Census place 0652582

Novato

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Novato city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Novato.

According to the 2025 estimate, Novato has a population of 51,947 and 1,898 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 376 covered California places are: population density is 1,898/sq mi, below the comparison median of 3,894/sq mi; median home value is $1,032,500, above the comparison median of $717,000; and median gross rent is $2,506, above the comparison median of $2,086. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
1,898/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 3,894/sq mi
median home value
$1,032,500
Above the comparison median of $717,000
median gross rent
$2,506
Above the comparison median of $2,086

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Novato's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
51,947
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.4%
Population estimate
Density
1,898/sq mi
27.4 sq mi land area
Median age
47.5 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$115,736
Median home value
$1,032,500
Median gross rent
$2,506
Bachelor’s degree or higher
48.9%
Typical commute
28.1 min
Drive-alone commute
64%
Public transit commute
3.8%
Walked to work
2.2%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
33.9%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
65.4%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
57.8%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.6%
Working from home
19.5%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
94.7%
Homes built 2020+
0.3%
Households without a vehicle
5%
Households with children
28.4%
Residents with a disability
12.2%
Residents without insurance
4.9%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Marin County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
10
Severe Storm declarations
6
Flood declarations
3
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: NAPA CO AP (17 mi from place center)
Average high
69.9°F
Average low
45.6°F
Annual rainfall
20.2"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Novato.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Draper, UT

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
50,652
Median home
$784,800

Prosper, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
45,605
Median home
$823,700

Erie, CO

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
40,904
Median home
$736,500

Keep exploring

Compare Novato with Draper