Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,334, settled in 1863.
Bolinas’ best subject grades are an A for health and schools and an A− for walkability; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Bolinas’ typical home value is $1,954,000, above both California’s towns ($710,000) and U.S. towns ($332,000). Homes are expensive, about $2.0 million for a typical one and 14.4 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 30% of the land in Bolinas is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. On the outdoors, just 32 of California’s 1,064 towns do better. The biggest place to walk is Point Reyes National Seashore, 1,708 acres with 3.5 miles of trail. Bolinas has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Bolinas beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Bolinas | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.5% | 17.9% |
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Bolinas is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1906.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bolinas. Close and well known come first.
Big draw17 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
6 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
Big draw16 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw18 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Muir Woods National Monument: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Bolinas is unincorporated, so Marin County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Bolinas.
The median rent in Bolinas is $1,924 a month. Typical home values rose 8.9% in the year to September 2026. The typical Bolinas home is worth about $1,954,000, up 8.9% in a year, more than twice the California typical home.
| Bolinas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,924 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the Bolinas-Stinson Union school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolinas-Stinson ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 109 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
27% of adults feel lonely in Bolinas. Bolinas beats the California average on 17 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 13% of adults report frequent mental distress in Bolinas.
| Bolinas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 7.3% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Bolinas | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.5% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.2% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 117 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bolinas.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7.0 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. Bolinas’ trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Point Reyes National Seashore | 3.5 mi | 1,708 |
| 2. Bolinas Lagoon Preserve | 1.3 mi | 67 |
| 3. Phillip Burton Wilderness | — | 37 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Most working residents leave Bolinas for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2013, Bolinas has lost 57 jobs, to 231 in 2023. The top destinations are San Francisco (17%), Stinson Beach (6%) and Oakland (3%).
| Bolinas | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bolinas has warm winters and cool summers. July afternoons reach 68°, January nights drop to 45° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3 within 15 miles of the center of Bolinas
About 7 of every 100 Bolinas residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Bolinas’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Bolinas.
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Bolinas is an unincorporated coastal community in Marin County, California, United States. It is located on the California coast, approximately 13 miles (21 km) (straight line distance) northwest of San Francisco, and 27 miles (43 km) by road. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined the community as a census-designated place (CDP). As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,483.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
3 notable people were born here, including Harmony Korine and Gail Carriger.
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