Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
With 12,085 residents, it is a town in California.
Much to like here, and you pay for it. Where it does best is health — residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Tamalpais-Homestead Valley’s overall grade, A, puts it better than 85% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 21st of 841 in California. It also does well on schools — its schools rank ahead of 95% of California towns. What holds it back is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $1.9 million, 13.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 80% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. The town is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Tamalpais-Homestead Valley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Tamalpais-Homestead Valley beats most towns.
Census counts: 8,511 in 1980, 11,492 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2007 and 5 maps from 1897 on.
Explore the history →49% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Ordered by what stands out in Tamalpais-Homestead Valley.
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley has schools in the top 5% of California, has less no health insurance than most of California and keeps more of its land conserved than most of California.
Its 1,481 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 98% of California towns. Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #9 of 847 in California.
24 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. 8 acres of Tamalpais-Homestead Valley lie in its parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Three Groves | 0.2 mi | 3 |
| 2. Eastwood Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
| 3. Hawk Hill | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
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 $1.86M.
One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Mill Valley Elementary school district. Tamalpais-Homestead Valley’s only public school teaches 368 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tamalpais Valley ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 368 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 3.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 482 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tamalpais-Homestead Valley’s, it is less healthy than 55%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Just over a fifth of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, close to California’s towns (22%) and below U.S. towns (23%). Tamalpais-Homestead Valley: 13% of adults report frequent mental distress. Against the California average, Tamalpais-Homestead Valley comes out ahead on 20 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 2.
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | Typical California town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| What stands out | Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.1% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
All told, 112 flood insurance claims have been paid in Tamalpais-Homestead Valley since 1978. Expected losses in Tamalpais-Homestead Valley break down as 46% from inland flooding and 45% from earthquakes.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jobs based here grew from 1,174 in 2013 to 1,695. 48.8% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
The top destinations are San Francisco (37%), Mill Valley (5%) and San Rafael (5%). The share of residents in Tamalpais-Homestead Valley who live below the poverty line is 3.3%. The town had 1,695 jobs in 2023, up 521 from 2013. Its mean commuting time is recorded as 29 minutes.
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | Typical California town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $243,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 44°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 70°.
It almost never snows. A typical year brings Tamalpais-Homestead Valley about 30 inches of rain and snow.
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | Typical California town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 70°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 44°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 13.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 89% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley’s median rent is $3,501 a month. In Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, 62% of sales closed above the list price. A home in Tamalpais-Homestead Valley typically sold within 19 days of listing.
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | Typical California town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 85% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tamalpais-Homestead Valley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw7 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
2 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
Big draw8 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muir Woods National Monument: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley is unincorporated, so Marin County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Where Tamalpais-Homestead Valley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
22 within 15 miles of the center of Tamalpais-Homestead Valley
About 5 of every 100 Tamalpais-Homestead Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Census-designated place in California, United States
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 11,492 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Tamalpais-Homestead Valley.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | #21 | A | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Mill Valley | #20 | A | D− | B+ | A+ | A+ |
| Strawberry | #17 | A | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Marin City | #238 | B− | C− | — | A | B− |
| Sausalito | #110 | B+ | D− | B− | A | A+ |
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, Strawberry and Marin City report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Tamalpais-Homestead Valley with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. It grades A+ for health and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,864,000, 145% above the California typical home. 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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