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.

Down paymentRate%

Larkspur$12,060/mo

Typical home $2.13M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50%+ · or rent about $3,001/mo · Housing →

Corte Madera$10,560/mo

Typical home $1.85M (Zillow) · tax rate 0.57%+ · or rent about $3,501/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,500 a month, about $18,000 a year, between Larkspur and Corte Madera.

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.

Where they are

Larkspur and Corte Madera share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

LarkspurCorte Madera

Larkspur ↔ Corte Madera1.3 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

186 Larkspur residents work in Corte Madera (3.9% of its workers)

166 Corte Madera residents work in Larkspur (4.5% of its workers)

Work & commute in Larkspur →

Report cards

Larkspur places higher on 10 of 21 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.

Schools

A+LarkspurBetter than 96% of districts in the state A+Corte MaderaBetter than 96% of districts in the state

Health

A+LarkspurHealthier than 96% of U.S. towns A+Corte MaderaHealthier than 97% of U.S. towns

10Larkspur

8Corte Madera

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #189#474 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #399#587 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #288#420 Highest incomeIncome · 843 towns #152#33 Most new homesHousing · 438 towns #322#383 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #61#126 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #96#38 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #24#87

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

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

LarkspurCorte Madera

Snow a year0″0″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)92nd 91st

Outdoors & history

LarkspurCorte Madera

Trails10 mi 11 mi

Conserved land24%37.3%

Settled1857 1916

National Register places4 —

Archive photos—5

Famous people born here—1

Community

LarkspurCorte Madera

Library hours a week29 hrs 55 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

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.

Only big differences vs California average

LarkspurCorte Madera

People

Population 12,854Highest 10,077Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +9.5%Lowest CA: +6.1% +10.5%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 51.2±1.9Highest 35% above CA 45.9±3.1Lowest 21% above CA

Kids under 18 16.6%±2.3Lowest CA: 22% 25.6%±4.6Highest CA: 22%

Age 65+ 25.4%±3Highest CA: 15.7% 18.8%±3.2Lowest CA: 15.7%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 67.9%Lowest CA: 37.1% 79.3%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±2.4Highest CA: 7.6% 5%±2Lowest CA: 7.6%

Larkspur and Corte Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $140,417±$34kLowest 42% above CA $232,763±$37kHighest 135% above CA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $1,996,600±$171kHighest 172% above CA $1,755,200±$183kLowest 139% above CA

Larkspur and Corte Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $3,001±$204Lowest 47% above CA $3,501Highest 72% 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 53%±6.9Highest CA: 55.3% 44.4%±12.1Lowest CA: 55.3%

Larkspur and Corte Madera are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 7%Highest CA: 12% 4.6%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 46.5%Lowest CA: 55.9% 68.8%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 6 yrs older than CA 1962Lowest 14 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 4% below CA 31 minHighest 8% above CA

Work from home 32.9%±5.1Lowest CA: 17.2% 44.1%±7.1Highest CA: 17.2%

Corte Madera and Larkspur are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 7.3%Highest 6.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.24Lowest 1.49Highest

Top workplaceoutside town San Francisco (30%)San Francisco (32%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in Corte Madera4% work in Larkspur

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 24%Lowest 37.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 10.4 miLowest 10.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.3 miHighest 2.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Highest 8Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 110Highest 63.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #43 of 574 in CA #9 of 574 in CA

School district Larkspur-Corte Madera · Tamalpais Union HighLarkspur-Corte Madera

High school in town Redwood HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 19.3 —

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.

Larkspur neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Larkspur’s Town Square.

Corte Madera neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Corte Madera’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Larkspur and Corte Madera

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Larkspur

+ Compare

Kentfield6,900 people · $2M homes

+ Compare

San Rafael60,433 people · $1.36M homes

+ Compare

Mill Valley14,012 people · $2M homes

Towns like Larkspur

+ Compare

Pacific Grove14,951 people · $1.19M homes

+ Compare

Beverly Hills31,624 people · $2M homes

+ Compare

Sierra Madre10,940 people · $1.23M homes

+ Compare

Hermosa Beach19,063 people · $2M 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.

Larkspur vs Corte Madera

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,500 more a month in Larkspur

Larkspur and Corte Madera share a border

Larkspur places higher on 10 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Larkspur and Corte Madera

Bordering Larkspur

Towns like Larkspur

Post to Larkspur

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