City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

San Rafael, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for San Rafael - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

60,604
Residents
$109,317
Median income
$1,246,200
Median home
$3,604
Median rent (state)

San Rafael - the verdict

Nationally, San Rafael sits in the 83rd percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

83rd
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
99th
percentile, median rent
16th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: San Rafael, CA

San Rafael is a small city in California, home to 60,604 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in San Rafael brings in $109,317 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 5.5%. Typical homes in San Rafael are valued around $1,246,200, and the median resident age is 43.5 years. 49.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 29 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 190% from five years earlier. San Rafael's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3015.1 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $3,604 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 96.4 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

60,604 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$109,317 /yr

Poverty 5.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does San Rafael compare to other US cities?

Where San Rafael sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 83% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 99% pricier than other cities
Safety 16% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, San Rafael ranks #358 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below San Rafael's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

83rdIncome percentile
16thSafety percentile

83rd percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

San Rafael's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

San Rafael's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 33 Avg. percentile National median
San Rafael's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How San Rafael's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$1,246,200 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. San Rafael $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - San Rafael, CA San Rafael, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not San Rafael, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution San Rafael, CA median $109,317/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
San Rafael, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for San Rafael, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 49.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.1%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
60,604
Median Income
$109,317
Median Home Value
$1,246,200
Median Age
43.5
Poverty Rate
5.5%
Labor force participation
61.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3015.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
559.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2456.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
19
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
59,000 residents60,000 residents61,000 residents62,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 61,140 residents 59,410 residents ▼ -2.8%
San Rafael's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
29
housing units authorized
Single-Family
29
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 10
2020 30
2021 80
2022 75
2023 76
2024 29

Permit volume increased 190% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
50.4%
Carpool
13.0%
Public Transit
6.8%
Walk
4.5%
Work from Home
22.9%
Other
2.4%

Based on 30,044 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county San Rafael sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,604/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.4 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Pico Rivera
60,821 people
La Mesa
60,835 people
Santa Cruz
60,953 people
Woodland
61,256 people
Montebello
61,376 people
Gardena
59,765 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to San Rafael's 60,604 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Vineland, NJ
60,692 people
Four Corners, FL
60,443 people
Corvallis, OR
60,424 people
Meriden, CT
60,418 people
Great Falls, MT
60,412 people
Euless, TX
60,373 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to San Rafael's $109,317 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Overland, NE
$109,327 median income
Raleigh Hills, OR
$109,306 median income
Rockton, IL
$109,333 median income
Stillwater, MN
$109,297 median income
Finderne, NJ
$109,348 median income
North Beach Haven, NJ
$109,353 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - San Rafael, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition San Rafael, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 57.1% 6.1% 22.2% 10.8% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 34.7% White 57.1% Black or African American 2.3% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.3% Some other race 22.2% Two or more races 10.8% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How San Rafael compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
San Rafael (this city) 60,604 $109,317
Pico Rivera 60,821 $86,956
La Mesa 60,835 $84,337
Santa Cruz 60,953 $111,427
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about San Rafael, CA?

What is the population of San Rafael, CA? +

San Rafael, CA counts 60,604 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in San Rafael, CA? +

The median household income in San Rafael is $109,317 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in San Rafael? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for San Rafael; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is San Rafael, CA safe? +

San Rafael has a total crime rate of 3015.1 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in San Rafael, CA? +

The median home value in San Rafael is $1,246,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.