Monterey, CA vs San Rafael, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Monterey

62.7

#1834 nationally

San Rafael

58.5

#1954 nationally

Monterey leads in crime level (10.5 vs 15.3). Monterey leads in average commute (19.1 min vs 27.5 min). San Rafael leads in median household income ($113,839 vs $98,003).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Monterey, CA	San Rafael, CA
WhereAtHome Score	62.7 (#1834)	58.5 (#1954)
Population	29,116	59,555
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$1,179,065	$1,332,023
Median Household Income	$98,003	$113,839
Average Commute	19.1 min	27.5 min
Walk Score	53	53
Crime Level	10.5	15.3
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	192	213
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+29.9	D+63.9