Ukiah, a sleepy town 60 miles north of Santa Rosa with a population of around 16,000, is the county seat and largest city in Mendocino County. “We are known for our vineyards — quite a lot of our grapes get sold — but we’re quiet and rural compared to Napa or Sonoma. We’re also more affordable than the rest of wine country,” says Re/Max Realtor Karena Jolley, who has over 20 years of experience selling in Mendocino and Lake counties. “Besides affordability, what will bring a buyer to Ukiah is the small-town feel, even though we’re not quite that small. Because we’re the county seat, the population swells to over 35,000 during the day,” Jolley says. “We also have everything we need here — people nearby come here to shop and dine — and the city is always actively working on infrastructure and beautification projects in town.”
Ukiah wine country surrounds the city and offers tasting rooms at many including Rivino Winery.
Ukiah beauty projects include new trees and lamps lining State Street in front of the Ukiah Theatre.
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Affordable for buyers priced out of Sonoma County
In early 2025, the median home price in Ukiah was $500,000, more than 25% higher than the national number but almost half the housing cost in broader California. “The city will get a fair amount of people who have been priced out of Sonoma County and are willing to make the drive, and they can get a lot more house for their money,” Jolley says. Most buyers seek year-round homes, but a healthy secondary vacation rental market exists. The bulk of the housing inventory was built between the 1950s and early 1980s, representing various architectural styles. To the north of the city, West Fork Estates is a larger development from the early 2000s with more upscale contemporary housing. “Since then, there have been pocket developments with a few homes here and there, but the city has been working on bringing more affordable multifamily units over the last 5-10 years,” Jolley says. “Moving forward, a development in south Ukiah is expected to have over 140 units.”
Ukiah offers many styles of homes including upscale contemporary homes in West Fork Estates near Lake Mendocino.
Ukiah offers a wide variety of homes including older Craftsman bungalows with curb appeal.
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Ukiah Unified has an above-average grade from Niche
Ukiah Unified School District is graded B by Niche, with an A in college prep. The district serves nearly 6,000 students in 11 schools, including eight walkable community elementary schools.
Boating, water skiing and fishing at Lake Mendocino
Ukiah maintains over a dozen parks and recreation sites, with many areas walkable to a community park. “Todd Grove Park is a classic city park with updated playground equipment for kids, a seasonal city pool and concerts in the park — it’s a big draw to everyone, particularly in the summertime,” Jolley says. Lake Mendocino is less than 10 miles north; it's a large reservoir known for recreational activities like boating, water skiing, swimming, hiking, fishing and even camping. “A lot of people here are really passionate about hiking, and we have absolutely gorgeous trails — Mendocino National Forest has one million protected acres and hiking and biking galore,” Jolley says. “Many people actually travel over an hour to the coast for surfing. The water can be cold this far north, but you can wear a wetsuit and be fine.”
Ukiah residents head to Todd Grove Park for the Ukiah Swimming Center.
A 1959 monument for Coyote Dam and Lake Mendocino celebrate the completion of the project for purposes of flood control, water supply, and recreation.
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City is self-contained with big-box shopping and local dining
Ukiah is self-contained, with commercial stretches that include shopping centers anchored by grocery stores and service-based businesses. Mom-and-pop shopping and dining is along State Street, and big-box shopping is along U.S. Route 101. “The city has worked to put big-box stores like Costco, Home Depot and Kohl’s closer to the freeway, so they aren’t around downtown, which is more small business,” Jolley says. “Restaurant-wise, we have an eclectic mix. Everything from Thai, Mexican, New America, Italian, different specialty locations that provide variety — and you’re likely to run into someone you know out dining.” Ukiah residents have a lot at their fingertips in town. Still, there will always be certain events, shopping opportunities, or upscale dining that will occasionally bring residents down to Santa Rosa or San Francisco.
Mom and pop restaurants, boutiques and the radio broadcaster KMEC 105.1FM share the downtown streets in Ukiah.
Ukiah offers the full range of big-box stores on the southern side of town to avoid any distraction from locally owned businesses.
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Pumpkinfest is an annual calendar highlight in Ukiah
For a small city, Ukiah has a lot of community spirit that shows itself during the many annual events. “Alex Thomas Plaza hosts everything from the chili cookoff to movies in the summertime, and there are different shows and events throughout the year,” Jolley says. Pumpkinfest is the annual calendar highlight. Held over a weekend in October, the festival brings out vendor booths and includes a wine and beer garden, a haunted house, carnival rides and a biggest-pumpkin contest. “They’ll block off School Street for this, and the whole town comes out — it’s a huge to-do,” Jolley says.
Residents generally fly out of the Sonoma County Airport
Ukiah has direct access to U.S. Route 101, which runs north up to the coast of Oregon and south to Santa Rosa. “Although the 101 can get busy, I wouldn’t say there’s often significant traffic,” Jolley says. “In terms of State Street, there isn’t usually congestion, but the city is working on beautification projects that can slow things down. It’s for the greater good, though.” For those who rely on public transportation, the Mendocino Transit Authority operates 12 fixed bus routes that connect the city to the region. There are a few flights out of the Ukiah Municipal Airport, but most people will make the 60-mile drive to Santa Rosa to fly out of the Sonoma County Airport.
Four-season climate and serious wildfire risk in the summer
Ukiah has a four-season climate known for hot, dry summers with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s. Winters are mild and rainy, with temperatures in the 60s. “In the winter, you might see a dusting of snow at the most. You’ve got to drive up north for the snow,” Jolley says. Regarding environmental risk, Ukiah faces potential threats from wildfires, flooding and earthquakes. “We’ve been spared the big earthquakes, and everything is built to code. Flooding issues may happen every few years — not every year by any means. But fire risk is real — we had a big one in 2017,” Jolley says.
Crime statistics for Ukiah were not immediately available.
Written By
Amber Steinmetz-Cole
Photography Contributed By
Luke George
Video By
Victoria York
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