Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Ross’ subject grades are an A+ for health, incomes, and walkability; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. Ross’ trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 17 of California’s 1,063 towns score higher on history. The biggest place to walk is Bald Hill Open Space Preserve, 55 acres with 1.4 miles of trail. Ross has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Ross beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Ross | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.7% | 10.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Ross is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 252 in 1880, 2,338 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ross. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
4 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
Big draw13 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw14 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw17 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw16 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 Ross, 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 Ross.
The share of households in Ross who own their home is 87%, where California’s towns sit at 64% and U.S. towns at 73%. Typical home values rose 10% in the year to September 2026. The median rent in the town is $3,501 a month.
| Ross | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 87% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its two schools are below. Public schools: the Ross Elementary school district. Enrollment at the town’s public school: 339 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 339 | – |
| The Branson School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 370 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
For adults in Ross, the share who smoke cigarettes is 6.3%. Only 10 of the 848 California towns we compare have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Ross. This California town beats the California average on 21 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| Ross | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Ross | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.7% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.8% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
For Ross, the FEMA hazard score is 98 of 100. Paid flood insurance claims in the town since 1980: 199. FEMA puts two thirds of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 33% to earthquakes. Also worth knowing: households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2005.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Ross’ peak summer temperature is 75°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Commuting out is the norm in Ross: 3% of working residents work locally. The share of residents in Ross who live below the poverty line: 4.8%. Jobs in Ross grew by 153 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 608. The top destinations are San Francisco (35%), Berkeley (2%) and San Rafael (2%).
| Ross | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bald Hill Open Space Preserve | 1.4 mi | 55 |
| 2. Ross Open Space | 0.6 mi | 52 |
| 3. Upper Toyon Ridge Nature Preserve (WAN) | 0.2 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The violent crime rate for Ross comes to 0.4 per 1,000 residents. The property offense rate for Ross comes to 10.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Ross | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.9 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
10 within 15 miles of the center of Ross
About 3 of every 100 Ross residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
City in Marin County, California
Ross is a small incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Ross is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west-southwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 36 feet (11 m). The population was 2,338 at the 2020 census. The town is bordered by San Rafael to the east, Larkspur to the southeast, Kentfield to the south, San Anselmo to the north, and the Mount Tamalpais protected watershed to the west. Ross is named in honor of James Ross, who acquired Rancho Punta de Quentin in 1859.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Ross.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ross | — | — | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
| Kentfield | #14 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| San Anselmo | #49 | A− | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| San Rafael | #380 | C | D− | D | B+ | A− |
Ross has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Kentfield and San Anselmo report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Ross with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 31 years of the area's median household income ($136,027 across the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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