Barely a week goes by without a client asking: “What’s the difference between Healdsburg and Sonoma?” The Q1 2026 data reveals two towns moving in opposite directions; here’s what it means for buyers and sellers.
The two regions are different places, with different personalities. Healdsburg is compact, curated and premium by design. Sonoma is a genuine town with genuine range—from the affordable bungalows of Boyes Hot Springs to the retirement communities of Temelec, the sought-after streets east of the Plaza and outward to the east through Lovall Valley, to the west to Glen Ellen and Kenwood into full Wine Country estate territory. Sonoma isn’t one market. It’s six markets under one name.
That breadth shows up starkly at the very top end. Sonoma currently has eight active listings above $10 million with two more coming soon. Healdsburg has none. If a buyer wants a significant estate with land and privacy, Sonoma is currently the only market that can even have the conversation.
What Q1 numbers say…