Stinson Beach, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Stinson Beach is an unincorporated beach town on Highway 1 in West Marin, Marin County, California, surrounded by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Its homes split between the village and Seadrift, a gated private community on the sandspit, and Redfin put the median sale price at $4.2 million for the three months ending September 2026. Marin County sets the land-use and coastal rules; the Stinson Beach County Water District supplies water and oversees septic systems.
- County
- Marin County
- Government
- Unincorporated; Marin County coastal zone
- ZIP code
- 94970
- Population
- 541 (Stinson Beach CDP, 2020 Census)
- Water and septic
- Stinson Beach County Water District
- Median sale price
- $4.2 million (3 months to Sept 2026, Redfin)
Stinson Beach homes for sale
Current MLS listings in Stinson Beach, ZIP 94970, including Seadrift, appear below. Inventory is thin, so set an alert in our property search.
What do homes in Stinson Beach sell for?
$4.2 million
Three months to September 2026, Redfin
−16.1%
Same period, Redfin
69
September 2026, Redfin (48 a year earlier)
Stinson Beach prices sit far above the county’s, but they rest on very few sales. Redfin counted six homes sold in September 2026, against five a year earlier, so one oceanfront or Seadrift closing can swing the three-month median by a wide margin (Redfin).
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $4.2 million (down 16.1% year over year) | Three months to September 2026, Redfin |
| Homes sold | 6 (5 a year earlier) | September 2026, Redfin |
| Average days on market | 69 (48 a year earlier) | September 2026, Redfin |
| Housing units and households, ZIP 94970 | About 693 homes (±130); 144 households (±61) | ACS 2020–2024, Census Reporter |
| Marin County median, for comparison | $1,678,750 (up 1.7%) | September 2026, C.A.R. |
Most homes here aren’t primary residences: even allowing for wide margins, the Census survey counts about 693 homes but only 144 households in ZIP 94970. We price Stinson Beach homes from comparables in the same setting (oceanfront, Seadrift, village or hillside), adjusted for flood exposure, septic condition and permit history.
Who runs what in Stinson Beach?
There’s no town council; the county and two small special districts share the work.
| Service | Provider | What a buyer should know |
|---|---|---|
| Water, septic oversight, garbage franchise | Stinson Beach County Water District | Formed in 1962; about 10 square miles; five elected directors; office at 3785 Shoreline Highway |
| Fire and ambulance | Stinson Beach Fire Protection District | Formed in 1958; one station with two paid staff in the daytime, 17 volunteer firefighters and a volunteer ambulance corps (Marin LAFCo, 2022 draft review) |
| Planning, building, coastal permits | Marin County Community Development Agency | Updated Local Coastal Program in effect since July 13, 2021 |
| Transfer tax | Marin County | $1.10 per $1,000 of value; no city tax applies |
Seadrift and the village: the two halves of Stinson Beach
Seadrift, on the sandspit, is a gated, private community where, Marin County Parks notes, there’s no public parking (Marin County Parks). The rest of town is the village along Shoreline Highway and Panoramic Highway.
Seadrift
According to the Stinson Beach Historical Society, William Kent bought the 62-acre sandspit in 1901. After an attempt to sell it to the state as a park failed, his family’s company subdivided it: Marin County approved the first subdivision, along the ocean front, in 1951, and by 1966 two more followed, including the man-made Seadrift Lagoon. The society describes 60-foot building lots and counts 350 of them, about half of all home sites in Stinson Beach.
- Frontage: the first subdivision ran along the ocean front and a later one was built around the man-made lagoon, so draw comparable sales from lots with the same frontage.
- Private rules: ask for the recorded covenants, any gate and road rules, and the fees that come with the lot, on top of county permits.
- Rentals: the county’s coastal short-term rental amendment lists Seadrift as its own community, separate from the rest of Stinson Beach.
The village and the hillside
Outside Seadrift, homes sit along Shoreline Highway (Highway 1) and on the slopes up Panoramic Highway. Parking, septic capacity and setbacks usually decide what a remodel can add, so check all three before you plan one.
Septic and water: the water district’s onsite wastewater program
Stinson Beach has no sewer district. Marin LAFCo lists onsite wastewater management, not sewer service, among the water district’s jobs, and the district runs an Onsite Wastewater Management Program under its own Title IV Onsite Wastewater Management Code, with posted design standards for holding tanks and graywater systems in Title 4, Chapter 4.23 (Stinson Beach County Water District).
- The district’s file: ask for the permit, the design, past inspections and repairs, whether there’s a holding tank or graywater system, and what conditions came with the permit.
- Remodel plans: before you plan an added bedroom or a second unit, ask the district how its code would treat the extra wastewater.
- Rental plans: the county’s short-term rental application asks for a septic inspection form completed within the past year.
The district also supplies the town’s water, and a water rationing ordinance is among its posted rules, so ask how it would apply to the house you’re buying.
Sea-level rise, flooding and the county’s C-SMART work
Flooding is the long-term risk to plan around in Stinson Beach. Marin County’s sea-level rise program, C-SMART (Collaborative Sea Level Rise Marin Adaptation Response Team), has looked closely at the town. In a release dated October 11, 2021, the county said 773 homes, 630 residents and six businesses on the west side of State Route 1 were at risk of constant flooding from sea-level rise or storm activity (County of Marin).
- The trend: the county noted about eight inches of sea-level rise on the Marin coast over the past century and cited projections of a 70-inch rise for the Bay Area coast by 2100.
- The options: one approach studied was a dune system, which the county said would be the first of its kind in Marin and would appear to cost less than seawalls to build and maintain. The release set out options, not a chosen plan.
- The rules: the county withdrew the Environmental Hazards chapter of its updated Local Coastal Program before the Coastal Commission acted, so that chapter isn’t certified. Ask the county planner which hazard standards apply to a remodel or rebuild.
The county’s exposure count covers homes on the west side of State Route 1. For any home there, get a flood insurance quote and an elevation certificate early in escrow, and read the FEMA flood-zone line on the Natural Hazard Disclosure statement.
Vacation rentals: license caps and the 14% West Marin hotel tax
In Stinson Beach the right to rent for short stays belongs to the owner, not the house. Stays under 30 days need a county short-term rental license, a business license and a hotel-tax certificate. The county caps licenses at 1,200 across the unincorporated area, not counting Dillon Beach, and lists Stinson Beach among the townships with a limited number set in County Code 5.41.070 (County of Marin). Seadrift counts as a separate community, so ask the county for the current figure for your part of town.
- Licenses end at sale: under Chapter 5.41 a license ends automatically on a change of ownership, apart from one transfer to a spouse or children, so a buyer joins the county waitlist ($50 a year), which the Point Reyes Light put at about 130 people in June 2025.
- Tax: stays are taxed at 14% in West Marin, the county’s 10% plus a 4% West Marin tax voters approved in November 2018 for local fire and emergency services and community housing (Marin County Finance).
- Second units: ADUs created or legalized after January 1, 2020 under the state’s exemption, and other ADUs created after February 24, 2021, can’t be licensed for short stays.
If rental income matters, model the purchase without it. Our investor services page explains how we underwrite coastal property.
Highway 1, Panoramic Highway and getting around
Two roads connect Stinson Beach with the rest of Marin: Highway 1 (Shoreline Highway) along the coast and Panoramic Highway inland past Pan Toll. The park service describes the approach as steep and winding, and storms have cut Highway 1: in 2017 the four miles between Stinson Beach and Muir Beach were closed for months after severe storm damage (Point Reyes Light, May 4, 2017).
- Bus: Marin Transit Route 61 runs between Sausalito and Bolinas through Marin City, Tam Junction, the Manzanita Park and Ride, Pan Toll and Stinson Beach, about six times each way on weekdays, with a separate weekend schedule (Marin Transit, April 2026).
- Beach days: the National Park Service warns that the beach lot often fills before noon on hot days and has no overflow parking.
The beach, schools and daily life
The beach itself is federal parkland. The National Park Service runs Stinson Beach as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with lifeguards generally on duty from the first week of July to Labor Day and gates that open at 9 a.m. Pets aren’t allowed on the park service’s section of the beach, though leashed dogs may use the parking lot, the picnic areas and the adjacent county beach.
Public schools belong to the Bolinas-Stinson Union School District, a K–8 district with a Stinson Beach campus for kindergarten to grade 2 and a Bolinas campus for grades 3 to 8; the Marin County Office of Education lists Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley for high school (MCOE). Confirm assignments for an address with the district. For walks beyond the sand, see our guide to Marin County’s hiking trails.
Stinson Beach compared with nearby areas
| Area | Government | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Stinson Beach | Unincorporated, Marin County | Water district runs the septic program; median $4.2 million (3 months to September 2026, Redfin) |
| Bolinas | Unincorporated, Marin County | No new water connections since 1971; ZIP 94924 median $1.9 million (3 months to August 2026, Redfin) |
| Muir Beach | Unincorporated, Marin County | Its services district put a $386-a-year fire parcel tax (Measure M) to voters on June 2, 2026 |
| Olema | Unincorporated, Marin County | Water from the North Marin Water District’s West Marin wells; three short-term rental licenses in the township |
| Mill Valley | Incorporated city | City hotel tax of 10%, against 14% in West Marin |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Stinson Beach buyers
A Stinson Beach purchase turns on records. Before you remove contingencies, we gather the water district’s septic file, the FEMA zone and a flood insurance quote, Seadrift’s recorded covenants and fees, and comparables from the same setting, and we build a budget that works without rental income. We also set inspection and moving dates with Highway 1 conditions in mind.
Buyers at the top of the coastal market can read our luxury real estate guide, and owners weighing a sale can ask for a private valuation. For the wider county, see the Marin County homes for sale and market guide and how we represent buyers.
Selling a home in Stinson Beach
Stinson Beach has a point-of-sale step that most of West Marin doesn’t. Homes here use onsite wastewater systems regulated by the Stinson Beach County Water District. Under its Title IV code, each Discharge Permit is issued to a specific property, recorded with the County Recorder, and “shall be reissued in cases of parcel ownership change” (Section 4.06.610).
Working with the water district
- Call the district before you list. Its fee schedule shows a $45 change-of-ownership administrative fee and $200 to reissue a Discharge Permit, which is recorded at the county.
- Clear open orders. District inspections can end in a maintenance order listing required corrections. If a permit has been revoked, reissuance requires the district to verify completed maintenance orders, no other system deficiencies and no further code violations. Ask whether your parcel has anything open.
- Know the size limit. The permit is conditioned on the home’s habitable space not exceeding the threshold for the system’s design flow. Buyers planning to add space will ask, so have the permit and past inspection notices ready.
- Seadrift. If the home is in Seadrift, add the private community’s recorded rules and any fee statements to the package.
Flood and sea-level rise
The state Natural Hazard Disclosure statement reports FEMA flood zones but says nothing about sea-level rise. Stinson Beach is one of the towns assessed in Marin’s 2018 C-SMART adaptation report, so pass along any elevation certificate, flood insurance history and records of storm repairs.
Rentals, fire and county rules
Marin County, not a city, holds building and coastal permit records. The October 2026 procedures allow 192 short-term rental licenses in Stinson Beach, but a license expires when the property changes hands, and the operator must notify the Tax Collector in writing 30 days before the sale. Where Marin County Fire’s lookup shows a High or Very High zone, provide AB 38 documentation, or agree in writing that the buyer obtains it within a year after closing.
Only the county’s transfer tax applies, $1.10 per $1,000 of value, or about $4,400 on a $4 million home. The seller customarily pays in Diamond’s North Bay markets, though that’s negotiable; read our transfer tax guide. Our Marin County selling requirements page covers the rest of the county, and a home valuation is the place to start.
Sources for this section: Stinson Beach County Water District: Title IV Onsite Wastewater Management Code; Stinson Beach County Water District: Services, rates and fees; California Public Law: Civil Code section 1103.2 (Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement); Adaptation Clearinghouse: Marin County Ocean Coast Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Report (C-SMART, 2018); Marin County CDA: Short-term rental administrative procedures (October 2026); California Coastal Commission: Marin County short-term rental LCP amendment exhibits, ordinance text (April 2024); Marin County Department of Finance: Transient occupancy tax, sell, transfer or terminate operations; Marin County Fire: What is an AB-38 inspection?; Marin County Assessor-Recorder: Fees (documentary transfer tax).
Stinson Beach real estate FAQs
What is the ZIP code for Stinson Beach?
Stinson Beach uses ZIP code 94970, as in the water district’s mailing address, P.O. Box 245, Stinson Beach, CA 94970.
How much do homes in Stinson Beach cost?
Redfin’s median sale price was $4.2 million for the three months ending September 2026, 16.1% below a year earlier, on only six September sales. Marin County’s single-family median was $1,678,750 that month (C.A.R.).
What is Seadrift?
The gated, private community on the Stinson Beach sandspit, first subdivided in 1951. The Stinson Beach Historical Society counts 350 lots, about half the town’s home sites; the first subdivision ran along the ocean front, and a later one created the man-made Seadrift Lagoon.
Can I rent out a Stinson Beach home for short stays?
Only with a county short-term rental license, a business license and a tax certificate. Stinson Beach licenses are capped, so expect a waitlist, and stays under 30 days pay the 14% West Marin hotel tax.
Will the seller’s vacation rental license transfer to me?
No. A county short-term rental license ends automatically when the property changes hands, except for one transfer to a spouse or children, so plan as if the income stops at closing.
Does Stinson Beach have a sewer system?
No sewer district serves the town. Homes use onsite systems regulated under the Stinson Beach County Water District’s Title IV code, so ask the district for the permit and inspection history before you buy.
Is Stinson Beach at risk from sea-level rise?
Yes. In October 2021 Marin County said 773 homes on the west side of Highway 1 were at risk of constant flooding from sea-level rise or storms. Check the FEMA zone and get a flood insurance quote early in escrow.
Do I need a coastal permit to remodel in Stinson Beach?
Possibly. Stinson Beach is in the county’s coastal zone, where projects are reviewed under the Local Coastal Program’s Coastal Zoning Code, so ask the county whether your project needs a coastal development permit before you price it into an offer.
Does Highway 1 close near Stinson Beach?
It has. After storms in 2017, the stretch between Stinson Beach and Muir Beach was closed for months (Point Reyes Light). Panoramic Highway, which Route 61 uses, is the other way in.
Which school district serves Stinson Beach?
The Bolinas-Stinson Union School District (K–8), which has its K–2 campus in Stinson Beach; high school students attend Tamalpais High School in the Tamalpais Union High School District. Confirm the schools for an address with the district.
Can I bring a dog to Stinson Beach?
On part of it. Pets aren’t allowed on the National Park Service section, but leashed dogs may use the parking lot, the picnic areas and the adjacent county beach.
Sources & notes
- Redfin: Stinson Beach housing market (September 2026) and C.A.R.: September 2026 sales report
- Stinson Beach County Water District; Marin LAFCo: district profile and West Marin service review, public draft (March 2022)
- County of Marin: Stinson Beach sea-level rise release (October 11, 2021), short-term rentals, transient occupancy tax and transfer tax
- California Coastal Commission: short-term rental amendment and ordinance exhibits (April 2024); LCP update report (August 2021)
- Stinson Beach Historical Society: Seadrift, Marin County Parks: Bolinas Lagoon and National Park Service: Stinson Beach
- Marin Transit: Route 61, Point Reyes Light: Highway 1 closure (May 2017) and Bolinas-Stinson Union School District
Figures carry their dates where they appear, and we refresh market numbers every quarter. This is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice; confirm the rules for a specific property with the agency named. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Plan your next move
Share your preferred location, budget, property requirements and timing. We can help organize a focused search, arrange showings or discuss preparing a property for sale.
Local resource: Marin County planning and township resources. Check official information for the address you are considering; area descriptions do not establish a property’s permitted uses.
