Mill Valley may be a small city with just 14,000 residents, according to the Data USA, but it’s a place where residents want to live. Cars drive slow, and most shops don’t stay open late. The relaxing atmosphere is made even more serene thanks to the vast greenspaces and its proximity to Mount Tamalpais. If you’re looking to purchase a home in this Bay Area city, here are five things you should know. 

Depot Plaza in Mill Valley photo courtesy of Frank Schulenburg 

Excellent Schools

Students who attend Mill Valley’s public schools consistently perform well on state exams, according to an article in the New York Times. At Old Mill Elementary School, 82 percent of students met English standards on the 2014-2015 state tests—compared to just 49 percent statewide. In math, 83 percent of Old Mill students met standards, while 37 percent met them statewide. At Tamalpais High School, the average combined SAT score in 2015 was 1,725, out of a then-total of 2,400—versus 1,473 statewide. Overall, the district has an abundance of high-ranking schools.

Easy Commutes

North of the Golden Gate Bridge, Mill Valley is a popular choice among commuters who work in San Francisco. Unfortunately, BART doesn’t currently provide service to Mill Valley, but commuters have the option of taking a bus on the Marin Transit and then transferring to a bus on the Golden Gate Transit. For those opting to drive, Downtown San Francisco is approximately 14 miles away on Highway US-101. A quick trip across the Golden Gate, and you’re at work. For those working in Berkeley, the I-580 will get you to your destination in approximately 21 miles, and to Oakland, the drive is just a little bit farther at 25 miles.

Low Inventory

While Mill Valley may be a sought-after place to live, you won’t find a very diverse array of real estate options. Condos are rare in Mill Valley, and most of the city’s available inventory is made up of single-family homes. New construction projects also face Mill Valley’s strict preservation laws, which discourage tearing down properties, according to theNew York Times report. Buildable land is also hard to come by, and this scarcity has contributed to the low inventory in Mill Valley and throughout Marin County as a whole. However, there’s hope for those looking for more reasonably priced options in the city.

High Median Sale Price

Prices in Marin County are consistently increasing. According to the Marin Independent Journal reports, the median home price is now over $1.189 million. In November 2017, the journal also reported that a $247,130 household income was needed to be able to afford a median priced home in the city. While these prices surely aren’t for the faint of heart, it’s still a significant chunk less than what you’d pay for a home in San Francisco. Fortune reports San Francisco’s median home price rose 14.5 percent over the past year and now sits at a whopping $1.6 million.

Charming Commercial District

Mill Valley may have a small-town feel, but that doesn’t mean there’s a scarcity of things to do. The commercial district, which is generally considered the area along Throckmorton Avenue between Madrona Street and Blithedale Avenue, is home to plenty of interesting boutiques, quaint art galleries, trendy restaurants, and multiple places of entertainment. Interestingly, Mill Valley also has some strong ties to the music industry. Bob Weir, the guitarist of Grateful Dead, helped to revive the local music bar Sweetwater and turn it into Sweetwater Music Hall. Sammy Hagar, Van Halen’s former lead singer, used to own a steakhouse in Mill Valley called El Paseo, which is now closed down.