What it's like to live in Marina
Marina is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Marina deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Clean air
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High student-teacher ratio
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Marina compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Marina
Based on Marina's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,202
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $84,040 a year
- 47% of Marina renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$163,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $81,870
- Homes cost 8.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 49% above US
$2,101/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,101 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $818,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $818,700 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
353 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1271/100k · Marina Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 71°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
38% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (36 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Marina's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,101/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Marina
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