We had a Country woodstove in our home in Newark (SF Bay Area), and we loved it! Heated the house quite well, even though it didn't get nearly as cold as it does here. Although it did bake us out of the house a few times!
One of the things we looked for, when we moved here, was a house with a woodstove, or a fireplace we could put an insert into. We found our home with woodstove, and even an electric fan, to distribute the heat faster.
Years ago, I did a college term paper on fireplaces and woodstoves. The efficiency ratings of the stoves have gotten even better than when I researched for the paper, over 20 years ago. I'm convinced that a woodstove or insert is the way to go!