CITY
San Rafael
California · 59,410 residents (2025 est.) · 16.6 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
Notable rankings
#116Most expensive homesof 6,786$1,355,600The short version
San Rafael is home to 60,433 people in California. The typical home is worth $1,355,600, having roughly tripled since 2000. Few US cities rank higher on income. This is an unusually credentialed place: 50% of adults have a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 28%. Median rent is $2,377 a month.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
50% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 63%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
60,433
+8%since 2000
from 56,063 in 2000
59,410 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
16.6 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202460K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.8%(2,889)
5 to 95.2%(3,146)
10 to 145.7%(3,471)
15 to 197.4%(4,467)
20 to 245.6%(3,367)
25 to 3410.2%(6,193)
35 to 4413.5%(8,154)
45 to 5413.4%(8,080)
55 to 6413.8%(8,367)
65 to 7410.8%(6,552)
75 to 846%(3,649)
85 and over3.5%(2,098)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$119,435
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $60,994 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
66.8%
+18.7 ptssince 2009
from 48.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information11.1%
Wholesale trade10.2%
Other services6.9%
Retail trade4.8%
Public administration4.4%
Finance & insurance4.3%
Arts, entertainment, food4.1%
Professional, scientific, technical3.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.4%
Construction1.3%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
Education & health services0.6%
Manufacturing0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$1,355,600
+63%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $457,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
11.4
−2%since 2009
from 11.6 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.
55
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic65.9%(36,960)
Black2.1%(1,175)
Hispanic / Latino23.3%(13,070)
Asian5.5%(3,095)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic51.2%(30,956)
Black2.2%(1,313)
Hispanic / Latino35.5%(21,453)
Asian4.9%(2,980)
Other6.2%(3,731)
76
+13%since 2009
from 67 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Central American16.2%(9,815)
Guatemalan13.3%(8,017)
Mexican13.2%(7,950)
Salvadoran2.3%(1,397)
South American1.6%(990)
Peruvian0.9%(547)
Spaniard0.6%(340)
Puerto Rican0.5%(313)
Costa Rican0.3%(190)
Ecuadorian0.2%(141)
Dominican0.2%(135)
Bolivian0.2%(119)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.2%(101)
Honduran0.1%(89)
Cuban0.1%(71)
Argentine0.1%(62)
Chilean0.1%(48)
Colombian0.1%(31)
Uruguayan0%(26)
Panamanian0%(21)
Asian origin
Chinese1.1%(654)
Filipino1.1%(649)
Korean0.7%(452)
Asian Indian0.7%(413)
Vietnamese0.5%(280)
Japanese0.2%(93)
Cambodian0.1%(59)
Nepalese0.1%(52)
Thai0.1%(32)
Taiwanese0%(13)
Pakistani0%(13)
Indonesian0%(12)
Ancestry
Irish11.6%(7,003)
German11.5%(6,974)
English10.1%(6,119)
Italian6.2%(3,734)
French2.5%(1,512)
Polish2.2%(1,331)
American1.9%(1,147)
Swedish1.7%(1,022)
Scottish1.3%(796)
Russian1.2%(741)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(688)
Dutch0.9%(551)
+ 39 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian0.9%(522)
Ukrainian0.9%(515)
Norwegian0.8%(513)
Subsaharan African0.8%(477)
Greek0.8%(454)
Arab0.7%(446)
Danish0.7%(443)
Welsh0.7%(406)
Swiss0.6%(334)
Portuguese0.5%(301)
Hungarian0.5%(294)
British0.5%(273)
French Canadian0.4%(236)
Czech0.4%(221)
Austrian0.3%(184)
Belgian0.3%(184)
Canadian0.3%(170)
Croatian0.3%(169)
Lithuanian0.2%(136)
Syrian0.2%(103)
Finnish0.2%(98)
Brazilian0.2%(97)
Jordanian0.1%(89)
Palestinian0.1%(89)
Australian0.1%(80)
Lebanese0.1%(78)
Latvian0.1%(73)
Slovak0.1%(67)
Romanian0.1%(63)
Armenian0.1%(56)
West Indian0.1%(46)
Egyptian0.1%(39)
Serbian0.1%(39)
Haitian0.1%(35)
Turkish0%(27)
Ethiopian0%(22)
Slovene0%(14)
Jamaican0%(11)
Nigerian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
84.8%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 84.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.2%
−3.5 ptssince 2020
from 79.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
97.1%
+1.5 ptssince 2020
from 95.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married40.2%(10,005)
Married48.2%(12,021)
Widowed2.3%(567)
Divorced9.3%(2,323)
Women 15+
Never married32.4%(8,418)
Married46.4%(12,074)
Widowed7%(1,830)
Divorced14.2%(3,689)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
0.9%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 0.9% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.4%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 69.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2020
from 38.0% 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)17.5%(259)
Gulf War (1990s)8.7%(129)
Vietnam era37.6%(557)
Korean War5.1%(75)
World War II5.9%(87)
Share of the 1,481 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 San Rafael, California?
San Rafael, California has about 60,433 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in San Rafael, California?
The typical household in San Rafael, California earns about $119,435 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is San Rafael, California expensive?
In San Rafael, California, the median home is worth about $1,355,600, and the typical rent is about $2,377 a month.
How educated are people in San Rafael, California?
About 49.7% of adults age 25 and over in San Rafael, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in San Rafael, California?
About 11.7% of people in San Rafael, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has San Rafael, California grown since 1990?
Yes, San Rafael, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 12,029 residents, a change of about 25 percent over that period.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024