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Arcadia vs San Rafael

365 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5.7× in San Rafael) and conserved land (+18.1 pts in San Rafael).

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Arcadia, CAHomes around $1.38MCalifornia · 55,170 people
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San Rafael, CAHometown of 62 notable peopleCalifornia · 60,433 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

ArcadiaHomes around $1.38M
Housing$1.38M typical home81% above the CA typical home HealthHealthier than 90%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#273 most walkable in CA10 miles of trails across 18 parks and preserves All about Arcadia →
San RafaelHometown of 62 notable people
Famous people62 notable peopleborn in San Rafael Outdoors#86 most conserved land in CA59 miles of trails across 28 parks and preserves Housing$1.3M typical home70% above the CA typical home All about San Rafael →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails5.7×
San Rafael has more miles of trail
San Rafael 59.2 miArcadia 10.3 mi
Conserved land+18.1 pts
San Rafael has more conserved land
San Rafael 25.9%Arcadia 7.8%
Growth since 2010+5.6 pts
San Rafael has grown faster since 2010
San Rafael +6.2%Arcadia +0.6%
Street grid+49%
Arcadia has the more walkable street grid
Arcadia 95.0San Rafael 63.9
Work in town+8.6 pts
More of San Rafael’s workers stay in town
San Rafael 19.1%Arcadia 10.5%
Average commute4 min
San Rafael has the shorter commute
Arcadia 29 minSan Rafael 25 min
★ What stands out · Report cards

Arcadia places higher on 14 of 25 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C−ArcadiaSafer than 20% of U.S. towns DSan RafaelSafer than 14% of U.S. towns
Schools
BArcadiaBetter than 63% of districts in the state C+San RafaelBetter than 38% of districts in the state
Health
AArcadiaHealthier than 90% of U.S. towns A−San RafaelHealthier than 76% of U.S. towns
14Arcadia
11San Rafael

Lists won, of 25 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #64#334 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #103#539 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #403#106 Best libraries for kidsLibraries · 117 towns #21#61 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #4#288 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #606#336 Most-used librariesLibraries · 117 towns #19#56 Most library borrowingLibraries · 117 towns #10#45

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Arcadia’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Arcadia

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Arcadia$8,040/mo
Typical home $1.38M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.69%+ · or rent about $2,191/mo · Housing →
San Rafael$7,600/mo
Typical home $1.3M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.74%+ · or rent about $2,377/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,300 a year, between Arcadia and San Rafael.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value; “+” means the Census top-codes that town’s bill at $10,000, so its real rate is higher.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
ArcadiaSan Rafael
Snow a year0″0″
January low46°F—
July high89°F—
Growing season (days)365d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)93rd94th
Outdoors & history
ArcadiaSan Rafael
Trails10 mi59 mi
Conserved land7.8%25.9%
Settled—1817
National Register places18
Archive photos1815
Famous people born here4062
Community
ArcadiaSan Rafael
Library hours a week60 hrs61 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

365 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ArcadiaCASan RafaelCA
Arcadia ↔ San Rafael365 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

ArcadiaSan Rafael
People
Population 55,170Lowest 60,433Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.6%Lowest CA: +6.1% +6.2%Highest CA: +6.1%
Median age 43.9±1.1Highest 16% above CA 43.2±1.4Lowest 14% above CA
Arcadia and San Rafael are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.9%±1.7Highest CA: 22% 19.7%±1.4Lowest CA: 22%
Arcadia and San Rafael are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.6%±1.5Highest CA: 15.7% 20.4%±1.5Lowest CA: 15.7%
Arcadia and San Rafael are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 57.4%Highest CA: 37.1% 49.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.9%±1.2Highest CA: 7.6% 6.9%±0.9Lowest CA: 7.6%
Arcadia and San Rafael are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $113,516±$10kLowest 15% above CA $119,435±$9kHighest 20% above CA
San Rafael and Arcadia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,441,800±$74kHighest 96% above CA $1,355,600±$62kLowest 85% above CA
Arcadia and San Rafael are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,191±$68Lowest 8% above CA $2,377±$73Highest 17% above CA
Property taxmedian, yearly $10,000+ at least 95% above CA $10,000+ at least 95% above CA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 58.5%±5.7Highest CA: 55.3% 57.8%±5.2Lowest CA: 55.3%
Arcadia and San Rafael are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.6%Lowest CA: 12% 11.7%Highest CA: 12%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.1%Highest CA: 55.9% 53%Lowest CA: 55.9%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 11 yrs older than CA 1968Highest 8 yrs older than CA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minHighest about the CA average 25 minLowest 12% below CA
Work from home 22.7%±2.8Lowest CA: 17.2% 26.3%±1.7Highest CA: 17.2%
San Rafael and Arcadia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 10.5%Lowest 19.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 14.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.15Lowest 1.45Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Los Angeles (22%)San Francisco (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in San RafaelFew work in Arcadia
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.8%Lowest 25.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 10.3 miLowest 59.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 18Lowest 28Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 95.0Highest 63.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #237 of 574 in CA#216 of 574 in CA
School district Arcadia UnifiedMarin County ROP · Miller Creek Elementary
High school in town Arcadia HighSan Rafael High
Students per teacherat that high school 24.7Highest 19.8Lowest
California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Arcadia neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arcadia’s Town Square.

San Rafael neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to San Rafael’s Town Square.

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Bordering Arcadia

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Monrovia37,571 people · $909K homes
M
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Mayflower Village4,950 people · $889K homes
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Temple City35,430 people · $962K homes
E
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East San Gabriel23,410 people · $962K homes

Towns like Arcadia

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Culver City39,931 people · $1.14M homes
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San Clemente63,273 people · $1.4M homes
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Pleasant Hill34,235 people · $1.08M homes
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Dana Point32,790 people · $1.32M homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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