Marin County

On the northern side of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge lies Marin County, home to eclectic groups of people, lifestyles and communities. Marin's physical beauty, coupled with its close proximity to San Francisco has made the county one of the most sought after places to live in the Bay Area. From houseboats in Sausalito to the tonier enclaves of Ross and Belvedere thence to the peaceful agricultural lands of West Marin, one senses different physical landscapes that Marinites have resolved over the years to preserve.

Limiting the development of land for housing in Marin has elevated the average price of a single family residence in 2007 to $1,223,678 which causes sticker shock for many. However, the good news is that housing prices in Marin are more stable than other places in the Bay Area, for example, Silicon Valley home prices ride the waves with the technology sector of the economy. Marin County does not have much in the way of secondary industry, it tends to be more of a bedroom community for the financial market workers of San Francisco.

Marin residents make greater use of the rich cultural life of the City of San Francisco than other Bay Area communities, and San Francisco residents use Marin's magnificent national parks and open spaces for their recreational outdoor activities.