Mill Valley is a medium-sized coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 13,792 people and six associated neighborhoods, Mill Valley is the 362nd largest community in California.

Mill Valley home prices are not only among the most expensive in California, but Mill Valley real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Of important note, Mill Valley is also a city of artists. Mill Valley has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Mill Valley’s character.

Also of interest is that Mill Valley has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

A relatively large number of people in Mill Valley telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 28.41% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

In addition, Mill Valley is home to many people who could be described as "urban sophisticates". Urban sophisticates are educated, wealthy, executives and professionals, who have urbane tastes in books, food, and travel, whether they actually live in a big city, or choose to reside in a small town. In big or medium-sized cities, urban sophisticates tend to frequent art institutions such as opera, symphonies, ballet, live theatre, and museums.

Mill Valley is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The city’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community. Finally, Mill Valley’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

Mill Valley is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Quite often, nautical areas such as these attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the scenery and various waterfront activities.

Despite being a small city, Mill Valley has a lot of people using the bus to get to and from work every day. Most of these people on the bus are using it to get to good jobs in other cities.

If knowledge is power, Mill Valley is a pretty powerful place. 75.90% of the adults in Mill Valley have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Mill Valley in 2022 was $120,154, which is wealthy relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $480,616 for a family of four.

Mill Valley is a somewhat ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Mill Valley home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Mill Valley residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Mill Valley include German, English, Irish, Italian, and French.

Foreign born people are also an important part of Mill Valley's cultural character, accounting for 16.61% of the city’s population.

The most common language spoken in Mill Valley is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and French.