Novato vs San Rafael
Novato, California versus San Rafael, 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 Rafael score about the same overall (49 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Novato | San Rafael |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $111k | $114k |
| Cost of Living | $86k | $86k |
| Home Value | $936k | $1.2M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 0.80% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 22.91% | 24.69% |
| Unemployment | 6.5% | 4.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 50°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.8 in | 34.4 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 | 209 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 77.6 | 85.0 |
| Air Quality | 26 AQI | 30 AQI |
| School Quality | 75.3 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 887/100k | 1308/100k |
| Property Crime | 1690/100k | 3027/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 53,055 | 60,891 |
| Median Age | 48.6 | 44.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.56 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.98 |
| Political Leaning | D+68 | D+68 |
| White (%) | 61.3% | 55.8% |
| Black (%) | 3.4% | 1.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 22.3% | 32.5% |
| Asian (%) | 6.9% | 6.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 6.1% | 3.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 12.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 32 mi | 25 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.3% | 94.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 23.94 | 50.42 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
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 Rafael more affordable?
- San Rafael has the lower cost of living: its index is $86k, compared with Novato's $86k and San Rafael's $86k. Median rent is $2k in Novato versus $2k in San Rafael.
- Is Novato or San Rafael safer?
- Novato has the lower violent crime rate. Novato reports 887/100k and San Rafael reports 1308/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Novato or San Rafael?
- The median home value is $936k in Novato and $1.2M in San Rafael, so homes are more affordable in Novato.