Novato is home to 52,546 people in California. The typical home is worth $1,032,500, having roughly tripled since 2000. The median age is 47.5, about 9 years above the US median. That puts it in the top 4% of US cities for household income. Renters pay $2,506 a month at the median. This is an unusually credentialed place: 49% of adults have a four-year degree.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $115,736, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 47.5
US median: 38.9
More educated
49% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 55%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Novato
What changed most since 1990
White share84.7% → 54.6%(−30.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age34.4 → 47.5(+13.1 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Hispanic share7.4% → 28.0%(+20.6 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Novato's population equals 20% of Marin County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 12% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 29% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)10.8%(246)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.3%(394)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era46.4%(1,057)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War12.5%(285)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.6%(81)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,279 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Novato, decade by decade
Novato population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
47,585
$110,139
$669,139
31.8%
34.2
2000
47,630
$115,589
$664,540
37.0%
49.6
2010
51,904
$115,445
$987,435
42.8%
64.5
2020
53,225
$123,178
$975,570
46.3%
73.5
2024
52,546
$115,736
$1,032,500
48.9%
76.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
