Living in San Rafael, CA
Suburb in California
San Rafael is a suburb in California, home to about 61,000 people, with 2.6 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is San Rafael a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 16 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 80°F
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Easy flying: OAK is 24 mi away
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.24M, and rent is $4,600 a month
- Few dog parks: 7 within 9 mi
- Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.8% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how San Rafael ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in San Rafael: common questions
What is the cost of living in San Rafael?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.24M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $4,600 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 108, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in San Rafael?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.8% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is San Rafael safe?
Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in San Rafael?
San Rafael has mild winters: winter days average around 58°F and summer days around 80°F.
Does San Rafael get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes, flooding and coastal flooding: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.08 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to San Rafael?
The nearest major airport is OAK, about 24 mi away.
How San Rafael scores
Each bar compares San Rafael with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is San Rafael right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.