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CITY · 2010 ACS

Novato

California · 51,904 residents · 27.4 sq mi
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The short version

Novato is home to 51,904 people in California. The typical home is worth $686,400, having more than doubled since 2000. This is an unusually credentialed place: 43% of adults have a four-year degree. The median age is 42.6, about 5 years above the US median. Renters pay $1,455 a month at the median. Households here earn about 32% more than in California as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 42.6
US median: 37.2
More educated
43% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 49%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

51,904
+9%since 2000
from 47,630 in 2000
1990 – 2025
42.6
+8%since 2000
from 39.6 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
27.4 sq mi
Population, 19902024
47K49K52K54K56K19902000201020202024Novato
202453K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 55.9%(3,079)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 96.6%(3,408)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 146.3%(3,285)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 195.8%(2,996)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 244.5%(2,356)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3410.6%(5,511)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4413.9%(7,232)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5415.9%(8,256)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6414.8%(7,658)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 748.7%(4,506)
US avg: 7%
75 to 844.6%(2,411)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.3%(1,206)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

$80,250
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $63,453 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
$41,573
+28%since 2000
from $32,402 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
53.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 53.3% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
7.4%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
0.454
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information12%
US avg: 11.5%
Other services9.6%
US avg: 7%
Wholesale trade7.9%
US avg: 7.2%
Public administration6.9%
US avg: 4.9%
Retail trade5.6%
US avg: 10.9%
Finance & insurance3.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 4.2%
Arts, entertainment, food3%
US avg: 2.4%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Construction0.8%
US avg: 1.4%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

$686,400
+49%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $364,800 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
$1,455
Unchangedinflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,146 in 2000
US average: $853
67.0%
−0.5 ptssince 2000
from 67.6% in 2000
33.0% rent
4.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
2.52 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.53 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
46.7%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 46.1% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
57.9%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 58.0% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
8.6
−2%since 2009
from 8.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.3%(36,336)
Black1.9%(893)
Hispanic / Latino13.1%(6,229)
Asian5.1%(2,442)
Other0%
2010
White, non-Hispanic65.8%(34,141)
Black2.5%(1,321)
Hispanic / Latino21.3%(11,046)
Asian6.5%(3,367)
Other3.5%(1,820)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican8.9%(4,490)
Central American4.7%(2,357)
Guatemalan2.3%(1,136)
Salvadoran1.5%(775)
Peruvian0.5%(259)
Costa Rican0.4%(227)
Puerto Rican0.4%(183)
Nicaraguan0.4%(180)
Spaniard0.3%(137)
Uruguayan0.2%(103)
Chilean0.1%(63)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.1%(41)
Cuban0.1%(38)
Ecuadorian0.1%(38)
Bolivian0.1%(33)
Honduran0.1%(27)
Argentine0%(10)
Ancestry
German14.5%(7,318)
Irish14.4%(7,264)
English10.9%(5,507)
Italian10.7%(5,410)
French3.5%(1,751)
Swedish3%(1,525)
Scottish3%(1,496)
Scotch-Irish2.6%(1,315)
Russian2.6%(1,297)
Portuguese2.3%(1,163)
Norwegian2%(1,014)
Polish2%(1,011)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
American1.8%(918)
Danish1.3%(675)
Dutch1.1%(576)
Canadian1.1%(539)
British1%(521)
Iranian1%(500)
Greek0.8%(396)
Welsh0.8%(396)
Arab0.6%(324)
Swiss0.6%(319)
Brazilian0.6%(316)
Austrian0.5%(272)
Croatian0.5%(269)
Ukrainian0.5%(263)
Hungarian0.5%(262)
Czech0.5%(245)
Romanian0.4%(180)
Belgian0.3%(164)
West Indian0.3%(145)
Lebanese0.2%(115)
Moroccan0.2%(108)
Kenyan0.2%(101)
Lithuanian0.2%(98)
Armenian0.2%(97)
Latvian0.2%(89)
Jamaican0.2%(88)
Bulgarian0.2%(84)
Finnish0.2%(84)
Slovak0.1%(66)
Slovene0.1%(58)
Haitian0.1%(50)
Syrian0.1%(33)
Egyptian0.1%(29)
Australian0.1%(28)
Israeli0%(19)
Turkish0%(12)
Serbian0%(11)
Section 05

Education

42.8%
+5.8 ptssince 2000
from 37.0% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
91.2%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 90.5% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
15.2%
+2.9 ptssince 2000
from 12.2% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

30.9 min
+12%since 2000
from 27.5 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
73.1%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 74.2% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
11.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 10.5% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
4.8%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 5.0% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
7.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
1.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
1.0%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
4.9%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 5.4% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

12.5%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 12.0% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
42.9%
+3.6 ptssince 2009
from 39.3% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

48.8%
−1.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.1% in 2009
51.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.9% in 2009
21.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 21.4% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
8.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married35.2%(7,757)
Married56.2%(12,376)
Widowed2.7%(588)
Divorced6%(1,311)
Women 15+
Never married27.9%(6,082)
Married52.2%(11,367)
Widowed7.5%(1,626)
Divorced12.5%(2,716)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

4.9%
−4.8 ptssince 2013
from 9.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
58.1%
−3.0 ptssince 2020
from 61.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
17.9%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 20.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
24.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 24.2% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
18.2%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 15.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 1.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.0%
−5.7 ptssince 2020
from 78.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.4%
+2.7 ptssince 2020
from 36.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

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
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Novato, California?

Novato, California has about 51,904 residents according to the 2010 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Novato, California?

The typical household in Novato, California earns about $80,250 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Novato, California expensive?

In Novato, California, the median home is worth about $686,400, and the typical rent is about $1,455 a month.

How educated are people in Novato, California?

About 42.8% of adults age 25 and over in Novato, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Novato, California?

About 7.4% of people in Novato, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Novato, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Novato, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 4,319 residents, a change of about 9 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →