Mill Valley, CA Cost Of Living

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Cost Of Living In Mill Valley, CA Summary

Cost of living in Mill Valley research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Mill Valley is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.

On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:

  • The cost of living index in Mill Valley is 300, with 100 being the average.

  • The cost of living index in Mill Valley is 3.0x higher than the national average.

  • Mill Valley ranks as the #609 cheapest in California out of 634.

  • Mill Valley ranks as the #6,463 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.

  • The median home value in Mill Valley is $1,944,158.

  • The median income in Mill Valley is $208,466.

Table Of Contents

  1. Summary
  2. National Comparison
  3. Housing Breakdown
  4. Detailed Pricing
  5. Nearby Comparisons
300
Mill Valley's Overall Cost Of Living
3.0x
Higher Than The National Average

What is the cost of living in Mill Valley, CA?

According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Mill Valley has an overall cost of living index of 300, which is 3.0x higher than the national index of 100.

Compared to California, Mill Valley has a cost of living index that's 2.1x higher than California's index of 141.

The standard of living in Mill Valley ranks as #609 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Mill Valley ranks as the #25 most expensive place in the Golden State.

For more reading on life in Mill Valley, check out:

609 out of 634
In California
6,463 out of 6,489
In America

Mill Valley Cost Of Living Vs. California

Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Mill Valley. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:

  • The Services index in Mill Valley is 121.

  • The Groceries index in Mill Valley is 124.

  • The Health index in Mill Valley is 125.

  • The Housing index in Mill Valley is 703.

  • The Transportation index in Mill Valley is 133.

  • The Utilities index in Mill Valley is 137.

Living Expense Mill Valley California National Average
Overall 300 141 100
Services 121 110 100
Groceries 124 112 100
Health 125 110 100
Housing 703 195 100
Transportation 133 125 100
Utilities 137 128 100
For more reading on cost of living around California, check out:
Mill Valley Cost of Living Vs. CA

Mill Valley, CA Housing Cost Breakdown

Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:

  • The Median Home Value in Mill Valley is $1,944,158.

  • The Median Rent in Mill Valley is $3,313.

  • The Median Income in Mill Valley is $208,466.

  • The Home Value To Income in Mill Valley is 9.3x.

  • The Rent To Monthly Income in Mill Valley is 0.19x.

Statistic Mill Valley California United States
Median Home Value $1,944,158 $763,287 $303,400
Median Rent $3,313 $1,956 $1,348
Median Income $208,466 $96,334 $78,538
Home Value To Income 9.3x 7.9x 3.9x
Rent To Monthly Income 0.19x 0.24x 0.21x
$1,944,158
Median Home Value
$3,313
Median Rent
$208,466
Median Income

Mill Valley, CA Costs By Category

Detailed Mill Valley Services Costs Vs. California

Item Mill Valley California
Shampoo $1.65 $1.28
Movie $16.02 $12.13
Bowling $24.01 $18
Haircut $28.38 $24.26
Beauty Salon $85.43 $45.56

Detailed Mill Valley Groceries Costs Vs. California

Item Mill Valley California
Ground Beef $6.23 $5.84
Fried Chicken $2.11 $1.57
Milk $5.18 $4.67
Potatoes $4.98 $4.93
Pizza $15.74 $12.09
Beer $11.21 $10.41
Toothpaste $4.09 $3.7

Detailed Mill Valley Health Costs Vs. California

Item Mill Valley California
Optometrist $159.79 $125.68
Doctor $174.45 $135.78
Dentist $155.36 $113.29

Detailed Mill Valley Transportation Costs Vs. California

Item Mill Valley California
Gasoline $4.63 $3.46
Tire Balancing $75.33 $59.92

Detailed Mill Valley Utilities Costs Vs. California

Item Mill Valley California
All Electricity $298.77 $193.99
Phone $203.63 $192.25

Mill Valley SnackAbility

10
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9.5/10
Housing
10
Affordability
5
Diversity
6
Safety
8
Amenities
9
Education
10
Commute
3

Cost Of Living In Cities Around Mill Valley

The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Mill Valley. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:

  • South San Francisco, CA has a cost of living index of 213, 0.7x Mill Valley.

  • Hercules, CA has a cost of living index of 173, 0.6x Mill Valley.

  • Larkspur, CA has a cost of living index of 257, 0.9x Mill Valley.

City Population Cost Of Living Vs. Mill Valley
South San Francisco, CA 64,487 213 0.7x
Hercules, CA 26,245 173 0.6x
Larkspur, CA 12,856 257 0.9x
San Anselmo, CA 12,711 235 0.8x
Tamalpais-Homestead Valley, CA 12,153 266 0.9x
Piedmont, CA 11,012 340 1.1x
Corte Madera, CA 10,101 260 0.9x
Fairfax, CA 7,523 205 0.7x
Sausalito, CA 7,171 276 0.9x
Kentfield, CA 7,128 336 1.1x

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