San Rafael
- Town in California
San Rafael
- grade B+Overall Grade
- Town in California
- Rating 4.05 out of 5 62 reviews
Report Card
- Public Schoolsgrade B+
- Crime & Safetygrade C+
- Housinggrade D
- Nightlifegrade A minus
- Good for Familiesgrade B+
- Diversitygrade A
- Jobsgrade C+
- Weathergrade A+
- Cost of Livinggrade D minus
- Health & Fitnessgrade A
- Outdoor Activitiesgrade A
- Commutegrade A minus
editorial
About
Real Estate
Median Home Value
$923,100
National
$217,500Median Rent
$1,937
National
$1,062Area Feel
Urban Suburban Mix
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Map
San Rafael Rankings
Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.
Crime & Safety
Crime & Safety
grade C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Assault232.4national 282.7
- Murder0national 6.1
- Rape44.4national 40.7
- Robbery114.5national 135.5
Property Crimes
- Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
- Burglary444.4national 500.1
- Theft1,968.8national 2,042.8
- Motor Vehicle Theft854.5national 284
Residents
Working in San Rafael
Jobs
grade C+
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$91,742
National
$62,843Top Public Schools Serving San Rafael
Top Private Schools Near San Rafael
- grade A+
The Branson School
- Rating 4.47 out of 5 80 reviews
- grade A+
San Francisco University High School
- Rating 4.02 out of 5 62 reviews
- grade A+
Marin Academy
- Rating 4.16 out of 5 101 reviews
- grade A+
San Domenico School
- Rating 4.51 out of 5 105 reviews
- grade A+
The Bay School of San Francisco
- Rating 4.2 out of 5 83 reviews
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San Rafael Reviews
Rating 4.05 out of 5 62 reviews
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Lived in San Rafael most of my life. It's in a perfect location and surrounded by natural beauty. People are generally nice.
The population is older and many have lived there for a long time and own their homes. Few options to rent and good luck buying anything for under a million bucks. The main public middle school and the main High School are rough and I'd never send my kids there bec of gangs and fights. Most people of means (of which there are many) send their kids to private schools.
Traffic is horrendous.
Furthermore the homeless make their way here from SF and other places due to the services offered. They've created a city-funded encampment under the freeway and petty crime is frequent. There are nuts on many corners begging and my was bike stolen in broad daylight from a locked bike rack during a 15 minute shopping trip at Andy's Market. The police did nothing despite video evidence, a license plate and the cost of theft reaching felony status.
The population is older and many have lived there for a long time and own their homes. Few options to rent and good luck buying anything for under a million bucks. The main public middle school and the main High School are rough and I'd never send my kids there bec of gangs and fights. Most people of means (of which there are many) send their kids to private schools.
Traffic is horrendous.
Furthermore the homeless make their way here from SF and other places due to the services offered. They've created a city-funded encampment under the freeway and petty crime is frequent. There are nuts on many corners begging and my was bike stolen in broad daylight from a locked bike rack during a 15 minute shopping trip at Andy's Market. The police did nothing despite video evidence, a license plate and the cost of theft reaching felony status.
I moved here in 2012 and was excited to live in walking distance of downtown and driving distance of wonderful hiking trails. Unfortunately over the past few years and especially last year during Covid, the downtown area has gotten really shoddy. There are homeless people hanging out on every street corner. I feel for them and it also makes the area unappealing, with the type of trash you get when people are living in all the doorways of the local shops. There's not a lot to do downtown. There isn't a single restaurant we like or a decent coffee shop (sorry to the two that exist here, we just don't like their coffee). There is no where to sit and relax here, no nice views. The rent is HIGH. The city itself is very loud, with constant construction noise six days a week from 7 am until 8 pm. For people who work at home or have kids, this is very annoying as you have constant noise. It's also not friendly here, sad to say. When I take walks, none of my neighbors say hi.
I've grown up in San Rafael, and I'd say it's very family friendly. A lot of kids grow up here and attend one of the many amazing public schools (I personally went to TLHS and loved it). There's more to do in San Rafael for adults than there is kids, but between San Francisco nearby and the location being within drivable distance from other areas, such as Novato, Berkeley, and Bodega Bay, there's always something to do. The area is pretty liberal, and also has really cute farmers markets every weekend. Stinson beach and others like it are within hour drives as well, so in the summer there is even more stuff to do, either with family or a group of friends. I've truly loved growing up here, it's a great place to call home.