The Town FilesSausalito, California
City in Marin County · population 7,269 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,894,600
- Household income
- $182,357
- Jan low / Jul high
- 47° / 66°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 55.6
Sausalito is a city of 7,269 people in Marin County, California. The median home is worth $1,894,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks hipper than 100% of California towns, better for young professionals than 98% of California towns, more walkable than 96% of California towns.
- #1 in The 25 Hippest Small Towns in California
- #5 in The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in California
- #6 in The 50 Most Walkable Small Towns in America With Little Snow
- #6 in The 25 Best Small Towns for Young Professionals in California
- #7 in 25 Small Towns in California With the Most Remote Workers
- #12 in 25 Small Towns in California With the Coolest Summers
How Sausalito 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Sausalito is worth $1,894,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 10.4 times the median household income of $182,357, which is more affordable than 7% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 59.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sausalito | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,894,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $182,357 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 10.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 59.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1964 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 5.5% | — |
Who lives in Sausalito
| People | Sausalito | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 33.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 6.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 76.5% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.0% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 14.4% | — |
| Work from home | 45.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 30.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Sausalito
July highs average 66.3°F and January lows 46.6°F. About 22.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Sausalito since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 5, 1998 about 9.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 5, 1998.
Severe weather in Marin County since 1996
Marin County has been included in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-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 Sausalito itself the ACS puts it at 8%.
Public schools in Sausalito
26 public schools with 9,382 students, about 20.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galileo High | 9-12 | 1,741 | 19.3 |
| Presidio Middle | 6-8 | 980 | 22.3 |
| Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary | K-8 | 670 | 22.3 |
| Roosevelt Middle | 6-8 | 657 | 17.8 |
| Marina Middle | 6-8 | 654 | 22.6 |
| Lau (Gordon J.) Elementary | K-5 | 650 | 27.1 |
| Francisco Middle | 6-8 | 511 | 16.0 |
| The New School of San Francisco (charter) | K-8 | 444 | 20.2 |
| Alamo Elementary | K-5 | 393 | 23.1 |
| Sherman Elementary | K-5 | 282 | 18.8 |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy | K-8 | 282 | 13.4 |
| Peabody (George) Elementary | K-5 | 270 | 22.5 |
Towns near Sausalito
- Marin City, CA1.5 mi · 2,993 people · home $1,142,700
- Strawberry, CA2.5 mi · 5,447 people · home $2,000,001
- Tiburon, CA2.5 mi · 9,146 people · home $2,000,001
- Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, CA2.9 mi · 11,492 people · home $1,863,900
- Mill Valley, CA4.4 mi · 14,231 people · home $2,000,001
- Corte Madera, CA5.2 mi · 10,222 people · home $1,755,200
- Larkspur, CA6.1 mi · 13,064 people · home $1,996,600
- Kentfield, CA6.5 mi · 6,808 people · home $2,000,001
Sausalito questions
Is Sausalito, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sausalito scores better for retirees than 92% of California towns and quieter than 51%. 33.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.6).
How much does a house cost in Sausalito?
The median owner-occupied home in Sausalito is valued at $1,894,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $182,357, so homes cost about 10.4 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Sausalito?
July highs average 66.3°F and January lows 46.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Sausalito get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Sausalito since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on December 5, 1998. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)