Novato vs San Pablo
Novato, California versus San Pablo, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Novato and San Pablo score about the same overall (49 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Novato | San Pablo |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $111k | $73k |
| Cost of Living | $86k | $76k |
| Home Value | $936k | $477k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 0.84% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.91% | 21.75% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 7.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.8 in | 24.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 261 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 182 days | 184 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 77.6 | 89.6 |
| Air Quality | 26 AQI | 32 AQI |
| School Quality | 75.3 | 79.1 |
| Violent Crime | 887/100k | 1305/100k |
| Property Crime | 1690/100k | 2492/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 53,055 | 31,907 |
| Median Age | 48.6 | 33.2 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.74 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 1.03 |
| Political Leaning | D+68 | D+46 |
| White (%) | 61.3% | 8.5% |
| Black (%) | 3.4% | 11.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 22.3% | 56.5% |
| Asian (%) | 6.9% | 17.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.1% | 6.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 34 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 15.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 32 mi | 19 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.3% | 91.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 23.94 | 91.83 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Novato or San Pablo more affordable?
- San Pablo has the lower cost of living: its index is $76k, compared with Novato's $86k and San Pablo's $76k. Median rent is $2k in Novato versus $2k in San Pablo.
- Is Novato or San Pablo safer?
- Novato has the lower violent crime rate. Novato reports 887/100k and San Pablo reports 1305/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Novato or San Pablo?
- The median home value is $936k in Novato and $477k in San Pablo, so homes are more affordable in San Pablo.