through this agency, individuals can learn about licensing requirements related to building requirements, scope of care and staffing. The agency also investigates reports regarding substandard care.  

• Petaluma is listed on the AARP Age-Friendly Network, meaning that its leaders and officials have taken steps to make the community a favorable environment for residents of all ages. The region has a livability score of 57, putting it among the top half of U.S. communities. It rates particularly well in metrics such as Neighborhood, Transportation, Health and Engagement.
• Petaluma is home to Petaluma Valley Hospital, a high-performing medical facility with a 24-hour emergency room. The city has 222 doctors per capita, which is a little higher than the national norm of 210, and health care costs trend 8% below the national average. This may make the city a good option for seniors managing health conditions.
• The Petaluma People Services Center’s iRIDE Petaluma program provides volunteer-based transportation services for seniors in the city. This program, which can supplement paid services seniors may arrange through their assisted living facilities, is open to those aged 65 and over.
• Petaluma’s air quality is decent, supporting the health and comfort of its older residents. While the American Lung Association gives the city a failing score for 24-hour particle pollution levels, the organization gives the city a passing grade for annual particle pollution levels and an A for ozone pollution.  
• Petaluma’s weather is cool compared to California as a whole. Winters are mild with daytime temperatures in the high-50s, and summers are warm with highs in the low-80s. The city gets virtually no measurable snowfall and about 30 inches of annual rainfall, and humidity levels are typically low. To help residents stay comfortable, many assisted living facilities have individual climate controls in residents’ rooms.
• According to recent data from the FBI, property and violent crimes occur less in Petaluma than in the typical U.S. and California city. In 2019, violent crime occurred at a rate of 304 instances per capita, compared to state and national rates of 441 and 379. The local property crime rate was 1,264, which was considerably lower than 2,331 in California and 2,110 nationally. Assisted living facilities promote residents’ safety through security features, such as surveillance cameras.

Assisted living facilities in Petaluma charge approximately $6,300 per month for services.

In Petaluma, seniors pay $6,300 per month for assisted living, which exceeds the statewide norm of $5,250 by over $1,000 and the national average of $4,500 by $1,800. While care costs in Santa Rosa are several hundred dollars higher than in Petaluma at $7,048, other cities in Central California have lower rates. Opting for care in Sacramento, where facilities charge $5,225, offers a potential monthly savings of over $1,000. In Vallejo, rates are $1,350 lower at $4,950, and in Stockton, care costs are nearly $2,700 less at $3,649.

Assisted living costs in Petaluma come in at $6,300. This is about $100 less than the cost of in-home care and specialized home health care, which cost $6,435 per month, and it’s about $4,000 less than the cost of nursing home care, which starts at $10,646. For seniors seeking more affordable options, adult day health care is about a third of the cost of assisted living at $2,275.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in California page.