San Rafael is a city in Marin County, California, home to about 60,433 people across 17 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 94901 and 94903.
Homes sold for a median of $726 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly San Rafael; also Santa Venetia
Mostly San Rafael; also Lucas Valley-Marinwood and Santa Venetia
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside San Rafael. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up San Rafael’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK)26 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Oakland, CA23 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA358 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of San Rafael; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
San Rafael had 61,271 residents in the 2020 census, up 9% since 2000.
It’s the 154th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Marin County grew from 15,702 residents in 1900 to 262,321 in 2020.
Marin County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 42°F. About 34.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Rafael Civic Ctr, CA weather station (about a mile away).
106,249 jobs at 10,049 businesses in Marin County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
2,198 doctors and other health care providers list an office in San Rafael’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 125 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 215 |
| Dentists | 109 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 148 |
| Mental health providers | 1,366 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 146 |
| Optometrists | 26 |
| Chiropractors | 63 |
| Pharmacies | 19 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (37 nearby)
Grocery stores (19 nearby)
Pharmacies (5 nearby)
Libraries (6 nearby)
Museums (4 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (4 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by San Rafael City Elementary, Miller Creek Elementary, Marin County Office of Education and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahia Vista ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 552 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Coleman ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 378 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| Glenwood ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 315 | Public | 3.4 mi |
| Laurel Dell ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 287 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Lucas Valley ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 315 | Public | 3.1 mi |
| Marin County Special EducationSan Rafael | K–12 | 215 | Special Education | 1.5 mi |
| Mary E. Silveira ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 412 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| San Pedro ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 469 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Short ElementarySan Rafael | K | 91 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| Sun Valley ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 523 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Vallecito ElementarySan Rafael | K–5 | 408 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Venetia Valley K-8San Rafael | K–8 | 748 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| James B. Davidson MiddleSan Rafael | 6–8 | 1,052 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Miller Creek MiddleSan Rafael | 6–8 | 620 | Public | 2.6 mi |
| Marin County Juvenile CourtSan Rafael | 7–12 | 3 | Alternative Education | 2.8 mi |
| Marin's CommunitySan Rafael | 7–12 | 64 | Alternative Education | 1.5 mi |
| Madrone High ContinuationSan Rafael | 9–12 | 96 | Alternative Education | 2.1 mi |
| Phoenix AcademySan Rafael | 9–12 | 3 | Charter, Alternative Education | 1.5 mi |
| San Rafael HighSan Rafael | 9–12 | 1,332 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Terra Linda HighSan Rafael | 9–12 | 1,248 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marin Waldorf SchoolSan Rafael | Pre-K–8 | 145 | Nonsectarian | 2.6 mi |
| Montessori De Terra LindaSan Rafael | Pre-K–6 | 96 | Nonsectarian | 1.7 mi |
| St Raphael SchoolSan Rafael | Pre-K–8 | 193 | Roman Catholic | 1.5 mi |
| Brandeis MarinSan Rafael | K–8 | 140 | Jewish | 1.0 mi |
| Mark Day SchoolSan Rafael | K–8 | 386 | Nonsectarian | 1.3 mi |
| St Isabella SchoolSan Rafael | K–8 | 285 | Roman Catholic | 1.5 mi |
| The Helix SchoolSan Rafael | K–12 | 38 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| The Helix SchoolSan Rafael | K–12 | 43 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| Star AcademySan Rafael | 4–12 | 89 | Nonsectarian | 1.7 mi |
| Fusion Academy MarinSan Rafael | 6–12 | 23 | Nonsectarian | 1.8 mi |
| Marin AcademySan Rafael | 9–12 | 459 | Nonsectarian | 1.2 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lucas Valley-Marinwood and Santa Venetia.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.