Novato, California
Among the top 2% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 98% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 55% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 81% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 74% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 3% for walkability
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Novato is a mid-size city in California with about 53,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on estimated total tax burden and cost of living.
Official websiteci.novato.ca.us (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
84%56%clearovercast
Precipitation 7.0 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$111k89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$86kbetter than 1% of US places
Home Value$936k98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$4kbetter than 3% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.79%better than 64% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden22.91%better than 1% of US places
Unemployment6.5%better than 28% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)50°F89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)67°F5th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation33.8 in29th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days261 daysbetter than 79% of US places
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 83% of US places
Comfortable Days182 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk77.6better than 30% of US places
Air Quality26 AQIbetter than 94% of US places
School Quality75.3better than 72% of US places
Violent Crime887/100kbetter than 41% of US places
Property Crime1690/100kbetter than 26% of US places
Community
Population53,05597th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age48.675th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5185th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0260th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+681st percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)61.3%24th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)3.4%72nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)22.3%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)6.9%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.1%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time30 minbetter than 28% of US places
Walkability13.7/20better than 97% of US places
Airport Distance32 mibetter than 80% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access93.3%better than 77% of US places
Amenities Nearby23.94better than 24% of US places
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 89% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Novato an affordable place to live?
- Novato is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $86k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Novato?
- The median home value in Novato is $936k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Novato?
- Median household income in Novato is $111k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Novato?
- Median gross rent in Novato is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Novato safe?
- Novato is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 887/100k (better than 41%). Property crime is 1690/100k.
- What is the weather like in Novato?
- Novato averages 67°F in July and 50°F in January, with 33.8 in of annual precipitation and about 261 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Novato?
- Public-school quality in Novato is above average, scoring better than 72% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Novato?
- The average one-way commute in Novato is 30 min.
Other places in Marin County
Places near Novato
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)