San Rafael

San Rafael is the seat of Marin County, a place of steep wooded hills, a historic downtown, and some of the highest costs of living in the country, with average household income topping $130,000 even as rents push far beyond what many can afford. That wealth sits right alongside real need: Marin County's 2024 point-in-time count found 1,308 people experiencing homelessness, and San Rafael, as the county's largest city, carries a significant share of that number. St. Vincent de Paul of Marin runs a dining room and services right in San Rafael and is one of the most reliable places to get a hot meal and connect with case workers. Ritter Center offers medical care, showers, and support for people without stable housing, and the Marin Community Clinics can help if you need low-cost health care. Homeward Bound of Marin operates shelter and transitional housing programs and is worth reaching out to if you're trying to get off the street for good. This is a hard place to be poor in, but there are people here who show up for that work every day, and you don't have to figure it out alone.