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Tiburon, CA Real Estate & Homes for Sale
By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.
Tiburon is an incorporated town of about 8,900 people on the Tiburon Peninsula in southern Marin County, California, facing Richardson Bay on one side and San Francisco Bay on the other. Redfin put its August 2026 median sale price at $3,047,983. The town has about 4,000 homes, by the Census Bureau’s estimate, from hillside houses looking over the bay to homes on the shoreline. A commuter ferry runs from downtown to San Francisco.
- County
- Marin County
- Government
- Incorporated town (Town of Tiburon)
- ZIP code
- 94920 (shared with Belvedere)
- Population
- 8,881 (2025 Census estimate)
- Median sale price
- $3,047,983 (Aug 2026, Redfin)
- Elementary district
- Reed Union School District
- Ferry
- Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco
Tiburon homes for sale
Current MLS listings in Tiburon are shown below. To compare them with Belvedere, Mill Valley or Corte Madera, or to filter by view, lot size or property type, use our Marin property search.
What do homes in Tiburon sell for?
$3,047,983
August 2026, Redfin
40
August 2026, Redfin
101.5%
August 2026, Redfin
Tiburon sells at about 1.8 times the county median. Redfin’s August 2026 median of $3,047,983 was 1.2% above a year earlier, against a Marin County single-family median of $1,678,750 in September 2026 from the California Association of REALTORS. Forty homes changed hands in August, up from 26 a year before, and the typical home sold for slightly more than its asking price.
Two cautions. Redfin mixes one-month and three-month windows on the same page, and its summary line quotes a different average from the body, so treat these as a direction rather than a precise price. And because condos and view estates sell side by side, the median moves with the mix of what closed. The Census Bureau can’t fill the gap: its survey tops out at “$2,000,000+” for the median owner-occupied home in Tiburon, which tells you at least half of owners value their homes above that line, but not by how much.
| Measure | Figure | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $3,047,983 (up 1.2% year over year) | August 2026, Redfin (its calculation from MLS and public records) |
| Homes sold | 40 (26 a year earlier) | August 2026, Redfin |
| Median days on market | 26 | August 2026, Redfin |
| Sale-to-list ratio | 101.5%; 38.5% sold above list | August 2026, Redfin |
| Homes with a price cut | 17.9% | August 2026, Redfin |
| Median price per square foot | About $1,300 (up 4.9%) | Three months to August 2026, Redfin |
| Housing units | About 3,974 (±247) | 2020–2024, Census Reporter (ACS) |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.9% of occupied homes | 2020–2024, U.S. Census Bureau (ACS) |
| Marin County median, for comparison | $1,678,750 (single-family) | September 2026, C.A.R. |
A sale-to-list ratio just over 100% with more than a third of homes selling above asking, and fewer than one in five taking a price cut, points to a market where well-priced homes still draw competition while some sellers still have to cut.
Town rules that shape a Tiburon purchase
Inside the town limits, the Town of Tiburon’s own zoning and permit rules apply. Its current long-range plan, the Tiburon 2040 General Plan, was adopted on May 22, 2023. Not every address on the peninsula is in the town, so confirm the jurisdiction on the county parcel record before you plan an addition, a second unit or rental income.
- Transfer tax: Tiburon adds no city transfer tax. A sale pays only Marin County’s documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of value, as listed by the Marin County Assessor-Recorder.
- Wildfire parcel tax: Tiburon and Belvedere were left out of the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority’s Measure C parcel tax, approved in March 2020, so that line won’t appear on a Tiburon tax bill the way it does in most of Marin.
- Rent rules: Legal Aid of Marin’s list of local just-cause ordinances doesn’t include Tiburon, so state law (AB 1482) is the baseline where it applies. The town’s 2023–2031 housing element called for a renter-protection ordinance, so ask the town whether one has since been adopted.
For county-wide closing costs, property tax and the steps of a Marin purchase, start from our Marin County real estate guide.
Can you rent out a Tiburon home short term?
Not under the rules on record. On August 19, 2015, the Town Council voted 3-2 to amend the zoning ordinance and prohibit residential rentals of fewer than 30 days, and the five short-term rental permits the town had issued were allowed to expire at the end of that year, according to a news report from August 2015. The latest official record we found, a May 2023 survey of Marin cities by the Town of Ross, still listed Tiburon as prohibiting them, with active enforcement through fines, criminal charges and recovery of investigation costs. Ask the Town of Tiburon’s planning staff to confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
Leases of 30 days or more remain allowed, which is why property management questions here are about furnished mid-term and long-term tenancies rather than vacation rentals. An online copy of the town’s municipal code (GoCodebook, October 2026) allows a transient occupancy tax of “up to ten percent” of rent on stays of 30 days or less; we didn’t confirm the rate the town actually charges. If rental income is part of your plan, price the home on long-term rents.
Don’t buy a Tiburon home on the strength of a seller’s past Airbnb income. The town banned stays under 30 days in 2015, and a 2023 survey still listed them as prohibited.
Hillsides, landslides and flooding: what to check
Tiburon’s two main physical risks are its slopes and its shoreline. The Safety and Resilience chapter of the 2040 General Plan maps both: landslide potential, liquefaction potential, tsunami inundation zones, FEMA flood hazard zones, sea-level rise scenarios for the bay edge and downtown, wildland-urban interface areas and Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Pull the maps for the parcel early in escrow, before inspections are booked.
Slopes and access roads
Heavy winter storms test the hillsides. After nearly 6 inches of rain from February 12 to 14, 2019, the town recorded several landslides, and a road collapse on Vistazo West, between the Lyford Drive turnoff and the Old St. Hilary’s Open Space Preserve trailhead, cut normal access to eight homes; the Town Council declared a local emergency so it could seek state and federal repair money (The Ark). On a hillside home, ask for any geotechnical reports, retaining-wall permits and drainage repairs, and have a geotechnical engineer look at cracking, retaining walls and the driveway or private road.
Low-lying ground near the bay
The flat land in Bel Aire, on the Richardson Bay side, sits inside Marin County Flood Control Zone 4. The zone was formed in 1957 to deal with chronic flooding there and now covers about 850 parcels in parts of Tiburon, Bel Aire and Strawberry Circle, with 8 pumps at 3 pump stations, tide gates and a short stretch of levee (Marin County Flood Control District). For any home near the shoreline or downtown, check the FEMA flood zone, ask whether the lender will require flood insurance, and read the General Plan’s sea-level rise maps for that street.
Fire and the AB 38 rule
The Tiburon Fire Protection District serves the peninsula and Belvedere, and links to its Fire Hazard Severity Zone and wildland-urban interface maps. If the parcel is in a High or Very High zone, state law (AB 38) requires the seller to provide a recent defensible-space inspection report, or both sides agree in writing that the buyer will get one within a year of closing. Ask for insurance quotes as soon as your offer is accepted.
Getting to San Francisco: the Tiburon ferries
Tiburon is one of three Marin towns with a Golden Gate Ferry route to San Francisco, alongside Larkspur and Sausalito. The Tiburon–San Francisco boat leaves from downtown Tiburon; Golden Gate’s current schedule took effect April 13, 2026, so check the timetable for departures and crossing times before you count on a particular commute. For a home buyer, the practical question is distance to the terminal: downtown and the flats near Main Street can walk to the boat, while homes higher on the ridge or out toward Bel Aire usually mean a drive, a drop-off or a bike ride.
A second, private ferry, the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry, makes a 15-minute crossing from 21 Main Street to Angel Island State Park. By car, Tiburon Boulevard (Highway 131) links the town with Highway 101 and the Golden Gate Bridge, and Paradise Drive runs toward Corte Madera.
Open space, schools and services
Two county open space preserves cover large parts of the hills above town, and both have trailheads at the ends of residential streets.
- Old Saint Hilary’s Preserve: 232 acres of Marin County Open Space District land above downtown, including the 110-acre Tiburon Ridge section the district acquired in 2024. It’s known for its spring wildflowers, the white chapel that opened in 1888 and the rare Tiburon jewelflower; access is from the ends of Lyford Drive and Vistazo West Street, with very limited street parking (Marin County Parks).
- Ring Mountain Preserve: 385 acres reached from Paradise Drive on the Corte Madera side or from Tiburon Boulevard by Reed Ranch Road, home of the Tiburon mariposa lily, which grows nowhere else, with a 1.76-mile loop trail (Marin County Parks).
- Schools: the Reed Union School District (Reed Elementary, Bel Aire Elementary and Del Mar Middle) and the Tamalpais Union High School District. Confirm the assigned schools for an address with each district.
- Sewer: Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County serves the town and Belvedere and issues permits for private sewer lateral work.
Tiburon compared with nearby areas
| Area | Government | One verified difference |
|---|---|---|
| Tiburon | Incorporated town | Median $3,047,983 (August 2026, Redfin); stays under 30 days banned in 2015 and still listed as prohibited in 2023 |
| Belvedere | Incorporated city | Higher again: $5,994,238 median in June 2026 from only 14 sales (Redfin); its levee roads are the only way onto Belvedere Island |
| Mill Valley | Incorporated city | Median $1,898,743 (August 2026, Redfin); short-term rentals are allowed with a city registration |
| Corte Madera | Incorporated town | Median $2,023,661 (three months to August 2026, Redfin); parts of the town sit on settling bay mud, protected by a flood berm and town-run storm pump stations |
| Sausalito | Incorporated city | Median $1,574,250 (September 2026, Redfin); its own Golden Gate Ferry route to San Francisco |
How Diamond Real Estate Group helps Tiburon buyers
A Tiburon purchase usually turns on three things the listing doesn’t show: what the hillside is doing, where the lot sits on the flood and fire maps, and what the permit history says about past additions. Before you commit, request the town and county records for the parcel, review the General Plan hazard maps, discuss suitable inspections with qualified specialists (geotechnical on slopes, sewer lateral and drainage on older homes), and check permit history for additions and decks. Also seek insurance quotes during the contingency period, because on some peninsula homes that’s the item that decides the deal.
- Agents who serve Tiburon: a disclosed list with each DRE license linked.
- Luxury and waterfront property across Marin and wine country.
- Selling a peninsula home and a private valuation if you own here already.
- Investment property: how long-term rental numbers look where short-term rentals are banned.
See also how we work with buyers from first search to closing.
Selling a home in Tiburon
Inside the town limits, the Town of Tiburon’s Building Division handles the report a sale triggers. Peninsula addresses outside the town follow Marin County rules, so confirm the parcel’s jurisdiction first.
What a Tiburon sale requires
- Residential Building Report: the owner must obtain it before any dwelling unit is sold or exchanged. It states the authorized use, occupancy and zoning and itemizes code deficiencies as mandatory or advisory. The fee is $250 for a single-family home; buildings with more units, or an ADU, pay $250 for the first unit plus $75 for each additional one. Reports are usually ready within 10 days of the inspection.
- Corrections: mandatory life-safety items must be fixed within 30 days of the close of escrow. Advisory items are optional.
- Sewer lateral: Sanitary District No. 5 serves Tiburon east of Gilmartin Drive and requires a camera (CCTV) inspection when a property is bought or sold. A lateral replaced within 20 years, or inspected within three years with repairs made, is exempt. The residential permit is $235. West of Gilmartin, ask which district serves the parcel and what it requires.
- Fire: Tiburon Fire’s inspection page offers home assessments but does not describe a resale inspection. In a High or Very High fire hazard zone, AB 38 defensible-space documentation is due by close of escrow; see our AB 38 guide.
- Plumbing fixtures: state law requires the seller to disclose in writing whether any non-water-conserving fixtures remain (Civil Code 1101.4).
Transfer tax
Tiburon levies no city transfer tax. The only one is Marin County’s, $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000). The seller customarily pays it in Diamond’s North Bay markets, but it is negotiable; our transfer tax guide explains the calculation.
What buyers here ask to see
On hillside lots, expect requests for geotechnical reports, retaining-wall and drainage permits, and permits for decks and additions. Read the town report before you list, because its deficiency list shows buyers where the permit record and the house differ. Near the Bel Aire flats and the shoreline, buyers ask for the FEMA flood zone and any elevation certificate. The Marin County selling requirements page compares Tiburon with neighboring towns, and a home valuation is the place to start pricing.
Sources for this section: Town of Tiburon: Residential Resale Reports; Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County: Lateral sewer inspections; Tiburon Fire Protection District: Fire inspections; Marin County Fire: What is an AB-38 inspection?; Marin County Assessor-Recorder: Fees (documentary transfer tax); California Public Law: Civil Code section 1101.4.
Tiburon real estate FAQs
What is the median home price in Tiburon, CA?
Redfin put the median sale price at $3,047,983 for August 2026, 1.2% higher than a year earlier, on 40 sales. That’s well above C.A.R.’s September 2026 Marin County single-family median of $1,678,750. Smaller homes and large view or waterfront estates sell side by side, so the median moves with the mix.
Is Tiburon its own town?
Yes. Tiburon is an incorporated town with its own Town Council and Planning Commission, and its current General Plan, Tiburon 2040, was adopted in May 2023. Some addresses on the Tiburon Peninsula sit outside the town limits, so check the parcel’s jurisdiction before relying on town rules.
Can I run an Airbnb or other vacation rental in Tiburon?
Not under the rules on record. The Town Council voted in 2015 to ban rentals of fewer than 30 days, and a May 2023 Town of Ross survey of Marin cities still listed Tiburon as prohibiting them, with fines and criminal charges among its enforcement tools. Rentals of 30 days or more are allowed. Confirm the current rule with the town before you buy.
Can I hire a property manager and lease my Tiburon home?
Yes, for leases of 30 days or more. Legal Aid of Marin’s list shows no local rent-control or just-cause ordinance for Tiburon, so the state’s Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) is the baseline where it applies; the town’s housing element called for a renter-protection ordinance, so check for any local rule too. Ask a property manager or attorney whether your home is exempt as a single-family house.
How long is the ferry from Tiburon to San Francisco?
Golden Gate Ferry runs the Tiburon–San Francisco route from downtown Tiburon; check the current schedule, in effect since April 13, 2026, for departure and crossing times. Separately, the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry crosses to Angel Island State Park in about 15 minutes from 21 Main Street.
Which school districts serve Tiburon?
Tiburon is in the Reed Union School District for kindergarten through eighth grade, with Reed Elementary, Bel Aire Elementary and Del Mar Middle schools, and the Tamalpais Union High School District for high school. Confirm assignments for a specific address with each district.
Is there a city transfer tax when I buy in Tiburon?
No. Tiburon doesn’t levy its own transfer tax, so the only one is Marin County’s $1.10 per $1,000 of value. In Marin, San Rafael is the only city the county lists with an extra city tax.
Are there landslide risks in Tiburon?
Yes, on parts of the hillsides. The town’s 2040 General Plan includes a landslide potential map, and storms in February 2019 caused several slides, including a road collapse on Vistazo West that limited access to eight homes. Ask for geotechnical reports and permit records on any hillside home, and budget for an engineer’s review.
Do Tiburon homes need flood insurance?
Only some. Federally regulated and federally backed lenders require it for homes in FEMA special flood hazard areas, so check the parcel’s zone on the FEMA map first. Low-lying parts of Bel Aire are inside Marin County Flood Control Zone 4, which runs pump stations and tide gates there, and the General Plan maps sea-level rise for downtown and the shoreline.
Are new homes being built in Tiburon?
New housing here runs through the town’s state-required 2023–2031 Housing Element. In October 2023 the state housing department found that plan in substantial compliance, provided the town rezoned its most contested site, a 9.6-acre parcel at 4576 Paradise Drive above Paradise Cay, by January 31, 2024 (HCD letter, December 2023). The Planning Commission recommended that rezoning for higher density by a 2-1 vote in October 2023 (The Ark). If you’re buying near a housing-element site, ask the town’s planning department what has been proposed or approved there.
Who provides fire protection in Tiburon?
The Tiburon Fire Protection District, which serves the Tiburon Peninsula and Belvedere and runs vegetation-management programs. Tiburon was excluded from the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority’s Measure C parcel tax, so that tax doesn’t appear on Tiburon bills.
Who provides sewer service?
Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County serves the Town of Tiburon and the City of Belvedere and issues the permits for work on private sewer laterals. On an older home, a camera inspection of the lateral is a sensible part of your inspection period.
How is Belvedere different from Tiburon?
Belvedere is a separate, much smaller city at the tip of the peninsula, with a Redfin median of $5,994,238 in June 2026 from only 14 sales. The two share a ZIP code, a fire district, a sewer district and a school district, but Belvedere has its own planning rules and its own levee and seawall projects. See our Belvedere homes for sale guide.
Sources & notes
- Redfin: Tiburon housing market (August 2026) and C.A.R.: September 2026 home sales and price report
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Tiburon town (2025 estimate; ACS 2020–2024)
- Town of Tiburon: General Plan and Tiburon 2040 General Plan (May 2023)
- Hotel Online: Tiburon bans short-term rentals (August 2015) and Town of Ross: short-term rentals staff report (May 2023)
- Tiburon Municipal Code, Chapter 7: transient occupancy tax (unofficial GoCodebook copy, text as of October 2026)
- The Ark: Tiburon declares emergency after back-to-back storms (February 2019)
- Marin County Flood Control District: Zone 4, Bel Aire
- Golden Gate Ferry: Tiburon schedule (effective April 13, 2026) and Angel Island Tiburon Ferry
- Tiburon Fire Protection District, Sanitary District No. 5 of Marin County, Reed Union School District and Tamalpais Union High School District
- Marin County Parks: Old Saint Hilary’s Preserve and Ring Mountain Preserve
- Marin County Assessor-Recorder: fees and transfer tax, Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority: Measure C and Office of the State Fire Marshal: AB 38 guidance
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 Tiburon Hillside Home: Site Access, Drainage and Structural Review
- Tiburon Condos and Townhomes: Ownership Boundaries, Reserves and Insurance
- Tiburon Renovation Research: Existing Permits, Site Work and Improvement Records
- Tiburon Homeownership Costs: Insurance, Utilities and Capital Maintenance
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