Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 51,947, settled in 1856.
Novato's standout: it has 82 miles of trail and 45% conserved land. Overall it grades B−, ranked 236th of 841 in California. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 84% of the country and it is more walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 7.8 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Novato’s July high is 76°F, below both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve, at 1,533 acres with 23 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Novato beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 17,881 in 1960, 53,225 in 2020. The archive holds 30 old photos and papers going back to 1932 and 5 maps from 1914 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Novato is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Novato. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw21 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw20 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw25 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Novato, 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 Novato.
Novato keeps more of its land conserved than most of California, has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with San Francisco and other neighbors.
Its 7,967 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 97% of California towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #25 of 847 in California.
82 miles of trail in 29 parks and preserves. The trail density in Novato is 3.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mount Burdell Open Space Preserve | 23 mi | 1,533 |
| 2. Rush Creek Open Space Preserve | 3.6 mi | 233 |
| 3. Deer Island Preserve | 3.4 mi | 172 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Novato Unified school district. Three of its 18 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinaloa MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 693 | A− |
| Novato HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,287 | B+ |
| Pleasant Valley ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 464 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
323 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 41 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 323 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Novato.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Against the 6,348 U.S. towns with household incomes like Novato’s, it is healthier than 68%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
22% of adults have obesity in Novato. Novato beats the California average on 15 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 31% of adults feel lonely in Novato.
| Novato | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Novato | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.4% | 17.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median property tax bill is $8,101, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Novato’s median rent is $2,506 a month. The typical Novato home is worth about $1,065,000, up 2% in a year, 40% above the California typical home.
| Novato | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,506 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
January nights average 40.7°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 76°.
Novato has warm winters and pleasant summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 1,032 to 783 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 65% of towns.
| Novato | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.9 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Novato has about as many jobs (21,512) as working residents, but only 3,738 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Novato for work: only 16% work in town. 20% of Novato workers work from home. Jobs based in Novato grew to 21,512 in 2023, 2,179 more than in 2013.
| Novato | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 20% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
4 within 15 miles of the center of Novato
About 5 of every 100 Novato residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
44.7% of the town is conserved land, across 29 parks and preserves.
11 notable people were born in Novato.
City in California, United States
Novato (Spanish for "Novatus") is a city in Marin County, California, United States, situated in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. At the 2020 census, Novato had a population of 53,225.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Novato.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novato | #236 | B− | D− | C+ | B+ | A− |
| Black Point-Green Point | — | — | D− | — | B+ | A |
| Lucas Valley-Marinwood | #27 | A− | D− | — | A | A+ |
Black Point-Green Point has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Black Point-Green Point and Lucas Valley-Marinwood report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Novato with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Novato grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #236 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, C+ for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 65% of towns.
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−.
11 notable people were born here, including Brande Roderick and Jared Goff.
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