Cost of living in San Rafael

Composed in-house · four inputs · 14% of the overall score

74/100
9th of 59

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The four inputs

Housing cost index99

San Francisco 10045% · scores 78

Effective property tax rate0.81%

San Francisco 0.73%25% · scores 79

Utilities70

San Francisco 10020% · scores 90

Local sales tax9.25%

San Francisco median 9.75%10% · scores 15

Vertical rule marks the San Francisco reference. Composed in-house · ACS 2020–24. Every scale is on the methodology page.

Best San Francisco suburbs for cost of living

All 59 ranked, San Rafael highlighted

1North Fair OaksB+$1,276,900 2AshlandB+$775,800 3CherrylandB+$668,800 4BerkeleyB$1,413,900 5DanvilleB$1,681,700 6OakleyB$660,200 7San LorenzoB$847,100 8San FranciscoB$1,394,500 9ConcordB$797,600 10San RafaelB$1,355,600 11San CarlosB$2,000,000+12San PabloB$551,700 13Bay PointB$525,000 14AlbanyB$1,202,200 15Daly CityB−$1,115,000 16OaklandB−$929,900 17East Palo AltoB−$1,102,600 18AlamoB−$2,000,000+19AlamedaB−$1,235,700 20BurlingameB−$2,000,000+21Foster CityB−$1,838,200 22HaywardB−$854,400 23Tamalpais-Homestead ValleyB−$1,863,900 24BelmontB−$2,000,000+25San LeandroB−$844,200 26RichmondB−$668,200 27Castro ValleyB−$1,104,600 28Pleasant HillB−$1,077,100 29MartinezB−$859,800 30LarkspurC+$1,996,600 31NovatoC+$1,032,500 32AntiochC+$629,700 33PinoleC+$718,600 34PittsburgC+$597,900 35San MateoC+$1,618,700 36Discovery BayC+$832,000 37PacificaC+$1,249,800 38LafayetteC+$2,000,000+39NewarkC+$1,142,800 40San RamonC+$1,509,500 41FremontC+$1,403,800 42El CerritoC+$1,124,400 43Redwood CityC+$1,801,700 44MillbraeC+$1,934,900 45EmeryvilleC+$604,800 46San AnselmoC$1,576,700 47South San FranciscoC$1,188,800 48Walnut CreekC$1,057,300 49Mill ValleyC$2,000,000+50Menlo ParkC$2,000,000+51Union CityC$1,104,900 52OrindaC$1,863,200 53BrentwoodC$836,600 54MoragaC$1,663,200 55San BrunoC$1,207,500 56HerculesC−$769,400 57PleasantonC−$1,537,100 58LivermoreC−$1,105,600 59DublinD+$1,317,100

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Better than San Rafael on cost of living

San Rafael grades B on cost of living. One suburb is within 25 miles and scores higher on the same four inputs.

SuburbCost of livingMedian home valueEff. tax rateOverall

Berkeley14 mi from San RafaelB$1.41M0.80% 66 C+

Cost-of-living index composed in-house from housing cost, utilities, effective property tax and local sales tax · Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Effective property tax: ACS 2020–24

Six San Francisco lists

Best San Francisco suburbs for families Most affordable San Francisco suburbs Best San Francisco suburbs for schools Shortest commutes to Downtown San Francisco Most walkable San Francisco suburbs Best San Francisco suburbs for young professionals

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How this works

How we score San Francisco suburbs — every weight and source Twelve guides to moving to San Francisco