What is the rental vacancy rate in San Rafael, CA?

Name: Vacancy rate in San Rafael, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in San Rafael, CA is 1.9% (±1.2 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 1.4% (±1.0 points).

999 (±325) homes, 4.2% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In San Rafael, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.8% in 2015–2019 to 1.9% in 2020–2024 (−1.9 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 1.9% (±1.2 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 1.4% (±1.0 points)
Vacant homes: 999 (±325)

Vacancy in San Rafael against Marin County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Rafael	Marin County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	1.9% (±1.2 points)	3.8% (±1.0 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	1.4% (±1.0 points)	0.8% (±0.4 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	999 (±325)	9,098 (±725)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In San Rafael, the rental vacancy rate is lower than in Marin County (3.8%).

It is also lower than in California (4.2%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near San Rafael

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Rafael
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
San Rafael	—	1.9% (±1.2 points)	—
Santa Venetia	1.7 mi	0.0% (±8.0 points)	Not measurably different
Larkspur	3.1 mi	0.0% (±1.3 points)	Lower
Ross	3.2 mi	0.0% (±31.0 points)	Not measurably different
Corte Madera	3.4 mi	0.0% (±3.3 points)	Not measurably different
San Anselmo	3.4 mi	3.1% (±5.3 points)	Not measurably different
Kentfield	4.2 mi	4.5% (±7.0 points)	Not measurably different
Fairfax	4.8 mi	4.4% (±6.3 points)	Not measurably different
Sleepy Hollow	4.9 mi	0.0% (±26.5 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Larkspur, CA (0.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across Marin County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
7	Fairfax	4.4% (±6.3 points)
8	Tiburon	4.3% (±7.2 points)
9	Mill Valley	3.3% (±5.6 points)
10	San Anselmo	3.1% (±5.3 points)
11	Marin City	3.0% (±3.9 points)
12	Novato	2.0% (±1.3 points)
13	San Rafael	1.9% (±1.2 points)
14	Belvedere	1.4% (±2.5 points)
15 (tie)	Corte Madera	0.0% (±3.3 points)
15 (tie)	Larkspur	0.0% (±1.3 points)
15 (tie)	Ross	0.0% (±31.0 points)
15 (tie)	Alto	0.0% (±16.2 points)
15 (tie)	Black Point-Green Point	0.0% (±32.0 points)

Showing 13 of 24 places in Marin County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about San Rafael

Is it hard to find a rental in San Rafael?

The rental vacancy rate in San Rafael, CA is 1.9% (±1.2 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in San Rafael tighter than it was?

In San Rafael, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.8% in 2015–2019 to 1.9% in 2020–2024 (−1.9 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in San Rafael?

An estimated 999 (±325) housing units, 4.2% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for San Rafael city, California (place:68364, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.