Fairfax, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Fairfax is an incorporated town of about 7,400 people on 2.23 square miles at the western end of the Ross Valley in Marin County, California. Redfin put the median sale price for its ZIP code, 94930, at $1,199,481 for the three months to August 2026. On Redfin’s latest figures that is below the medians for San Anselmo and Ross, its Ross Valley neighbours. This page covers Fairfax in Marin County, north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate, not Fairfax, Virginia.
- County
- Marin County
- Government
- Incorporated town
- ZIP code
- 94930
- Population
- 7,417 (July 2025, Census estimate)
- Median sale price
- $1,199,481 (3 months to Aug 2026, Redfin, ZIP 94930)
- Fire protection
- Ross Valley Fire Department (Station 21)
- Sewer
- Ross Valley Sanitary District
- Rent rules
- State law; Town rent stabilization repealed (Measure I, Nov 2024)
Fairfax homes for sale
The current MLS listings for Fairfax appear below. Our property search lets you add San Anselmo, Woodacre and the rest of the Ross Valley and San Geronimo Valley to the same search.
What do homes in Fairfax sell for?
$1,199,481
3 months to August 2026, Redfin (ZIP 94930)
$656
August 2026, Redfin
104.4%
August 2026, Redfin
Fairfax prices rose 6.6% over the year to August 2026 on Redfin’s ZIP figures, and most homes still sold above their list price (61.3%). The market moves more slowly than in San Anselmo next door: the median home took 37 days to sell, and Redfin’s Compete Score of 59 puts the ZIP in its “somewhat competitive” band. That gives a buyer a little more time for inspections and insurance quotes.
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price, ZIP 94930 | $1,199,481 (up 6.6% year over year) | 3 months to August 2026, Redfin (its calculation from MLS data) |
| Homes sold | 32 (27 a year earlier) | August 2026, Redfin |
| Median days on market | 37 (34 a year earlier) | August 2026, Redfin |
| Sold above list price | 61.3% | August 2026, Redfin |
| Median value, owner-occupied homes | $1,163,600 | 2020–2024, U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) |
| Median gross rent | $2,367 a month | 2020–2024, U.S. Census Bureau |
| Marin County single-family median, for comparison | $1,678,750 | September 2026, C.A.R. |
The ZIP code can include a few addresses outside the town limits, and a month with 30-odd sales is a small sample. The Census median value, based on owners’ own estimates across all owner-occupied homes, is a steadier guide to a typical Fairfax house.
Rent stabilization and just cause in Fairfax
Fairfax was the first town in Marin to pass rent stabilization, in November 2022 (Pacific Sun), but its voters repealed it two years later. Anyone buying a rental here, or a house with a tenant in it, should know both the history and the rules that apply now. About three in ten occupied homes in Fairfax are rented (owner-occupancy was 68.9% in the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey).
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| March 2019 | Fairfax’s just-cause eviction ordinance took effect, covering most rental units in town (exceptions included rooms in an owner-occupied house and junior ADUs). Landlords had to file a copy of each termination notice with the Town within 10 days. | Town of Fairfax |
| May 1, 2019 | The Town adopted mandatory, non-binding mediation for rent increases of more than 5% in a year. | Town of Fairfax |
| December 2, 2022 | The rent stabilization ordinance took effect: one increase a year, capped at 75% of the change in the Consumer Price Index or 5%, whichever was less. It was amended effective October 6, 2023. | Town of Fairfax FAQ |
| 2024 | The Town announced an Annual General Adjustment of 2.85% for September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025 (2.52% the year before). | Town of Fairfax |
| November 5, 2024 | Measure I asked voters whether to repeal the Town’s just-cause and rent stabilization ordinances and rely on state standards instead. It passed, with 63.19% yes in the Local News Matters tally of county returns (KQED’s early returns showed about 68%). | Local News Matters; KQED |
| December 5, 2024 | The Town Council adopted Resolution 24-78 reciting the results of the November 5, 2024 election. | Town of Fairfax |
| December 19, 2024 | The Town posted Ordinance 892, “Measure I (Repeal of Rent Stabilization)”, among its recent ordinances. | Town of Fairfax |
So for a purchase today, plan on state law. California’s Tenant Protection Act caps annual increases on covered units at 5% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower; a single-family house or condo not owned by a corporation, a REIT or an LLC with a corporate member is exempt from the cap if the tenant has been given the required written notice (Civil Code §1947.12). The county’s mandatory mediation program still lists Fairfax for increases over 5% (County of Marin).
Two practical steps follow. First, ask the seller for the rent roll, the leases and any notices served, and check whether rents were set under the old Fairfax cap. Second, confirm with the Town Clerk how Ordinance 892 changed the Town Code, because some Town web pages still describe the repealed rules. We aren’t lawyers; for a specific tenancy, talk to a landlord-tenant attorney. Our investor services cover the numbers side.
If a house is sold with a tenant in place, the tenancy comes with it. Confirm whether the unit will be delivered vacant before you remove contingencies.
Short-term rentals and the hotel tax
Rentals of 30 days or less were prohibited in Fairfax as of July 2022, when the Town Council adopted two ordinances and a resolution to start a program that allows and regulates them (Town of Fairfax, July 19, 2022). Since April 15, 2024, every short-term rental in town must register with the Town each year, pay a registration fee and collect and remit the Town’s Hotel User’s Tax; renting without registration violates the Town Code (Town of Fairfax). Ask the Town for the current fee and tax rate before you budget rental income. Because Fairfax is an incorporated town, the county’s unincorporated-area STR licence and waitlist don’t apply here.
Wildfire checks for hillside homes
Fire is the first hazard to check on a hillside or wooded lot. Fairfax is a member of the Ross Valley Fire Department, the joint fire agency it shares with San Anselmo, Ross and the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District, and the department’s Station 21 is in town. In March 2025 the State Fire Marshal released proposed Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for the town’s Local Responsibility Area, with comments taken by the Ross Valley Fire Department at 777 San Anselmo Avenue (Town of Fairfax). Check the adopted map for the parcel.
- AB 38 at sale: in a High or Very High zone, the seller gives you a defensible-space inspection report from the last six months, or you both agree in writing that you’ll get one within a year of closing.
- Measure C: Fairfax pays the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority parcel tax, set in 2020 at up to 10 cents per building square foot (or $75 per multifamily unit) and adjusted for inflation each year, which funds fuel reduction, evacuation planning and defensible-space evaluations.
- Insurance: get quotes in the first days of escrow. On wooded lots, the cost of fire cover can change the numbers.
- Access: on a narrow or steep street, note the evacuation routes and where a fire engine can turn.
Flooding along Fairfax and San Anselmo creeks
The valley floor floods too. The December 2005 flood caused nearly $95 million in damage across Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield and Larkspur (Marin County Flood Control District), and Fairfax is inside Flood Control Zone 9, which collects a storm drainage fee for the valley’s flood program. The program’s main project near Fairfax is the flow diversion and storage basin on the former Sunnyside Nursery site, in the 3000 block of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard about a mile northwest of downtown, which holds about 33 acre-feet of peak creek flow (Flood Control District, 2020). It fills only when the creek overflows and drains back afterwards.
FEMA’s flood maps for Marin County and its cities, Fairfax included, carry an effective date of March 17, 2014, and the Town’s Planning and Building Services office at 142 Bolinas Road keeps them for public viewing (Federal Register). For any home on the flat streets near the creeks, look up its FEMA flood zone on the Flood Map Service Center, ask for an Elevation Certificate, and get a flood insurance quote. A lender will require flood cover if the house is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area.
Fairfax-Bolinas Road and getting around
Sir Francis Drake Boulevard is Fairfax’s link east through San Anselmo to US 101 and west over White’s Hill to the San Geronimo Valley. Marin Transit Route 68 runs through Fairfax between the San Rafael Transit Center and Point Reyes Station and Inverness (Marin Transit).
Fairfax-Bolinas Road is the town’s back road to the coast: the county describes the stretch from the Azalea Hill trailhead near Fairfax to Highway 1 in Bolinas as about 11 miles of “winding rural road”. Storms can close it: after an October 2021 atmospheric river tore a 15-foot-deep hole in the westbound lane near Ridgecrest Boulevard, the county closed it from Azalea Hill to Highway 1, made a $120,000 emergency repair and reopened it on January 19, 2022 (Marin County Public Works). If you’d use it as a shortcut to the coast, check the county’s road alerts after big storms.
Water, sewer and daily life
Fairfax sits inside the service area of Marin Water, which Marin LAFCO describes as running west from the bay to the San Geronimo Valley (Marin LAFCO); its seven reservoirs fill mainly from rain on Mt. Tamalpais and in west Marin (Marin Water). Sewage goes to the Ross Valley Sanitary District, which serves Fairfax and Oak Manor among 11 Ross Valley communities (Marin LAFCO). Ask for the sewer lateral’s condition and any district notices on older houses.
Public schools are in the Ross Valley School District, which lists Manor School and White Hill School at Fairfax addresses, and the Tamalpais Union High School District. Confirm the assigned schools for an address with the districts.
A sale here pays only Marin County’s documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of value; Fairfax adds no city transfer tax (Marin County Recorder).
Fairfax compared with nearby areas
| Area | Government | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax | Incorporated town | ZIP median $1,199,481 (3 months to August 2026, Redfin); voters repealed the Town rent rules in 2024 |
| San Anselmo | Incorporated town | Median $1,549,512 (3 months to September 2026, Redfin); 16 median days on market |
| Ross | Incorporated town | Median about $3.4 million (3 months to July 2026, Redfin); its own K–8 school district |
| Woodacre | Unincorporated (county rules) | In the San Geronimo Valley; county STR licences capped at 12 for the township, falling to 8 |
| San Geronimo | Unincorporated (county rules) | County STR cap of 10, falling to 7; on Route 68 |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Fairfax buyers
Fairfax purchases often turn on three questions: is there a tenant and which rules cover them, what does the fire map say, and how close is the creek. Each deserves review before you commit. That means reading the rent roll and Town filings on any rental, pulling the fire-zone and flood-zone status, getting insurance quotes started early, and building the price from recent sales on similar streets and lot slopes. For the wider county, see our Marin County real estate guide, or read our guide to Fairfax realtors.
Selling a home in Fairfax
Fairfax is an incorporated town, so its planning and building staff hold the permit records for the house. We did not find a published Town resale report, so ask them whether one applies before you list. Two other local agencies have requirements that do apply to most single-family sales.
Ross Valley Fire resale inspection
Any single-family home listed for sale within Fairfax town limits needs a resale inspection from the Ross Valley Fire Department. It costs $190, the inspector stays outside, and the department completes it within a week of the application. Condos and townhomes are generally exempt unless the whole complex is sold.
- Inspectors check vegetation clearance, dead wood and debris, visible address numbers, firewood storage, propane tank clearance, chimney spark arresters and Knox key switches on electric gates.
- The report and its code requirements go into the seller’s disclosures.
- The buyer takes on the duty to keep the property compliant with vegetation and wildfire codes after closing.
The local inspection is separate from the state’s AB 38 defensible-space requirement, which applies in High or Very High hazard zones. Use Marin County Fire’s lookup tool to check the parcel; it also routes the inspection request.
The sewer lateral
Fairfax is served by the Ross Valley Sanitary District, which requires a lateral Certificate of Compliance when a property is bought or sold. Buyer and seller negotiate which of them handles it, and that side has 90 days after close of escrow. The work starts with a contractor’s camera inspection, then a district sewer permit and a pressure test the district inspector witnesses. On older cottages and cabins, price a possible replacement early. The district’s grants and loans of up to $1,500 aren’t based on income.
Transfer tax, rentals and disclosures
Fairfax adds no city transfer tax to Marin County’s $1.10 per $1,000 (our transfer tax guide covers who pays). In Diamond’s North Bay markets that cost customarily falls to the seller, but it’s negotiable. If the home has tenants, read our guide to selling a rental property in California before you list.
State law also asks you to disclose noncompliant plumbing fixtures and certify water heater bracing in writing. For a price based on recent Fairfax sales, start with a home valuation.
Sources for this section: Ross Valley Fire Department: Resale inspections; Ross Valley Sanitary District: Compliance (private sewer laterals); Town of Fairfax: Ross Valley Sanitary District grants and loans for sewer lateral work; Marin County Fire: What is an AB-38 inspection?; Marin County Assessor-Recorder: Fees (documentary transfer tax); California Public Law: Civil Code 1101.4 (water-conserving plumbing fixtures); California Public Law: Health and Safety Code 19211 (water heater bracing).
Fairfax real estate FAQs
How much do homes cost in Fairfax, CA?
Redfin’s median sale price for ZIP 94930 was $1,199,481 for the three months to August 2026, up 6.6% on a year earlier, at about $656 per square foot. The Census Bureau’s median value for owner-occupied homes in town was $1,163,600 (2020–2024).
Is Fairfax in San Francisco?
No. Fairfax is a separate incorporated town in Marin County, north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, with its own town council and town code. It isn’t Fairfax, Virginia, either.
Does Fairfax still have rent control?
Not a local one. Fairfax’s rent stabilization ordinance took effect in December 2022, but voters approved Measure I on November 5, 2024 with about 63% yes, repealing it and the Town’s just-cause ordinance in favour of state standards. State law (Civil Code §1947.12) now caps increases on covered units at 5% plus inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower.
Can I evict a tenant after buying a Fairfax rental?
Since Measure I, state standards apply instead of the Town’s just-cause ordinance. State tenant law still governs how and when a tenancy can end, so get legal advice on the specific tenancy before you buy and ask whether the property will be delivered vacant.
Can I run an Airbnb in Fairfax?
Yes, if you register it. Since April 15, 2024, every short-term rental must register with the Town annually, pay a fee and collect the Hotel User’s Tax. Confirm the current fee and rate with the Town before you buy.
Is Fairfax in a high fire hazard zone?
Parts of town may be. The State Fire Marshal released proposed Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Fairfax in March 2025; look up the specific parcel on the adopted map. In a High or Very High zone, AB 38’s defensible-space rules apply at sale.
Does Fairfax flood?
The lower parts near the creeks can. The December 2005 flood damaged Fairfax along with the rest of the Ross Valley, and the Sunnyside Nursery basin northwest of downtown now stores about 33 acre-feet of peak flow. Check the FEMA zone and get a flood insurance quote for any creekside home.
Is Fairfax-Bolinas Road open?
Usually, but storm damage closes it at times. After an October 2021 storm, the county closed it from the Azalea Hill trailhead to Highway 1 and reopened it on January 19, 2022 after an emergency repair. Check Marin County Public Works alerts after heavy rain.
Which school district serves Fairfax?
The Ross Valley School District (K–8), which lists Manor School and White Hill School in Fairfax, and the Tamalpais Union High School District for grades 9–12. Confirm school assignments for a specific address with the districts.
How do I get from Fairfax to San Rafael or San Francisco by bus?
Marin Transit Route 68 runs from Fairfax to the San Rafael Transit Center, and SMART’s San Rafael station is downtown. For San Francisco, Golden Gate Transit Route 132 runs from neighbouring San Anselmo.
Who handles sewer service in Fairfax?
The Ross Valley Sanitary District, which collects sewage from Fairfax, Oak Manor and nine other Ross Valley communities and sends it to the Central Marin Sanitation Agency for treatment.
Is there a transfer tax when buying in Fairfax?
Only the county’s, at $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price. Fairfax doesn’t add a city transfer tax; in Marin, only San Rafael does.
Sources & notes
- Redfin: 94930 housing market (August 2026) and U.S. Census Bureau: QuickFacts, Fairfax town (Vintage 2025; ACS 2020–2024)
- C.A.R.: September 2026 home sales and price report
- Town of Fairfax: renter protections, rent stabilization FAQ, 2024 Annual General Adjustment, short-term rental ordinances (July 19, 2022), short-term rental program and proposed fire hazard maps (March 12, 2025)
- County of Marin: mandatory mediation program and Marin County Assessor-Recorder: fees and transfer tax
- Marin County Flood Control District: Flood Control Zone 9 and Sunnyside basin construction release (August 19, 2020); FEMA final flood hazard determinations for Marin County (Federal Register, January 30, 2014)
- Measure I: Local News Matters: November 5, 2024 Marin results, KQED: rent control measures (November 5, 2024), Town of Fairfax: Ordinance 892 (December 19, 2024) and rent stabilization effective dates; Civil Code §1947.12 and Pacific Sun (November 2022)
- Marin County Public Works: Fairfax-Bolinas Road repair (December 2021) and Marin Transit: Route 68
- Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority: Measure C, Ross Valley Fire Department: JPA, Marin Water, Marin LAFCO on Marin Water and the Ross Valley Sanitary District and Marin County Office of Education: school districts
Figures carry their dates where they appear. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; confirm the rules for a specific property with the agency named.
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Local property guides
- Buying a Hillside Home in Fairfax: Site Records, Drainage and Structural Questions
- Fairfax Home Settings Compared: Access, Slope, Lot Use and Daily Routes
- Renovating a Fairfax Home: How to Research the Existing House Before Planning Changes
- Fairfax Homeownership Budget: Insurance, Drainage, Retaining Structures and Maintenance
- Pricing a Fairfax Home: Testing Site Utility, Condition and Comparable Evidence
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