Where to Live in Marin County: Towns Compared by Transit, Services and Rules

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

The quickest way to narrow where to live in Marin County is to pick a corridor: the Highway 101 towns of eastern Marin, where nearly all the SMART stations, ferry terminals and city services are, or the rural and coastal west, where homes sit on large agricultural parcels or in small unincorporated villages that often rely on septic and small water districts. Within the 101 corridor, the deciding details are which of the 11 cities and towns (or which unincorporated pocket) the parcel is in, whether you are near a ferry or SMART station, and whether you’ll pay San Rafael’s city transfer tax.

This guide compares places only by housing types and lot sizes, jurisdiction, water and wastewater, transportation, local rules and ownership costs. It does not describe residents, safety or schools, and it gives no prices or market statistics. For listings, start on our Marin County homes page.

How Marin’s land plan shapes the map

Marin’s Countywide Plan divides the county into environmental corridors, according to the county’s Countywide Plan update document. The City-Centered Corridor runs along Highway 101 near the bay and is the area designated for urban development. The Inland Rural Corridor in central and northwest Marin is set aside mainly for agriculture, the Coastal Corridor along the Pacific is mostly parkland, agriculture and small existing coastal communities, and the Baylands Corridor covers shoreline marshes and diked former wetlands. The same document notes that 60 acres has historically been the minimum parcel size for most of the county’s agricultural land.

In practice: if you want a typical in-town lot with public sewer, you are looking in the City-Centered Corridor. West Marin villages such as Point Reyes, Inverness, Bolinas, Stinson Beach and Tomales have a limited number of existing homes, and ranch land around Nicasio is held in large parcels.

City or unincorporated?

The incorporated cities and towns are Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito and Tiburon. Several places with a city mailing address are unincorporated and follow county rules, including Kentfield, Tamalpais Valley, Marin City, Lucas Valley-Marinwood, Santa Venetia and Bel Marin Keys. Greenbrae is split between Larkspur and the county. Always confirm jurisdiction by parcel number, because rental rules, permits and transfer tax follow the parcel, not the mailing address.

Town-by-town comparison

Sources for each column are below.

Water and wastewater

Marin Water serves central and southern Marin from seven reservoirs on Mt. Tamalpais and in west Marin, about 75% of supply, supplemented with Russian River water from Sonoma Water. In Novato, North Marin Water District gets about 80% of supply from the Russian River via Sonoma Water and about 20% from Stafford Lake.

In west Marin, small districts and private wells take over. The Bolinas Community Public Utility District has had a moratorium on new water connections since November 1971, which matters if you are looking at vacant land there. Where there is no sewer, the county’s septic program permits systems; alternative systems need an annual operating permit and professional monitoring. The county does not require a septic inspection at sale, but it offers an inspection form for sales and requires a recent septic inspection for short-term rental licenses. See our Marin septic systems guide.

Transportation: SMART, ferry and bus

SMART’s station list includes six Marin stations: Novato San Marin, Novato Downtown, Novato Hamilton, Marin Civic Center, San Rafael and Larkspur. The Golden Gate Ferry runs from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon to San Francisco. Golden Gate Transit buses connect Novato (Routes 101 and 154), Mill Valley (114), Strawberry (120) and San Anselmo (132) with San Francisco, and Routes 580 and 580X link San Rafael with Del Norte BART across the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge.

By car, US 101 is the spine of eastern Marin, I-580 crosses the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard runs west through the Ross Valley and San Geronimo Valley, and SR 1 serves the coast. West Marin has no rail or ferry service.

Short-term and vacation rental rules

• Unincorporated Marin. Renting for less than 30 days requires a county STR license, a business license and a transient occupancy tax certificate. Licenses are capped at 1,200 countywide (not counting Dillon Beach), and 18 townships, including Bolinas, Inverness, Point Reyes Station, Stinson Beach and Tomales, have their own caps under Marin County Code 5.41.070. You can apply only when invited from a waitlist.
• Sausalito. Rentals under 30 days are prohibited in residential zones; 30 days or more is allowed.
• San Rafael. Confirm the current city short-term rental registration process, primary-residence requirements, and treatment of accessory units with the City of San Rafael. A Marin County license does not establish permission inside an incorporated city.
• Other cities. Rules range from registration to prohibition; we track them in our Marin short-term rental guide. Confirm with the city before you buy.

A license or registration held by a seller should not be treated as part of the sale. In unincorporated Marin, licenses run two-year terms under the county’s administrative procedures, and the county’s own pages we reviewed don’t say a license passes to a buyer, so ask the Community Development Agency before assuming it does and be ready to join the township waitlist. If short-term income is part of your plan, write a contingency that gives you time to confirm eligibility for the specific parcel.

Long-term rental rules

The statewide Tenant Protection Act caps most rent increases at the lower of 10% or 5% plus inflation and adds just-cause rules after 12 months, per the California Attorney General. Local layers differ:

• Larkspur limits annual increases on covered units to the lower of 5% plus regional CPI or 7% under Municipal Code 6.20.050.
• Novato’s Tenant Protections Ordinance took effect May 28, 2026, with just-cause, relocation and right-of-return rules; single houses and condos owned by individuals are among the exemptions.
• Fairfax posted Ordinance 892, Measure I, repealing its rent stabilization.
• Mandatory mediation applies to increases above 5% in a 12-month period in participating jurisdictions; check the county’s lookup for a specific address.

Ownership costs that differ by town

Transfer tax. The county’s documentary transfer tax is $0.55 per $500 everywhere. San Rafael adds a city tax of $2.00 per $1,000. San Rafael’s Measure W, on the November 3, 2026 ballot, would raise the city rate from 0.2% to 1%, paid only upon sale; check the certified result before you budget. The recorder lists no other city transfer tax. See California transfer tax.

Special districts. Flood control zones, the wildfire prevention parcel tax and water and sanitary district charges can appear on the tax bill. Request the current bill, read every line, and plan for a supplemental tax bill.

Choosing a short list

1. Decide whether you need SMART, a ferry terminal or a Golden Gate Transit route within reach.
2. Decide whether you want public sewer or are comfortable with septic.
3. If you may rent short term, check the city rule or county township cap first.
4. Confirm jurisdiction, water provider and tax-bill charges for the exact parcel.

We can pull parcel records and listings for your short list; start on our buyer page or contact us.

Questions people ask

How many cities and towns are in Marin County?

Eleven: Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Larkspur, Mill Valley, Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, San Rafael, Sausalito and Tiburon. Kentfield, Tam Valley, Marin City and the West Marin villages are unincorporated.

Which Marin towns have a SMART station?

Novato (three stations), San Rafael (Civic Center and downtown) and Larkspur. Larkspur’s station connects to the Larkspur ferry terminal.

Which Marin ferry terminals go to San Francisco?

Golden Gate Ferry runs from Larkspur, Sausalito and Tiburon to San Francisco.

Does San Rafael have a city transfer tax?

Yes, $2.00 per $1,000 on top of the county’s $0.55 per $500. Measure W on the November 3, 2026 ballot would raise the city rate to 1%; check the certified result.

Can I run a short-term rental in West Marin?

Only with a county STR license, and most West Marin townships are capped with waitlists. You can apply only when invited from the waitlist.

Are short-term rentals allowed in Sausalito?

No. Rentals under 30 days are not an allowed use in Sausalito’s residential zones; rentals of 30 days or more are allowed.

Can I get a new water hookup in Bolinas?

The Bolinas PUD has had a moratorium on new water connections since 1971. Check with the district before buying vacant land.

Is septic common in Marin?

In the San Geronimo Valley and much of West Marin, yes. Marin County Environmental Health permits systems and requires operating permits for alternative systems.

Sources & notes

1. County of Marin: Countywide Plan update document on environmental corridors.
2. Marin Water: About our water system.
3. North Marin Water District: Novato water.
4. Bolinas Community PUD: Water moratorium.
5. Marin County Environmental Health: Septic program.
6. SMART: Stations.
7. Golden Gate Ferry and Golden Gate Transit bus.
8. Marin County CDA: Short-term rentals. See also the STR administrative procedures, October 2026.
9. City of Sausalito: Short-term rentals.
10. City of San Rafael: Short-term rentals.
11. California Attorney General: Landlord-tenant issues.
12. Larkspur Municipal Code 6.20.050.
13. City of Novato: Tenant Protections Ordinance.
14. Town of Fairfax: Ordinance 892, Measure I.
15. Marin County: Mandatory mediation program.
16. Marin County Assessor-Recorder: Fees.
17. Marin County Elections: Measure W, Nov. 3, 2026.

Notes: Measure W’s outcome was not known at review. Short-term rental rules for Larkspur, Corte Madera, Tiburon, Belvedere, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Fairfax, Ross and Novato were not verified against current official pages for this guide. Water and wastewater columns describe typical service; confirm the provider for the exact parcel. Rules change; verify before you buy.

General information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Updated November 2026. Primary sources are linked in this guide.

Related: Marin County homes · Marin short-term rental rules · Marin septic systems · Homes near SMART and the ferry