San Rafael, California Housing Market Prices
San Rafael Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price About the same as the California median$648,815
-
Median rent 13% above the California median$2,305
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Rafael | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $648,815 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.4% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,305 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 4.9% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Rafael is about the same as in California. Rent is about 13% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Rafael, up about 9.4% and 4.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Rafael rose about 56.9% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,470 to $2,305. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.7 yearly household incomes in San Rafael.
Buying the median-priced home in San Rafael costs roughly 23.5 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in San Rafael. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | San Rafael | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $648,815 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $114,763 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.7 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in San Rafael rose about 49.2%, while median household income rose about 46.6% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | San Rafael | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 50.5% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 45.4% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.1% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 15.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Rafael has a homeownership rate of 50.5%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.1%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Rafael | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.55 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1967 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 4.8 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Rafael was built around 1967. On average, 2.6 people live in a home with about 4.8 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in San Rafael, California.
What is the median home price in San Rafael, California?
The median home price in San Rafael, California is $648,815, about the same as the California average.
What is the average home price in San Rafael, California?
The typical home price in San Rafael, California, reported as the median sale price, is $648,815. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in San Rafael, California?
The median gross rent in San Rafael, California is $2,305 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in San Rafael in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in San Rafael, California was $1,984 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in San Rafael, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in San Rafael, California is about 23.5, meaning it would take roughly 23.5 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in San Rafael.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in San Rafael, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Rafael, up about 9.4% and 4.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Rafael, California?
50.5% of households in San Rafael, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Rafael, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Rafael, California is 4.1%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →