Tomales Presbyterian Church and Cemetery · National Register of Historic Places
Tomales’s story
147 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1879Tomales is settled
TomalesCA
A town of 168, settled in 1879.
Tomales Presbyterian Church and Cemetery · Photo: Chris06 · CC0
Population
168
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.09M
+6% in a year
Median age
65.6
years
Jobs based here
59
Balanced
Is Tomales a good place to live?
Tomales Presbyterian Church and Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tomales has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
168 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 188 attractions →Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 61 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tomales. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
26 mi Ancient siteFort Ross
Big draw39 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
4 mi National SeashorePoint Reyes National Seashore2.4M visitors a year
29 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
2 mi National Recreation AreaGolden Gate National Recreation Area15.7M visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Fort Ross: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Point Reyes National Seashore: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Muir Woods National Monument: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Tomales: who provides what
Tomales is unincorporated, so Marin County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers3% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMarin CountyMarin County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMarin County Registrar of VotersMarin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP code9497194971 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Tomales.
Who lives here
In Tomales, the median age runs higher than in the typical California or U.S. town
People 65 and older are nearly two thirds of residents (16% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 5% of residents (39% statewide). 38% of Tomales adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
65.6median age · CA 37.9
| Tomales | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 65.6 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 29% | 29% |
TomalesCaliforniaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
60%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school16%
Some college46%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s0%
Graduate38%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 0% and 73% women
The Census survey reached too few of Tomales’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±39.5 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Tomales | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 29.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.4% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 0% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 60.1% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 46.2% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 0% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 37.8% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Tomales’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Shoreline Unified school district. Enrollment at Tomales’s public school: 160 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomales ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 160 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Tomales, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Tomales than in 97% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Tomales break down as 41% from inland flooding and 34% from earthquakes.
97risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Tomales stands out in California and nationally: a larger share of its households live in a home they own
A typical home in Tomales is worth about $1,087,000, up 6% in a year, 43% above the California typical home.
$1.09MZillow home value
Typical home value
Tomales$1.09M
California$762K
+6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Tomales
Tomales’ peak summer temperature comes in at 67°F.
69°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter44–57°
Spring47–61°
Summer52–67°
Fall50–66°
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
69°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Tomales sends most of its workers out of town
Half of commuters travel less than 28 miles. 55% of residents live below the poverty line in Tomales. The top destinations are San Francisco (13%), San Rafael (9%) and Petaluma (5%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Tomales0%
San Francisco13%
San Rafael9%
Petaluma5%
Santa Rosa5%
28 mi
median commute distance
59
jobs based in Tomales
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Tomales is
The share of adults in Tomales who report frequent mental distress: 14%. Against the California average, Tomales comes out ahead on 16 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 4. Among adults here, 22% have obesity and 29% sleep under 7 hours.
| Tomales | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 29% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. California
16 better12 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Tomales | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3.4% | 10.6% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.4% | 6.4% |
Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital
17.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
8.3% of Tomales is conserved land
Across 1 park or preserve: 0.2 miles of trail. Tomales’ density of trails stands at 0.7 miles per square mile.
8.3%conserved
| Tomales | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 8.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
8.3%
conserved · 18 of 213 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tomales Community Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tomales
17pages on Tomales
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Tomales
About 0 of every 100 Tomales residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Tomales
Place in California, United States
Tomales is a census-designated place (CDP) on State Route 1 in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 187 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 89 ft
- ZIP code
- 94971
Questions about Tomales
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tomales, CA a good place to live?
Tomales has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.