San Rafael, CA
Census place 0668364 · pop 60,433
Home of the Marin County Civic Center, the last major work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,355,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,999/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
564 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2492 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
53.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
11.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.7% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
11.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.8% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
22.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.74% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
10.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
49.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$119,435 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
28 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
23.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is San Rafael, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, San Rafael scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is San Rafael, CA?
- San Rafael reports 564 violent crimes per 100k and 2492 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is San Rafael, CA expensive to live in?
- San Rafael has a median home value of $1,355,600 and typical rent around $2,999/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in San Rafael, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,355,600) — 2/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is San Rafael, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (23.0%) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of the Marin County Civic Center, the last major work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.