Marin County, California

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox settlement

Marin County (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 262,231.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Its county seat and largest city is San Rafael.<ref name="GR6">Template:Cite web</ref> Marin County is across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, and is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Marin County's natural sites include the Muir Woods redwood forest, the Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, the Point Reyes National Seashore, and Mount Tamalpais. Marin is one of the highest-income counties by per capita income and median household income. The county is governed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors.

The Marin County Civic Center was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and draws thousands of visitors a year to guided tours of its arch and atrium design. In 1994, a new county jail facility was embedded into the hillside nearby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The United States' oldest cross country running event, the Dipsea Race, takes place annually in Marin County, attracting thousands of athletes. Modern mountain biking has many early origins on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais in Marin.<ref name="IJ MountainBikeHallOfFame">Template:Cite news</ref> San Quentin State Prison is located in the county.

History

Native American settlement

Template:Main Thousands of years ago, Coast Miwok people first populated the area today known as Marin County.

In 1770, Coast Miwok population ranged from 1,500 to 2,000,<ref>Kroeber, 1925:883.</ref><ref name="Cook, 1976:182">Cook, 1976:182.</ref> with about 600 village sites throughout the county.

In 1967, the Marin Museum of the American Indian was established, with exhibits focusing on Coast Miwok artifacts, crafts, and artwork.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2021, Indigenous-led events include healing drumming, dogbane cordage demonstrations, trade feasts, and traditional dancing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History of Marin

During the Mexican-American war, areas of Marin County were seized by Americans as part of the conquest of California (1846–1847). Marin County is one of the original 27 counties of California, created February 18, 1850, following adoption of the California Constitution of 1849 and just months before the state was admitted to the Union.<ref>California's Legislature, "APPENDIX M, Origin and Meaning of the Names of the Counties of California With County Seats and Dates Counties Were Created," p. 302. Spring 2006 Template:Webarchive, Retrieved March 26, 2007</ref>

According to General Mariano Vallejo, who headed an 1850 committee to name California's counties, the county was named for "Marin", great chief of the tribe Licatiut. Marin had been named "Huicmuse" until he was baptized as "Marino" at about age 20. Marin / Marino was born into the Huimen people, a Coast Miwok tribe of Native Americans who inhabited the San Rafael area. Vallejo believed that "Chief Marin" had waged several fierce battles against the Spanish. Marino definitely did reside at Mission Dolores (in modern San Francisco) much of the time from his 1801 baptism and marriage until 1817, frequently serving as a baptism witness and godfather; he may have escaped and been recaptured at some point during that time. Starting in 1817, he served as an alcalde (in effect, an overseer) at the San Rafael Mission, where he lived from 1817 off and on until his death. In 1821, Marino served as an expedition guide for the Spanish for a couple of years before escaping and hiding out for some months in the tiny Marin Islands (also named after him); his recapture resulted in a yearlong incarceration at the Presidio before his return to the Mission San Rafael area for about 15 years until his death in 1839.<ref>Goerke, Betty. 2007. Chief Marin, Leader, Rebel, and Legend: A History of Marin County's Namesake and his People. Berkeley: Heyday Books. Template:ISBN</ref> In 2009, a plaque commemorating Chief Marin was placed in Mill Valley.

Another version of the origin of the county name is that the bay between San Pedro Point and San Quentin Point was named Bahía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marinera in 1775, and that Marin is simply an abbreviation of this name.<ref>Gudde, Erwin G. (1949). California Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary, p. 204. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press; Paperback edition (2004). Template:ISBN.</ref>

Francis Drake and the crew of the Golden Hind was thought to have landed on the Marin coast in 1579 claiming the land as Nova Albion. A bronze plaque inscribed with Drake's claim to the new lands, fitting the description in Drake's own account, was discovered in 1933. This so-called Drake's Plate of Brass was revealed as a hoax in 2003.<ref>Chen, Allan, Drake's Plate: the end of the mystery?, Science Beat, Berkeley Lab, April 4, 2003</ref>

In 1595, Sebastian Cermeno lost his ship, the San Agustin, while exploring the Marin Coast. The Spanish explorer Vizcaíno landed about twenty years after Drake in what is now called Drakes Bay. However the first Spanish settlement in Marin was not established until 1817 when Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded partly in response to the Russian-built Fort Ross to the north in what is now Sonoma County.Template:Citation needed Mission San Rafael Arcángel was founded in what is now downtown San Rafael as the 20th Spanish mission in the colonial Mexican province of Alta California by four priests, Father Narciso Duran from Mission San Jose, Father Abella from Mission San Francisco de Asís, Father Gil y Taboada and Father Mariano Payeras, the President of the Missions, on December 14, 1817, four years before Mexico gained independence from Spain.Template:Citation needed

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, comprising 37.2%, is water.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> It is the fourth-smallest county in California by land area. According to the records at the County Assessor-Recorder's Office, as of June 2006, Marin had Template:Convert of taxable land, consisting of 79,086 parcels with a total tax basis of $39.8 billion. These parcels are divided into the following classifications:

Parcel Type	Tax ID	Quantity	Value
Vacant	10	6,900	$508.17 million
Single Family Residential	11	61,264	$30.13 billion
Mobile Home	12	210	$7.62 million
House Boat	13	379	$61.83 million
Multi Family Residential	14	1,316	$3.97 billion
Industrial Unimproved	40	113	$12.24 million
Industrial Improved	41	562	$482.83 million
Commercial Unimproved	50	431	$97.89 million
Commercial Improved	51	7,911	$4.52 billion

A view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands

Geographically, the county forms a large, southward-facing peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Pablo Bay, and San Francisco Bay to the east, and – across the Golden Gate – the city of San Francisco to the south. Marin County's northern border is with Sonoma County.

Most of the county's population resides on the eastern side, with a string of communities running along U.S. Route 101 and the San Francisco Bay, from Sausalito to Tiburon to Corte Madera to San Rafael and Novato. The interior contains large areas of agricultural and open space; West Marin, through which State Route 1 runs alongside the California coast, contains many small unincorporated communities whose economies depend on agriculture and tourism. West Marin has beaches which are popular destinations for surfers and tourists year-round.

Notable features of the shoreline along the San Francisco Bay include the Sausalito shoreline, Richardson Bay, the Tiburon Peninsula, Ring Mountain, and Triangle Marsh at Corte Madera. Further north lies San Quentin State Prison along the San Rafael shoreline.

Adjacent counties

Sonoma County – north
San Francisco – south

National protected areas

State and local protected areas

The Marin County Department of Parks and Open Space manages numerous county parks and open spaces, including Stafford Lake County Park. The Marin Municipal Water District has Template:Cvt of trails.

State parks

Marine protected areas

Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems:

Ecology

Template:More citations needed

Marin County is considered in the California Floristic Province, a zone of extremely high biodiversity and endemism. There are numerous ecosystems present, including Coastal Strand, oak woodland, mixed evergreen forest, and Coast Redwood Forests chaparral and riparian zones. There are also a considerable number of protected plant and animal species present: Fauna include the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) and California freshwater shrimp while flora include Marin Dwarf Flax, Hesperolinon congestum; Tiburon Jewelflower, Streptanthus niger; and Tiburon Indian paintbrush, Castilleja neglecta.

A number of watersheds exist in Marin County, including Walker Creek, Lagunitas Creek, Miller Creek, and Novato Creek.

Notably, the Lagunitas Creek Watershed is home to the largest remaining wild run of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Central California. These coho are part of the "Central California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> " or CCC ESU, and are listed as "endangered" at both the state and federal level.

Significant efforts to protect and restore these fish<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> have been underway in the Watershed since the 1980s. Fifty percent of historical salmon habitat is now behind dams. Strong efforts are also being made to protect and restore undammed, headwater reaches of this Watershed in the San Geronimo Valley, where upwards of 40% of the Lagunitas salmon spawn each year and where as much as 1/3 of the juvenile salmon (or fry) spend their entire freshwater lives. The "Salmon Protection and Watershed Network"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> leads winter tours for the public to learn about and view these spawning salmon, and also leads year-round opportunities for the public to get involved in stream restoration, monitoring spawning and smolt outmigration, juvenile fish rescue and relocation in the summer, and advocacy and policy development. Around 490 different species of birds have been observed in Marin County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Despite the lack of rain in the Marin County area due to historic drought levels,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in 2014, an estimated 20,000 juvenile Coho salmon made the migration from their spawning grounds in the Lagunitas Creek area to the Pacific Ocean. This increase in migration was significantly up from the previous historic record for the same migration measured in 2006 at 11,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2010, all of the county's beaches were listed as the cleanest in the state.<ref name="dirty">Bay Area beaches grade well for safe swimming, May 27, 2010, by Carolyn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle</ref>

When Richard Henry Dana Jr. visited San Francisco Bay in 1835, he wrote about vast tule elk (Cervus canadensis nannodes) herds near the Golden Gate on December 27: "...we came to anchor near the mouth of the bay, under a high and beautifully sloping hill, upon which herds of hundreds and hundreds of red deer [note: "red deer" is the European term for "elk"], and the stag, with his high branching antlers, were bounding about...," although it is not clear whether this was the Marin side or the San Francisco side.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Demographics

Template:US Census population

2020 census

**Marin County, California – Racial and ethnic composition**
Template:Nobold
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 1980<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 1990<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 1980	% 1990	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	199,675	194,665	194,254	183,830	173,149	89.71%	84.60%	78.55%	72.83%	66.01%
Black or African American alone (NH)	5,375	7,529	6,946	6,621	6,120	2.41%	3.27%	2.81%	2.62%	2.33%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	771	661	630	531	555	0.35%	0.29%	0.25%	0.21%	0.21%
Asian alone (NH)	5,426	9,064	11,078	13,577	16,175	2.44%	3.94%	4.48%	5.38%	6.17%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)	x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref>	x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref>	330	436	457	0.13%	0.17%	0.13%	0.17%	0.17%
Other race alone (NH)	2,117	247	718	1,034	2,040	0.95%	0.11%	0.29%	0.41%	0.78%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref>	x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref>	5,982	7,311	14,415	x	x	2.42%	2.90%	5.50%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	9,204	17,930	27,351	39,069	49,410	4.14%	7.79%	11.06%	15.48%	18.84%
Total	222,568	230,096	247,289	252,409	262,321	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2011

Population, race, and income
Total population<ref name="US-CB-B02001">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref>	250,666
White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	200,333	79.9%
Black or African American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	7,481	3.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	793	0.3%
Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	13,992	5.6%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	511	0.2%
Some other race<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	19,228	7.7%
Two or more races<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	8,328	3.3%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref>	37,344	14.9%
Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>	$54,605
Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>	$89,605
Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>	$113,826

Places by population, race, and income

Places by population and race
Place	Type<ref name="US-CB">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>	Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	Other<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> <ref name="other" group=note>Other = Some other race + Two or more races</ref>	Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	Black or African American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	Native American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/> <ref name="na" group=note>Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native</ref>	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003"/>
Alto	CDP	741	96.8%	3.2%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	16.5%
Belvedere	City	2,118	95.0%	3.4%	1.2%	0.4%	0.0%	7.6%
Black Point-Green Point	CDP	1,204	93.4%	5.8%	0.8%	0.0%	0.0%	7.8%
Bolinas	CDP	1,117	89.3%	1.7%	3.8%	5.2%	0.0%	4.7%
Corte Madera	Town	9,191	82.5%	3.7%	12.6%	1.2%	0.0%	3.7%
Dillon Beach	CDP	132	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Fairfax	Town	7,410	91.7%	6.6%	0.9%	0.8%	0.0%	6.4%
Inverness	CDP	1,335	97.1%	1.1%	0.0%	1.8%	0.0%	3.7%
Kentfield	CDP	6,669	90.4%	3.7%	3.0%	1.2%	1.8%	5.5%
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls	CDP	2,307	73.0%	17.3%	2.0%	5.5%	2.2%	19.1%
Larkspur	City	11,870	88.6%	6.4%	3.1%	1.2%	0.7%	9.6%
Lucas Valley-Marinwood	CDP	5,909	85.8%	6.1%	6.2%	1.4%	0.4%	5.6%
Marin City	CDP	2,711	37.1%	13.4%	4.2%	45.0%	0.4%	14.8%
Mill Valley	City	13,810	87.8%	5.8%	5.2%	1.0%	0.1%	6.9%
Muir Beach	CDP	306	93.8%	0.0%	2.9%	3.3%	0.0%	0.0%
Nicasio	CDP	15	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Novato	City	51,206	76.8%	13.5%	6.4%	2.8%	0.4%	16.9%
Point Reyes Station	CDP	853	61.9%	34.8%	0.0%	3.3%	0.0%	37.2%
Ross	Town	2,079	95.5%	2.6%	1.5%	0.0%	0.4%	4.7%
San Anselmo	Town	12,273	86.4%	7.0%	5.1%	1.3%	0.1%	6.6%
San Geronimo	CDP	383	93.5%	0.0%	1.3%	5.2%	0.0%	0.0%
San Rafael	City	57,374	72.1%	17.9%	6.3%	2.8%	0.9%	28.4%
Santa Venetia	CDP	4,799	85.3%	10.3%	3.8%	0.0%	0.6%	16.9%
Sausalito	City	7,047	93.4%	1.7%	4.8%	0.0%	0.1%	4.6%
Sleepy Hollow	CDP	2,277	93.6%	3.2%	3.2%	0.0%	0.0%	3.0%
Stinson Beach	CDP	448	86.4%	6.7%	6.9%	0.0%	0.0%	6.7%
Strawberry	CDP	5,765	75.1%	8.2%	11.3%	4.9%	0.5%	6.1%
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley	CDP	10,538	85.4%	5.0%	8.7%	0.8%	0.1%	3.9%
Tiburon	Town	8,895	91.5%	3.3%	4.4%	0.4%	0.3%	7.0%
Tomales	CDP	271	70.1%	18.5%	11.4%	0.0%	0.0%	11.1%
Woodacre	CDP	1,470	92.7%	0.0%	4.2%	3.1%	0.0%	2.3%

Places by population and income
Place	Type<ref name="US-CB"/>	Population<ref name="US-CB-B01003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. U.S. Census website. Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>	Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301"/>	Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013"/>	Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113"/>
Alto	CDP	741	$61,750	$78,426	$78,935
Belvedere	City	2,118	$118,518	$160,455	$190,500
Black Point-Green Point	CDP	1,204	$76,341	$126,429	$135,250
Bolinas	CDP	1,117	$38,233	$62,083	$66,042
Corte Madera	Town	9,191	$62,824	$106,541	$132,717
Dillon Beach	CDP	132	$71,340	$153,490	$153,802
Fairfax	Town	7,410	$49,486	$97,992	$125,795
Inverness	CDP	1,335	$46,192	$63,261	$76,827
Kentfield	CDP	6,669	$91,579	$154,265	$200,660
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls	CDP	2,307	$33,631	$86,111	$88,250
Larkspur	City	11,870	$64,646	$86,046	$118,836
Lucas Valley-Marinwood	CDP	5,909	$61,644	$123,239	$158,047
Marin City	CDP	2,711	$33,857	$46,250	$51,650
Mill Valley	City	13,810	$77,315	$109,759	$167,561
Muir Beach	CDP	306	$95,802	$166,389	$171,205
Nicasio	CDP	15	$45,020	$53,750	$53,750
Novato	City	51,206	$41,575	$78,628	$95,961
Point Reyes Station	CDP	853	$49,520	$84,405	$84,583
Ross	Town	2,079	$86,812	$145,250	$168,125
San Anselmo	Town	12,273	$53,033	$96,639	$122,823
San Geronimo	CDP	383	$57,226	$113,558	$145,393
San Rafael	City	57,374	$42,499	$71,343	$90,146
Santa Venetia	CDP	4,799	$35,544	$64,200	$77,804
Sausalito	City	7,047	$84,618	$110,040	$153,807
Sleepy Hollow	CDP	2,277	$81,611	$159,259	$165,441
Stinson Beach	CDP	448	$62,105	$104,583	$137,321
Strawberry	CDP	5,765	$61,937	$84,050	$130,750
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley	CDP	10,538	$65,141	$116,146	$136,250
Tiburon	Town	8,895	$97,434	$136,250	$185,909
Tomales	CDP	271	$42,263	$101,667	$100,833
Woodacre	CDP	1,470	$39,204	$72,266	$89,107

2010 Census

The 2010 United States census reported that Marin County had a population of 252,409. The racial makeup of Marin County was 201,963 (80.0%) White, 6,987 (2.8%) African American, 1,523 (0.6%) Native American, 13,761 (5.5%) Asian, 509 (0.2%) Pacific Islander, 16,973 (6.7%) from other races, and 10,693 (4.2%) from two or more races. There were 39,069 people of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race (15.5%).<ref>Template:USCensus2010CA</ref>

Population reported at 2010 United States census
The County	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Marin County	252,409	201,963	6,987	1,523	13,761	509	16,973	10,693	39,069
Incorporated cities and towns	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Belvedere	2,068	1,940	3	0	58	7	18	42	72
Corte Madera	9,253	7,808	87	15	625	29	262	427	772
Fairfax	7,441	6,617	110	36	204	4	174	296	504
Larkspur	11,926	10,311	186	26	563	13	343	484	918
Mill Valley	13,903	12,341	118	23	755	14	152	500	622
Novato	51,904	39,443	1,419	286	3,428	117	4,693	2,518	11,046
Ross	2,415	2,265	6	2	45	3	19	75	94
San Anselmo	12,336	11,134	106	40	437	26	164	429	717
San Rafael	57,713	40,734	1,154	709	3,513	126	8,513	2,964	17,302
Sausalito	7,061	6,400	65	16	342	10	53	175	287
Tiburon	8,962	7,899	83	16	505	8	80	371	410
Census-designated place	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
Alto	711	619	8	2	30	1	16	35	51
Black Point-Green Point	1,306	1,185	7	6	45	0	28	35	112
Bolinas	1,620	1,406	27	10	17	14	64	82	260
Dillon Beach	283	266	0	3	4	0	0	10	9
Inverness	1,304	1,212	15	8	16	2	19	32	79
Kentfield	6,485	5,908	35	10	224	7	95	206	299
Lagunitas-Forest Knolls	1,819	1,658	26	11	11	1	43	69	133
Lucas Valley-Marinwood	6,094	5,225	68	18	424	5	117	237	444
Marin City	2,666	1,037	1,017	15	287	21	120	169	365
Muir Beach	310	283	5	1	12	0	1	8	7
Nicasio	96	94	2	0	0	0	0	0	7
Point Reyes Station	848	725	7	3	10	0	73	30	155
San Geronimo	446	421	3	2	3	0	3	14	21
Santa Venetia	4,292	3,335	88	27	306	16	350	170	815
Sleepy Hollow	2,384	2,160	14	9	113	6	11	71	69
Stinson Beach	632	582	3	8	14	1	9	15	33
Strawberry	5,393	4,325	115	18	589	16	99	231	352
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley	10,735	9,449	91	24	592	28	121	430	499
Tomales	204	193	0	3	4	0	0	4	9
Woodacre	1,348	1,231	3	4	27	4	10	69	77
Other unincorporated areas	Total Population	White	African American	Native American	Asian	Pacific Islander	other races	two or more races	Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
All others not CDPs (combined)	18,451	13,757	2,116	172	558	30	1,323	495	2,529

2000

As of the census<ref name="GR8">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 247,289 people, 100,650 households, and 60,691 families residing in the county. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 104,990 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the county was 84.0% White, 2.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 4.5% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. 11.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2000, there were 100,650 households, out of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the county, 20.3% of the population was under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

Life expectancy

According to the most recent data on U.S. life expectancy, published in 2010 by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, a female in Marin County could expect to live 85.0 years, the longest for any county in the United States. The national average is 80.8 years for a female.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race and ethnicity

According to the 2010 United States census, the racial composition of Marin County was as follows:

White: 72.8% (non-Hispanic)
Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 15.5%
Asian: 5.4%
Two or more races: 2.9%
Black: 2.6% (non-Hispanic)
Native American: 0.2%
Pacific Islander: 0.2%
Other: 0.4%

Religion

Roman Catholic: 31.16%
Protestant: 6.38%
Mormon: 1.04%
Other Christian: 1.36%
Judaism: 1.8%
Eastern religions: 1.33%
Islam: 0.44%
No religion: 56.5%

<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Better source needed

Place of birth

According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey (ACS), 81.3% of Marin County's residents were born in the United States. Approximately 80.0% of the county's residents were born in one of the fifty states or born abroad to American parents.

Foreign-born individuals made up the remaining 18.7% of the population. Latin America was the most common birthplace of foreign-born residents; those born in Latin America made up the plurality (42.2%) of Marin County's foreign population. Individuals born in Europe were the second largest foreign-born group; they made up 25.3% of Marin County's foreign population. Immigrants from Asia made up 23.7% of the county's foreign population. Those born in other parts of North America and Africa made up 3.9% and 3.8% of the foreign-born populace respectively. Lastly, residents born in Oceania made up a mere 1.2% of Marin County's foreign population.

Source:<ref name="factfinder.census.gov">Template:Cite web</ref>

Language

According to the 2006–2008 ACS, English was the most commonly spoken language at home by residents over five years of age; those who spoke only English at home made up 77.1% of Marin County's residents. Speakers of non-English languages accounted for the remaining 22.9% of the population. Speakers of Spanish made up 11.7% of the county's residents, while speakers of other Indo-European languages made up 7.1% of the populace. Speakers of Asian languages and indigenous languages of the Pacific islands made up 3.4% of the population. The remaining 0.7% spoke other languages. Source:<ref name="factfinder.census.gov"/>

Ancestry

According to the 2007–2009 ACS, there were 16 ancestries in Marin County that made up over 0.9% of its population each.<ref name="factfinder.census.gov"/> The 16 ancestries are listed below:

Template:Div col

Italian: 16.2%
German: 15.4%
English: 13.5%
Irish: 9.1%
Russian: 3.6%
Scottish: 3.5%
French: 3.4%
Swedish: 2.6%
Polish: 2.3%
Scotch-Irish: 2.3%
American: 2.3%
Norwegian: 2.1%
Dutch: 1.5%
Portuguese: 1.3%
Danish: 1.3%
Swiss: 0.9%

Template:Div col end

Income

The median income for a household in the county was $71,306 and the median income for a family was $88,934. As of 2007, these figures had risen to $83,732 and $104,750.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2010, the county had the lowest unemployment rate in California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, in July 2010, Marin's unemployment rate rose to 8.3%.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Government and infrastructure

Law enforcement

San Quentin State Prison of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is in the county. San Quentin houses the male death row and the execution chamber of California.<ref>"San Quentin State Prison." California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Retrieved September 12, 2010.</ref>

The Marin County Sheriff's Office serves as the county's main law enforcement agency.<ref>ICE in Marin: sheriff defends cooperation with immigration authorities. Nikki Silverstein. Pacific Sun. March 12, 2024.</ref>

The Central Marin Police Authority is responsible for law enforcement in Larkspur, Corte Madera, and San Anselmo.

Fire protection

Template:Infobox fire department A fire department for the county was discussed as early as 1881 by the California State Legislature; the Tamalpais Forestry Association formed c. 1900.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Marin County Fire Department came into existence in its current incarnation on July 1, 1941, with passage of an ordinance and two resolutions by the Board of Supervisors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Politics

In the United States House of Representatives, Marin County is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref> From 2008 to 2012, Huffman represented Marin County in the California State Assembly.

In the California State Legislature, Marin County is in:

the 12th Assembly District, represented by Democrat Damon Connolly<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Representative.

Voter registration statistics

Population and registered voters
Total population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	250,666
Registered voters<ref name="CA-SS">California Secretary of State. February 10, 2013 – Report of Registration Template:Webarchive. Retrieved October 31, 2013.</ref><ref name="PCT-RV" group=note>Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.</ref>	154,250	61.5%
Democratic<ref name="CA-SS"/>	83,853	54.4%
Republican<ref name="CA-SS"/>	28,116	18.2%
Democratic–Republican spread<ref name="CA-SS"/>	+55,737	+36.2%
American Independent<ref name="CA-SS"/>	3,303	2.1%
Green<ref name="CA-SS"/>	2,206	1.4%
Libertarian<ref name="CA-SS"/>	837	0.5%
Peace and Freedom<ref name="CA-SS"/>	254	0.2%
Americans Elect<ref name="CA-SS"/>	4	0.0%
Other<ref name="CA-SS"/>	426	0.3%
No party preference<ref name="CA-SS"/>	35,251	12.9%

Cities by population and voter registration

Cities by population and voter registration
City	Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>	Registered voters<ref name="CA-SS"/> <ref name="PCT-RV" group=note/>	Democratic<ref name="CA-SS"/>	Republican<ref name="CA-SS"/>	D–R spread<ref name="CA-SS"/>	Other<ref name="CA-SS"/>	No party preference<ref name="CA-SS"/>
Belvedere	2,118	72.0%	38.2%	34.1%	+4.1%	6.6%	23.9%
Corte Madera	9,191	65.6%	55.7%	16.9%	+38.8%	6.3%	23.3%
Fairfax	7,410	73.2%	64.4%	7.1%	+57.3%	9.1%	21.1%
Larkspur	11,870	69.8%	54.7%	18.4%	+36.3%	5.6%	23.2%
Mill Valley	13,810	71.1%	61.5%	12.3%	+49.2%	5.3%	22.6%
Novato	51,206	57.9%	49.6%	23.3%	+26.3%	7.7%	22.3%
Ross	2,079	80.3%	42.9%	30.1%	+12.8%	5.8%	23.5%
San Anselmo	12,273	69.8%	62.0%	11.6%	+50.4%	7.4%	21.0%
San Rafael	57,374	51.5%	55.1%	17.9%	+37.2%	6.3%	22.7%
Sausalito	7,047	75.3%	52.1%	15.8%	+36.3%	6.7%	27.6%
Tiburon	8,895	67.8%	46.0%	25.0%	+21.0%	5.4%	25.7%

Overview

Template:More citations needed For most of the 20th century, Marin County was a Republican stronghold in presidential elections. From 1880 until 1984, the only Democrats to win there were Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. However, the brand of Republicanism prevailing in Marin County was historically a moderate one. Like most of the historically Republican suburbs of the Bay Area, it became friendlier to Democrats as the demographics of the area changed and the national party embraced social and religious conservatism. In 1984, it very narrowly voted for Walter Mondale and has supported the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since then. In the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris received 80.59% of the vote in Marin County, which was her highest vote share in any California county, and the only one higher than notably liberal San Francisco County.

Marin has voted for many gubernatorial candidates who went on to become high-profile national figures, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Jerry Brown, and Dianne Feinstein.

On November 4, 2008, the citizens of Marin County voted strongly against Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment which eliminated the right of same-sex couples to marry, by a 75.1 percent to 24.9 percent margin. The official tally was 103,341 against and 34,324 in favor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Only San Francisco County voted against the measure by a wider margin (75.2% against).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

According to the California Secretary of State, as of February 10, 2019, Marin County has 161,870 registered voters. Of those, 89,526 (55.31%) are registered Democrats, 23,380 (14.44%) are registered Republicans, 7,020 (4.35%) are registered with other political parties, and 41,908 (25.89%) have declined to state a political party.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Democrats hold wide voter-registration majorities in all political subdivisions in Marin County. Democrats' largest registration advantage in Marin is in the town of Fairfax, wherein there are only 344 Republicans (6.1%) out of 5,678 total voters compared to 3,758 Democrats (66.2%) and 1,276 voters who have declined to state a political party (22.5%).

The last time Marin elected a Republican to represent them in the United States House of Representatives was William S. Mailliard in 1972. The last competitive race for the U.S. House of Representatives in Marin was in 1982 when Barbara Boxer was first elected. The longest serving representative of Marin in congress was Clarence F. Lea who served in the House from 1917 to 1949.Template:Citation needed

Due to the dynamic nature of California's population, Marin's congressional district has changed numerous times over the decades. The county has been part of the 2nd congressional district of California since 2012; the only other time it was part of the 2nd district was 1902–12. It has also been part of the 1st (1894–1902 and 1912–66), 3rd (1864–94), 5th (1974–82), and the 6th (1972–74 and 1982–2012). The only time the county has not been in a single congressional district was between 1966 and 1972, when it was divided between the northern half in the 1st district and the southern half in the 6th district.Template:Citation needed

"Marin County hot-tubber"

In 2002, former U.S. President George H. W. Bush denounced convicted American Taliban associate John Walker Lindh as "some misguided Marin County hot-tubber," as a reference to the county's liberal, "hippie" political culture, mispronouncing "Marin" as he did so. Outraged by the label, some local residents wrote scathing letters to the Marin Independent Journal, complaining of Bush's remarks. In response, Bush wrote a letter to readers in the same newspaper, admitting regret and promising to not use the phrases Marin County and hot tub "in the same sentence again."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Transportation

Major highways

Public transportation

Golden Gate Transit provides service primarily along the U.S. 101 corridor, serving cities in Marin County, as well as San Francisco and Sonoma County. Service is also provided to Contra Costa County via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Ferries to San Francisco operate from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon. Ferry service from Tiburon is provided by Golden Gate Ferry, Blue and Gold Fleet and by the Angel Island Ferry.

Local bus routes within Marin County are operated by Golden Gate Transit under contract with Marin Transit. Marin Transit also operates the West Marin Stage, serving communities in the western, rural areas of Marin County, the Muir Woods Shuttle, and 6 community shuttle routes.

The Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit system, which began service in August 2017, is a commuter rail service and bicycle-pedestrian pathway serving Sonoma and Marin counties. Template:As of service operates from Sonoma County Airport to six stations in Marin ending near Larkspur Landing. Later phases of construction will extend service further north to Cloverdale in Sonoma County.

The Marin Airporter offers scheduled bus service to and from Marin County and the San Francisco Airport.

Greyhound Lines buses service San Rafael.Template:Citation needed

Airports

Marin County Airport or Gnoss Field (ICAO: KDVO) is a general aviation airport operated by the County Department of Public Works. The nearest airports with commercial flights are San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport, as well as Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, which is located north of Marin County.

Education

Template:Main

Marin County Free Library is the county library system. It is headquartered in San Rafael.<ref>"Contact Us." Marin County Free Library. Retrieved on May 4, 2009.</ref> In addition, the Belvedere-Tiburon Library is in Tiburon.

College of Marin, established in 1926, includes two campuses. The Kentfield Campus is in Kentfield; the Indian Valley Campus is in Novato. The college offers more than 40 degree programs leading to an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree and over 20 Certificates of Achievement with various specialties. The college serves approximately 9,000 students each term. Approximately 5,700 students enroll in COM's credit program. About 1,300 students enroll in English as a Second Language classes. Approximately 1,900 enroll in community education classes. The college employs about 300 permanent staff and faculty and many part-time employees.

Marin is also home to Dominican University of California, in San Rafael. Founded as a women's college in 1890 by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, it became the first Catholic institution in California to offer bachelor's degrees to women. The college became fully coeducational in 1971, and in 2000 became an independent liberal-arts university, changing from its original name of Dominican College of San Rafael.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There are about 1,400 undergraduate and 500 graduate students.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Culture

Economy

As of 2011, the largest private-sector employers in Marin County were:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Template:Div col

Kaiser Permanente (1,803 full-time employees in Marin County)
MarinHealth (1,100)
Fireman's Fund Insurance Company (950)
Autodesk (878)
BioMarin Pharmaceutical (871)
Safeway Inc. (841)
Comcast (620)
Macy's (380)
Bradley Real Estate (376)
MHN (350)
Dominican University of California (346)
Wells Fargo (332)
Kentfield Rehabilitation and Specialty Hospital (315)
Community Action Marin (268)
Costco (260)
Brayton Purcell (256)
CVS/pharmacy (232)
Novato Community Hospital (227)
Lucasfilm (220)
FICO (200+)
Mollie Stone's Markets (190)
Guide Dogs for the Blind (189)
W. Bradley Electric (185)
Bank of Marin (178)
Cagwin & Dorward (175)
Ghilotti Bros. (145)
West Bay Builders (133)
Villa Marin (130)

Template:Div col end

The 2013 gross value of all agricultural production in Marin County was about $84 million; of this, more than $63 million was from the sale of livestock and their products (milk, eggs, wool, etc.).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Only 175 acres were planted to grapes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of the fourth quarter 2021, Marin County had a median home value of $1,090,583, an increase of 11% from the prior year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media

Marin County receives media from the rest of the Bay Area.

The county also has several media outlets that serve the local community:

Marin Magazine,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a monthly lifestyle magazine with headquarters in Sausalito.
Marin Independent Journal, a daily newspaper with headquarters in San Rafael.
Pacific Sun, a free weekly distributed throughout the county.
Novato Advance, a weekly newspaper that serves Marin's second-largest city.
The Point Reyes Light, a weekly newspaper.
KWMR radio, West Marin Radio, in Point Reyes.
Channel 26, public-access television cable TV in Marin.
Marin Local Music,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Music listings for Marin's Restaurants & Venues who host live music.
San Francisco Examiner, Rick Marianetti, Marin County Culture & Events.

Communities

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Marin County.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

† county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† San Rafael	City	61,271
2	Novato	City	53,225
3	Mill Valley	City	14,231
4	Larkspur	City	13,064
5	San Anselmo	Town	12,830
6	Tamalpais-Homestead Valley	CDP	11,492
7	Corte Madera	Town	10,222
8	Tiburon	Town	9,146
9	Fairfax	Town	7,605
10	Sausalito	City	7,269
11	Kentfield	CDP	6,808
12	Lucas Valley-Marinwood	CDP	6,259
13	Strawberry	CDP	5,447
14	Santa Venetia	CDP	4,292
15	Marin City	CDP	2,993
16	Sleepy Hollow	CDP	2,401
17	Ross	Town	2,338
18	Belvedere	City	2,126
19	Lagunitas-Forest Knolls	CDP	1,924
20	Bolinas	CDP	1,483
21	Black Point-Green Point	CDP	1,431
22	Woodacre	CDP	1,410
23	Inverness	CDP	1,379
24	Point Reyes Station	CDP	895
25	Alto	CDP	732
26	Stinson Beach	CDP	541
27	San Geronimo	CDP	510
28	Muir Beach	CDP	304
29	Dillon Beach	CDP	246
30	Tomales	CDP	187
31	Nicasio	CDP	81

In popular culture

The song "Moon Over Marin" by hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys satirically depicts the pollution in Marin CountyTemplate:Primary source inline
The 1954 science fiction novel The Body Snatchers is set in Marin County
The 1984 Philip K. Dick novel The Man Whose Teeth Were All Exactly Alike is set in Marin County.
The 1992 movie Radio Flyer took place in Marin County

Notes

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References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Commons Template:Wikivoyage

Template:Clear Template:Geographic location

Template:Cities of Marin County, California Template:North Bay Template:SF Bay Area Template:US state navigation box

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