Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 12,620, settled in 1857.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Larkspur grades A− overall, ranked 31st of 841 in California. Residents are healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its schools rank ahead of 96% of California towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $2.2 million for a typical one and 16 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 68% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Larkspur, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Larkspur is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 39 of California’s 1,064 towns do better.
Where Larkspur beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
24% of the town is conserved land, across 11 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Larkspur is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 594 in 1910, 13,064 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Larkspur. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
4 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
Big draw10 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw11 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw14 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
Who provides power, water and the rest in Larkspur, and how to reach them.
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 Larkspur.
Larkspur has schools in the top 5% of California 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.
At 16 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.18M) costs more against local pay than in 93% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
The median rent in Larkspur is $3,001 a month. Typical home values rose 9.4% in the year to September 2026. 47% of households own their home in Larkspur.
| Larkspur | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,001 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 47% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #18 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.18M.
Its public schools are run by the Tamalpais Union High school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Redwood High, with 1,722 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 440 | A |
| Redwood HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,722 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
11 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. Larkspur’s trail density is 3.3 miles per square mile. Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve, at 293 acres with 4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Larkspur | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 3.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 24% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blithedale Summit Open Space Preserve | 4 mi | 293 |
| 2. King Mountain Open Space Preserve | 1.2 mi | 67 |
| 3. Piper Park | 0.9 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
28% of Larkspur adults feel lonely. Larkspur beats the California average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 13% of Larkspur adults report frequent mental distress.
| Larkspur | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Larkspur | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.9% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 92% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 98 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Larkspur.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
January nights average 43.6°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 70.9°.
Larkspur has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Larkspur | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 71°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 44°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
32.9% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Larkspur for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Larkspur has added 370 jobs, to 5,944 in 2023. The top destinations are San Francisco (30%), San Rafael (8%) and Novato (4%).
| Larkspur | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 33% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $140,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
17 within 15 miles of the center of Larkspur
About 8 of every 100 Larkspur residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
4 places in Larkspur on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in California, United States
Larkspur is a city in Marin County, California, United States. Larkspur is located directly south of Kentfield and 3 miles (4.8 km) south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 43 feet (13 m). As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 13,064. Larkspur's Police Department is shared with that of the neighboring Corte Madera and town of San Anselmo as the Central Marin Police Authority. The city's main thoroughfare is Magnolia Avenue, which runs through the Larkspur Downtown Historic District. Madrone Canyon, a residential area amidst a redwood grove, traces scenic Larkspur Creek.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Larkspur.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larkspur | #31 | A− | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Kentfield | #14 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Corte Madera | #12 | A | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| San Rafael | #380 | C | D− | D | B+ | A− |
| Mill Valley | #20 | A | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
Larkspur, Kentfield and Corte Madera report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Larkspur with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Larkspur grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #31 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
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−.
2 notable people were born here, including Jake Curhan and Buddy Biancalana.
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