Bon air world greenbrae, 2007
Kentfield’s story
121 years in pictures
Census counts: 6,030 in 1990, 6,808 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
- 1905Kentfield is settled
KentfieldCA
A town of 6,900, settled in 1905.
Population
6,900
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$2.84M
+6.9% in a year
Household income
$250K
median
Median age
48.8
years
Jobs based here
3,938
A job hub
TownGrade
A
#14 of 841 in CA
Is Kentfield a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Kentfield grades A overall, 14th of 841 graded towns in California. It has 10 miles of trail. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns and its public schools beat 94% of California towns on state tests and graduation. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $2.8 million for a typical one and 20.9 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 81% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Kentfield, against 29% in California’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Kentfield is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Kentfield is home to College of Marin.
What makes Kentfield stand out
Where Kentfield beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Get outside
10 miles of trails in Kentfield
21.6% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
1
Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve3.9 mi of trails · 170 acres
2
Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve0.8 mi of trails · 28 acres
3
King Mountain Open Space Preserve0.6 mi of trails · 35 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Kentfield grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Kentfield is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for health (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 5%), so the A overall blends very different results.
HealthMarinhealth Medical Center 1.4 miles awayA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.8 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 6.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA+Open →Cost of livingDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$250K median household incomeAOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 75° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market$2.84M typical home, up 6.9% in a year; 10 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.8–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 250 attractions →Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 186 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kentfield. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
2 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
Big draw11 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw12 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
in town MountainMount TamalpaisSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Alcatraz 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 · Mount Tamalpais: Originally uploaded by Nelso (Transferred by DimiTalen), CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Kentfield: who provides what
Kentfield is unincorporated, so Marin County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMarin Municipal Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMarin CountyMarin County provides services here
SchoolsTamalpais Union High School DistrictKentfield Elementary School District2 districts serve Kentfield; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMarin County Registrar of VotersMarin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9490494904 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kentfield.
Kentfield draws workers from San Rafael and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
HousingCost of living grade D
Kentfield’s grade for cost of living is a D
At 20.9 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.84M) costs more against local pay than in 97% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
The going rate for rent for Kentfield comes to $2,741 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.9% in value. Also worth knowing: homes sold in Kentfield spent a median 10 days on the market.
$2.84MZillow home value
Typical home value
Kentfield$2.84M
California$762K
Market temperature
10
days on market
110.4%
sale-to-list price
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
9
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsA
Kentfield’s grade for schools is an A
That grade comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.84M.
Of its 3 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. The Kentfield Elementary school district runs its public schools. The 2 public schools in Kentfield teach 1,014 students between them.
94%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony G. Bacich ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 526 | – |
| Marin Catholic High School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 791 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA+
Open space protected for good: 21.6% of Kentfield
Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve, at 170 acres with 3.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Across 6 parks and preserves: 9.9 miles of trail. The trail density in Kentfield is 3.3 miles per square mile.
#60for trails in CA
21.6%
conserved · 418 of 1,938 acres
9.9 mi
of trails · 3.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baltimore Canyon Open Space Preserve | 3.9 mi | 170 |
| 2. Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve | 0.8 mi | 28 |
| 3. King Mountain Open Space Preserve | 0.6 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthA+
Fewer of Kentfield’s adults feel lonely than in the typical California or U.S. town
Against the 438 U.S. towns with household incomes like Kentfield’s, it is less healthy than 54%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
In Kentfield, 15% of adults get no exercise outside work. This California town does better than the California average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 2.
98%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Kentfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
21 better9 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Kentfield | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.6% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 6.4% |
Marinhealth Medical Center
1.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
95th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Kentfield stands out in California and nationally: the median household income there is higher
3,938 jobs are based in Kentfield, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 46.5% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Kentfield for work: only 5% work in town. Kentfield: 3.9% of residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Kentfield grew to 3,938 in 2023, 435 more than in 2013. The top destinations are San Francisco (33%), San Rafael (7%) and Larkspur (3%).
5%work in town
| Kentfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kentfield5%
San Francisco33%
San Rafael7%
Larkspur3%
Oakland3%
14 mi
median commute distance
3,938
jobs based in Kentfield
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Natural hazards: very high risk in Kentfield, mostly earthquakes
For Kentfield, the FEMA risk score is 91 of 100. Since 1980, 80 flood insurance claims have been paid out locally. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 54% come from earthquakes and 44% from inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Kentfield once, in 2005.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
80
paid flood claims since 1980
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Kentfield has mild winters and pleasant summers
January nights average 41.8°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 74°.
Snow is almost unheard of. For Kentfield, the peak summer temperature is 74°F.
75°summer high
| Kentfield | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 74°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 40°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–57°
Spring46–64°
Summer52–74°
Fall50–70°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
75°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kentfield
18pages on Kentfield
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
14 within 15 miles of the center of Kentfield
College of MarinCommunity college · Public · KentfieldIn town$1,558 in-state tuitionPresidio Graduate SchoolUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · San Anselmo2.4 miUniversity of California-San FranciscoUniversity or college · Public · San Francisco13.1 mi
About 8 of every 100 Kentfield residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
College town
College of Marin calls Kentfield home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Famous people from Kentfield
7 notable people were born in Kentfield.
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About Kentfield
Community in California, US
Kentfield (formerly Ross Landing, Tamalpais, and Kent) is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Kentfield is located 2 miles (3 km) southwest of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 feet (35 m). For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Kentfield as a census-designated place (CDP). The CPD also includes the unincorporated part of neighboring Greenbrae. The population was 6,808 at the 2020 census. The ZIP codes are 94904 for street addresses, and 94914 for PO boxes, and are shared with Greenbrae.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 115 ft
- ZIP code
- 94904, 94914 (PO boxes), 94914
- Area code
- 415/628
Kentfield’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Kentfield.
At #14 in CA, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Mill Valley (A) comes closest.
LarkspurRossSan RafaelMill ValleyKentfield
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentfield | #14 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Larkspur | #31 | A− | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Ross | — | — | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
| San Rafael | #380 | C | D− | D | B+ | A− |
| Mill Valley | #20 | A | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
Ross has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Kentfield and Larkspur report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Kentfield with a neighbor →
Questions about Kentfield
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kentfield, CA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Kentfield grades A overall, better than 87% of U.S. towns and #14 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Kentfield, CA expensive?
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.
What is Kentfield, CA known for?
7 notable people were born here, including Peter Woodring and Todd McKee.