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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

San Rafael

California · 48,404 residents · 16.6 sq mi
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The short version

San Rafael is a city of 48,404 people in California. The typical home is worth $342,700. This is an unusually credentialed place: 38% of adults have a four-year degree. Median rent is $730 a month. The median age is 37.4, about 4 years above the US median. Owners hold 54% of the housing stock.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 37.4
US median: 33.0
More educated
38% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
48,404
−14%vs 2000
vs 56,063 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
37.4
−3%vs 2000
vs 38.5 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
16.6 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
47K51K55K59K63K19902000201020202024San Rafael
202460K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 55.9%(2,863)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 94.6%(2,242)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.1%(2,007)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 195.1%(2,477)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 246.8%(3,291)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419%(9,190)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4418.1%(8,741)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5412.9%(6,246)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.2%(4,474)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748%(3,877)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.6%(2,214)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.6%(782)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$41,922
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $60,994 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$24,230
−32%vs 2000
vs $35,762 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
8.1%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 10.2% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$342,700
−1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $457,000 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$730
−8%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $1,040 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
54.5%
+0.7 ptsvs 2000
vs 53.8% in 2000
45.5% rent
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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic83.8%(40,563)
Black3.1%(1,491)
Hispanic / Latino13.5%(6,517)
Asian5.3%(2,562)
Other7.8%(3,788)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Central American16.2%(9,815)
Guatemalan13.3%(8,017)
Mexican13.2%(7,950)
Salvadoran2.3%(1,397)
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)
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)
+ 2 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(11)
Laotian0%(2)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(5)
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)
Greek0.8%(454)
Arab0.7%(446)
Danish0.7%(443)
Welsh0.7%(406)
Swiss0.6%(334)
Portuguese0.5%(301)
Hungarian0.5%(294)
British0.5%(273)
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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
38.4%
−5.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 43.6% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
89.0%
+4.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 84.7% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
14.2%
−2.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 16.9% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
26.7 min
+14%vs 2000
vs 23.4 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
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

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
6.7%
−6.7 ptssince 2013
from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
53.2%
−0.6 ptssince 2020
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 18.7% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 20.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
23.5%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 19.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)8.7%(129)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.6%(557)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(75)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II5.9%(87)
US avg: 1%

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
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare San Rafael to nearby cities

SAN RAFAEL VS
Larkspur
Income$140,417+235%
Home value$1,996,600+483%
Population12,620−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN RAFAEL VS
Corte Madera
Income$232,763+455%
Home value$1,755,200+412%
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SAN RAFAEL VS
San Anselmo
Income$173,641+314%
Home value$1,576,700+360%
Population12,555−79%
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SAN RAFAEL VS
Mill Valley
Income$206,212+392%
Home value$2,000,001+484%
Population13,799−77%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Rafael, California?

San Rafael, California has about 48,404 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in San Rafael, California?

The typical household in San Rafael, California earns about $41,922 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 $342,700, and the typical rent is about $730 a month.

How educated are people in San Rafael, California?

About 38.4% 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 8.1% of people in San Rafael, California live below the federal poverty line.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →