CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

38.02° N · 122.69° W · GEOID 0639283

Lagunitas-Forest Knolls

Marin County, California · part of the San Francisco, CA metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

CaliforniaLagunitas-Forest Knolls, CALagunitas-Forest KnollsLagunitas-Forest Knolls

The short answer

Lagunitas-Forest Knolls is home to 1,626 people. Median household income is $130,682 a year and median rent is $2,668 a month, 24.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $939,500, about 7.2x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,668
95% above the median place
Median household income
$130,682
63% above the median place
Median home value
$939,500
194% above the median place
Unemployment
6.1%
25% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Lagunitas-Forest Knolls

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 5.2% a year while rent rose -1.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 93% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Households average 1.95 people, smaller than in 95% of places its size.
  • The median home is valued at $939,500, more than in 95% of places its size.
  • The median resident is 53.6 years old, older than in 95% of places its size.
  • 29% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 92% of places its size.
01

Moving to Lagunitas-Forest Knolls

Marin County loses about 6.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in9,451
Moved out10,787
Net−1,336

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$235K
Leavers$167K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Marin County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.8% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Marin County report $234,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $166,700, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$106,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,668 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,951 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $939,500.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 29.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Cerritos, CA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving in7
$234,843
233% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$166,658
137% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLagunitas-Forest KnollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.8%2% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-6.3below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$234,843233% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$166,658137% above
02

What it costs to live here

Owner costs with a mortgage is $3,951, 111% above the median place.

Lagunitas-Forest Knolls24.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$106,720
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.5%
20% above the median place
Home price to income
7.2x
89% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
24%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$99,600
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, $2,668 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Southold, NY20.8% vs 24.5%n/aCompare
Watchung, NJ18.9% vs 24.5%n/aCompare
Manasquan, NJ17.0% vs 24.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lagunitas-Forest Knolls? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,951
111% above the median place
Median home value1
$939,500
194% above the median place
Median year built1
1959
1% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureLagunitas-Forest KnollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$2,66895% above
Rent to income124.5%20% above
Property tax rate10.7%29% below
Home price to income17.2x89% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure115.615% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$3,697129% above
HUD area median income4County figure$200,80087% above
Property tax paid (median)1$6,10187% above
Median home value1$939,500194% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-0.8%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure25.4%51% below
Homeownership176.4%15% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure55.6%10% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,951111% above
Vacant homes112.3%75% above
Median year built119591% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$82,979
107% above the median place
Works from home1
29.1%
133% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLagunitas-Forest KnollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$130,68263% above
Income per person1$82,979107% above
Unemployment1County figure6.1%25% above
Average annual pay6County figure$94,97544% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.5%59% below
Jobs6County figure110,07127% below
Poverty rate1County figure8.3%23% below
Mean commute132 min30% above
Works from home129.1%133% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 1.9, 22% below the median place.

Household size1
1.9
22% below the median place
Median age1
53.6
37% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
61.5%
92% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureLagunitas-Forest KnollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,6266646th largest
Median age153.637% above
Bachelor's or higher161.5%92% above
High school or higher196.6%5% above
Household size11.922% below
Born abroad1County figure19.6%122% above
No health insurance1County figure3.8%41% below
Homes with broadband194.6%3% above
05

Life in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls

56 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents30.8 3.0×
Playgrounds per 10k24.6 2.6×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k18.4 +65%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.4×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi3.8 18.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars25.4 +22%
Shops35.8 +18%
Arts, recreation and fitness12.1 3.0×
Doctors' offices and clinics34.6 +71%
Child care centers5.0 2.2×

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Child care centers per 10k8
5.0
117% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
12.1
195% above the median place
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
34.6
71% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureLagunitas-Forest KnollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure74above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure29,867above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure19.225% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure25.422% above
Shops per 10k8County figure35.818% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure12.1195% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure34.671% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure5.0117% above
Parks per 10k930.8202% above
Playgrounds per 10k924.6161% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k918.465% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails98.8340% above
Transit stops per sq mi93.8above (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure56331% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 72°F, 18% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lagunitas-Forest Knolls. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high12
72°F
18% below the median place
Tornado risk13
18.6
77% below the median place
January average low12
43°F
70% above the median place
All 8 weather and risk measures
MeasureLagunitas-Forest KnollsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure72°F18% below
January average low12County figure43°F70% above
Average temperature12County figure56°F3% above
Annual precipitation12County figure35.8 in18% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure96.44% above
Tornado risk13County figure18.677% below
Wildfire risk13County figure94.654% above
Heat wave risk13County figure74.617% below
08

Lagunitas-Forest Knolls in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 22% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 22% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,387/mo (2024)$2,980/mo$2,450 to $3,640/mo+3.8%
Median household income$130,682 (2024)$165,500$140,000 to $196,000+4.0%
Median home value$939,500 (2024)$1,262,000$916,000 to $1,738,000+5.0%

The median home would be worth 7.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Lagunitas-Forest Knolls

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Cerritos, CA$2,930$135,439Compare
Pismo Beach, CA$2,232$118,072Compare
Lakewood Ranch, FL$2,299$122,925Compare
Southold, NY$2,237$128,822Compare
Southold, NYLakewood Ranch, FLPismo Beach, CACerritos, CALagunitas-Forest Knolls, CALagunitas-Forest KnollsCerritosPismo BeachLakewood RanchSoutholdLagunitas-Forest KnollsCerritosPismo BeachLakewood RanchSouthold

Common questions

Is Lagunitas-Forest Knolls a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 5.2% a year while rent rose -1.5%, so pay gained on rent more than in 93% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. Households average 1.95 people, smaller than in 95% of places its size. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lagunitas-Forest Knolls expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $939,500.

What salary do you need to live in Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $106,720 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lagunitas-Forest Knolls?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cerritos, CA, Pismo Beach, CA, Lakewood Ranch, FL and Southold, NY.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lagunitas-Forest Knolls with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lagunitas-Forest Knolls itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lagunitas-forest-knolls-california

Citytistics. “Lagunitas-Forest Knolls, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lagunitas-forest-knolls-california/

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