Population 20,120 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Mill Valley
Household size in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.23 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.35 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.32 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.21 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Mill Valley run small, averaging 2.45 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has climbed from 2.23 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.1 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.1 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 48.8 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.3 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
Mill Valley skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.3, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 45.1, in line with the national trend.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.4% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.8% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.6 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Mill Valley than nationally: 8.8%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the San Francisco area. The single-parent share is up 3.6 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Mill Valley
Renters in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.0% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.7% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 34.9% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 41.3% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over four in ten households in Mill Valley rent their homes (41.3%), above the national share of 34.8%. Still, renters make up a smaller share here than in the San Francisco area as a whole (44.5%). Nearly three in ten owners (29.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged up 1.4 points, in line with the national trend.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.3% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
A few more homes sit empty in Mill Valley than nationally: 12.0%, against 9.6%. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones. Vacancy has risen 2.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1960 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1960 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
The housing in Mill Valley is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1959, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the center has the oldest housing. Only 35 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have older homes.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,617 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,776 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,407 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,981 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,364 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in Mill Valley runs $2,981 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,364 a month since 2006–10, up 84%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.1% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Mill Valley
Bachelor's degrees in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 70.9% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 75.0% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 75.3% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 74.2% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.3 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Mill Valley: 74.2% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.3 points, in line with the national trend. Only 35 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 97.7% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 98.0% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 98.5% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.4% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Mill Valley: 98.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged up 0.7 points since 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people, only 26 have a higher share of high school graduates.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Mill Valley
| Period | Mill Valley | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.2% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.9% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Mill Valley than nationally: unemployment was 7.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has risen 2.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate fell. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Mill Valley compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Valley | 2.45 | 47.3 | 8.8% | 41.3% | 12.0% | 1959 | $2,981 | 74.2% | 98.4% | 7.2% |
| Tamalpais-Homestead Valley | 2.62 | 45.8 | 9.2% | 16.0% | 7.1% | 1966 | $3,090 | 79.2% | 98.8% | 5.5% |
| Corte Madera | 2.46 | 46.8 | 11.1% | 33.4% | 6.6% | 1963 | $3,465 | 78.5% | 98.0% | 4.1% |
| Larkspur | 2.26 | 49.3 | 9.4% | 48.3% | 7.5% | 1963 | $2,969 | 67.5% | 97.6% | 4.2% |
| Belvedere-Tiburon | 2.77 | 50.5 | 2.7% | 27.6% | 9.3% | 1973 | $3,501 | 83.8% | 99.2% | 12.6% |
| Tiburon | 2.59 | 52.4 | 4.6% | 25.7% | 14.5% | 1968 | $3,501 | 82.1% | 98.8% | 9.4% |
| Greenbrae | 2.31 | 49.0 | 4.3% | 46.5% | 13.3% | 1964 | $3,432 | 67.5% | 94.8% | 2.6% |
| Sausalito | 1.98 | 51.3 | 8.5% | 44.4% | 9.5% | 1964 | $2,845 | 65.1% | 96.0% | 8.7% |
| Kentfield | 2.43 | 51.9 | 4.8% | 27.2% | 7.7% | 1960 | $3,093 | 78.8% | 99.3% | 5.1% |
| San Quentin | 5.60 | 48.4 | 6.4% | 75.0% | 16.1% | 1946 | $2,825 | 11.1% | 75.9% | 0.3% |
| Muir Beach | 2.60 | 40.5 | 5.4% | 29.5% | 10.5% | 1963 | $3,501 | 75.2% | 96.8% | 7.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: North Aurora, IL · Oxford, NC · Oxford, AL · Northfield, OH · North Massapequa, NY · North East, MD · North Druid Hills, GA · North Decatur, GA · North Bellmore, NY · North Babylon, NY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Mill Valley. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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