The Town Files

Mill Valley, California

City in Marin County · population 14,231 (2020 Census)

Map: where Mill Valley is in CaliforniaMill Valley
Median home
$2,000,001
Household income
$206,212
Jan low / Jul high
42° / 83°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
48.7

Mill Valley is a city of 14,231 people in Marin County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more upscale than 98% of California towns, better for young professionals than 95% of California towns, hipper than 95% of California towns.

Mill Valley in our rankings:

How Mill Valley ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Mill Valley lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement92nd pctFamilies83rd pctQuiet51st pctWalkability84th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals95th pctVibrancy74th pctHip & trendy95th pctCollege town62nd pctUpscale98th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character91st pctCycling93rd pctTransit77th pctDriving6th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Mill Valley is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.7 times the median household income of $206,212, which is more affordable than 11% of California towns. Median rent is $3,278 a month. 66.2% of households own their home.

Mill Valley vs Marin County vs typical California townMill ValleyMarin CountyTypical California townHome value$2,000,001$1,507,300$596,900Household income$206,212$149,091$91,557Monthly rent$3,278$2,668$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingMill ValleyTypical California town
Median home value$2,000,001$596,900
Median rent$3,278$1,827
Median household income$206,212$91,557
Home value ÷ income9.7×6.4×
Homeownership66.2%67.4%
Median year built19581977
Seasonal / vacation homes2.6%—

Who lives in Mill Valley

PeopleMill ValleyTypical California town
Median age48.740.2
Age 65 and over23.5%17.7%
Under 1818.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher75.8%27.7%
Below the poverty line5.9%10.3%
Veterans2.8%—
Born outside the U.S.18.6%—
Work from home40.0%13.4%
Average commute24.8 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband96.6%93.3%

Weather in Mill Valley

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 41.9°F. About 44.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 27 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 5 nights at or below freezing.

Mill Valley monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°57°42°Jan61°43°Feb65°44°Mar69°46°Apr74°50°May80°52°Jun83°53°Jul83°54°Aug82°53°Sep76°50°Oct64°45°Nov56°42°DecPrecipitation (in)8.88.76.02.61.40.40.00.10.12.04.69.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kentfield station (3.4 mi away); snow from Muir Woods (1.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Mill Valley since 1950.

Severe weather in Marin County since 1996

Storm events in Marin County since 1996 by typeHail12Heat19Flood95Dense Fog17High Surf19High Wind66Heavy Rain10Debris Flow31
NOAA Storm Events Database, Marin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 47 deaths recorded.

Marin County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3428: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Marin County

Marin County had 110,934 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $93,552 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Mill Valley itself the ACS puts it at 8.8%.

Largest industries in Marin CountyHealth care & social assistan…17,484 jobs · $83,330Retail13,209 jobs · $56,176Hotels & restaurants11,417 jobs · $38,227Professional & technical serv…8,316 jobs · $148,183Construction7,453 jobs · $93,101Administrative & support6,272 jobs · $73,926
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Marin County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Marin 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Mill Valley

7 public schools with 3,822 students, about 19.4 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Tamalpais High9-121,54420.6
Mill Valley Middle6-875715.8
Edna Maguire ElementaryK-542821.4
Tamalpais Valley ElementaryK-533519.7
Park ElementaryK-526620.5
Old Mill ElementaryK-525120.9
Strawberry Point ElementaryK-524120.1

Towns near Mill Valley

Mill Valley questions

Is Mill Valley, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mill Valley scores better for retirees than 92% of California towns and quieter than 51%. 23.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.7).

How much does a house cost in Mill Valley?

The median owner-occupied home in Mill Valley is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $206,212, so homes cost about 9.7 times income. Median rent is $3,278 a month.

What is the weather like in Mill Valley?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 41.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 44.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Mill Valley get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Mill Valley in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Mill Valley's Census boundary (GEOID 0647710). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.