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Old 06-13-2010, 02:53 PM
 
4 posts, read 38,338 times
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I just got back from Santa Rosa this weekend and everything seemed like a go for relocating to there until I did a little research on crime statistics in the area.

I'm coming from Aliso Viejo, CA where there is generally little to no worry about anything bad happening (theft, robbery, assault, etc.). After reading statistics on here the crime rate in Santa Rosa is about 4 times that of AV. Not that I'm some scared, I just don't want to worry about my son/wife being out on their own, etc.

Also when we stopped to stay at a motel in Petaluma on the way up there was pretty much a meth dealer working from one of the rooms all night and I was told petaluma is more high-end than Santa Rosa...

After reading these articles:
Santa Rosa Man Arrested With Marijuana, Meth, Shrooms and $55K Cash - News Story - KTVU San Francisco
West Santa Rosa drug bust nets cocaine, heroin, meth | PressDemocrat.com
Meth bust in Cotati, Sebastopol valued over $1 million | PressDemocrat.com

I feel like I might be moving into some sort of meth/drug haven? Can anyone comment to above?

Thanks,
Mr C.
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Old 06-13-2010, 02:59 PM
 
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I have a brother and his family that lived in Santa Rosa up until last year ( moved due to work but they loved it there) and a few friends that live in the Petaluma , Cotati and Sebastapol area... I've never heard them comment on any major problems or not want to live or be there. Also everytime I've gone there , I've never felt unsafe or seen bad neighborhoods. Just like anywhere I'm sure there are pockets that you should stay away from but overall I think it's a pretty safe area to live in
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Old 06-13-2010, 03:41 PM
 
Location: The Bay
6,914 posts, read 14,744,821 times
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You'll find drug dealers and prostitutes at any motel anywhere... that's not exclusive to Peta Luma.


Anyway, Santa Rosa has 3 main neighborhoods that have issues with crime: South Park, W 9th and Roseland. Roseland is the unincorporated area of south Santa Rosa. It has the worst crime in Sonoma County and also has the most gang activity. I personally wouldn't move there because the homegrown latino gangs there mess with everybody. W 9th has gotten a little better in recent years but there is a fair amount of crime. Southland borders Roseland and a lot of the gangs from Roseland spill over.


In other words, I would mainly stay away from south Santa Rosa. Otherwise, it's fine.
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Old 06-13-2010, 06:07 PM
 
Location: Vancouver, WA
8,213 posts, read 16,686,935 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nineties Flava View Post
You'll find drug dealers and prostitutes at any motel anywhere... that's not exclusive to Peta Luma.


Anyway, Santa Rosa has 3 main neighborhoods that have issues with crime: South Park, W 9th and Roseland. Roseland is the unincorporated area of south Santa Rosa. It has the worst crime in Sonoma County and also has the most gang activity. I personally wouldn't move there because the homegrown latino gangs there mess with everybody. W 9th has gotten a little better in recent years but there is a fair amount of crime. Southland borders Roseland and a lot of the gangs from Roseland spill over.


In other words, I would mainly stay away from south Santa Rosa. Otherwise, it's fine.
This is good to know. I was unaware of those gang issues.

On the flipside I have family in north eastern Santa Rosa and it is very nice indeed - right next to the golf course. I have taken my wife and three young children there to visit and never once felt concerned about the safety of the area. I was actually quite impressed. Even east of the center of town seemed fine when we took our kids to Spring Lake County Park.

And if you correlate this information with the school ratings in Santa Rosa you will see that this is also where the better schools are located. Take a look here and zoom in: California School Performance Maps

So I think location plays a bigger role here than where you live now. Just be informed and look for a home in the nicer parts and you should be fine.

Derek
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Old 06-13-2010, 06:14 PM
 
99 posts, read 380,397 times
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Most everyone else has said pretty much what I would. Any town or city has its problems and bad areas. Nineties Flava gave you excellent info and those are the exact areas I would have told you stay away from. I actually live just north of Santa Rosa and really love the area. If I was raising a family (been there done that) I would be looking here to do so.
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Old 06-13-2010, 07:08 PM
 
1,687 posts, read 6,071,467 times
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Aliso Viejo has one of the lowest US crime rates. So almost anywhere else will seem dangerous by comparison.

Santa Rosa has a crime rate that is usually around the US average for all cities calculated by different sources I see. In 2008 it was similiar to the rates in Costa Mesa or Oceanside.

I would not consider Santa Rosa dangerous overall, but maybe the comparison with those cities can help the poster decide what works for them.

city-data.com crime index for 2008:
2008 US average - 293
Oceanside - 259.5
Santa Rosa - 254.8
Costa Mesa - 247.5
Aliso Viejo - 82.5
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Old 06-13-2010, 10:08 PM
 
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We are also interested in relocating to Santa Rosa from Oregon. Have lived in the Bay Area and have family there. Want to be closer to the grandkids but don't want to live in that mess. We will be taking a trip down to check it out week after next. Thanks for the tip about the south area.
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Old 06-13-2010, 10:12 PM
 
2 posts, read 59,548 times
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Question good/bad areas of santa rosa

We are looking to rent for a year to figure out where to buy. Are there decent houses for under $1500? Have to have a house and yard for our dogs.
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Old 06-13-2010, 10:55 PM
 
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Thanks for the info as I am relocating this month to santa rosa, and I must I am concerned but since I know the areas to stay clear of I should be ok..
thanks again..
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Old 06-13-2010, 11:02 PM
 
1 posts, read 29,768 times
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South Santa Rosa is actually very safe, I grew up in Santa Rosa and its south neighboring city (Rohnert Park) and have rarely seen any gang members in the streets, most of the time they are 12 year old fakes, the most crime you would have to watch out for would be people addicted to meth, which you would see far more often then gangs.
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