Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 12,555, settled in 1892.
For most people who can afford it, yes. San Anselmo grades A− overall, 49th among California's 841 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and its public schools beat 95% of California towns on state tests and graduation. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $1.7 million for a typical one and 12.5 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 71% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in San Anselmo, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 45 of California’s 1,063 towns score higher on walkability. San Anselmo is home to Presidio Graduate School.
Where San Anselmo beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far San Anselmo is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for health (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: 1,531 in 1910, 12,830 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Anselmo. Close and well known come first.
Big draw13 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
5 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
Big draw14 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw15 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw17 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 San Anselmo, 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 San Anselmo.
San Anselmo has schools in the top 5% of California, has less tooth loss than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 12.5 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $1.7M) costs more against local pay than in 88% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
Typical home values rose 6.1% in the year to September 2026. San Anselmo’s typical rent is $2,797 a month. On the market here: a median 20 days to sell.
| San Anselmo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,797 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
That grade ranks #29 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. It comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.7M.
The public schools here belong to the Tamalpais Union High school district. The largest public high school is Archie Williams High, with 1,141 students. Three of its 6 schools are shown below, with the reason for each.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wade Thomas ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 292 | A+ |
| Archie Williams HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,141 | A |
| Brookside ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 278 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
San Anselmo’s density of trails stands at 2.4 miles per square mile. Trails total 6.5 miles in 17 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Sorich Ranch Park Open Space Preserve, 57 acres with 1.5 miles of trail.
| San Anselmo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 9.9% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sorich Ranch Park Open Space Preserve | 1.5 mi | 57 |
| 2. Bald Hill Open Space Preserve | 1.1 mi | 40 |
| 3. C. Fredrick Faudé Open Space Park | 0.8 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with California is tooth loss: 3.2% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 1,570 U.S. towns with household incomes like San Anselmo’s, it is healthier than 82%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
In San Anselmo, 6% of adults worry about having enough food. Only 8 of the 847 California towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than San Anselmo. Among adults here, 21% have obesity and 28% sleep under 7 hours. This California town does better than the California average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 2.
| San Anselmo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 29% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | San Anselmo | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
This California town has had 230 paid flood insurance claims since 1978. In San Anselmo, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 98 of 100. Expected losses in San Anselmo break down as 66% from inland flooding and 33% from earthquakes. Federal disaster aid has reached households in San Anselmo after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2019.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
35.1% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
For workers in San Anselmo, the share who work remotely from home is 35%. Commuting out is the norm in the town: nearly a tenth of working residents work locally. Its typical household income comes in at $174,000. Half the trips to work are shorter than 16 miles.
| San Anselmo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 35% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $174,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 41.3°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 75.3°.
Its midsummer high is 75°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| San Anselmo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 75°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 41°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4 within 15 miles of the center of San Anselmo
About 4 of every 100 San Anselmo residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where San Anselmo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
San Anselmo (Spanish for 'Saint Anselm') is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. San Anselmo is located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of San Rafael, at an elevation of 46 feet (14 m). It is located about 20 miles (32 km) north of San Francisco. The town is bordered by San Rafael to the east, Fairfax to the west, and Ross to the south. Mount Tamalpais dominates the view to the south. The population was 12,830 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with San Anselmo.
At #49 in CA, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Sleepy Hollow (A−) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Anselmo | #49 | A− | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Sleepy Hollow | #59 | A− | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Ross | — | — | D− | B− | A+ | A+ |
| Fairfax | #81 | B+ | D | B | 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. San Anselmo and Sleepy Hollow report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare San Anselmo with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. San Anselmo grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #49 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 Dylan Woodhead and Brooke Smith.
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