We’re mapping where children and families in Marin City face the greatest barriers and connecting those places to the schools they attend. This mirrors the Canal Promise Neighborhood approach: start with place, layer on data, and translate insights into action with district and community partners.
The Process
Geography first. We identify high-need census tracts (e.g., Marin City, 1029) using indicators such as children living in poverty, median household income, percentage of renters, and percentage of people of color.
School linkages. For each tract, we list the zoned public schools (elementary/middle/high) serving families, layering on outcomes for 3rd grading, 8th grade math, and college readiness (UC/CSU a-g eligibility), as well as percentage of students of color.
Key Takeaways, Next Steps and Resources
Key Takeaways- Place matters — Marin City is an outlier right next to extreme wealth.
Within this Southeast Marin cluster, Marin City’s census tract stands out: median household income is about $56k, compared to roughly $140k–$250k in surrounding tracts. About 1 in 4 children in Marin City live in poverty, while most neighboring communities report 0–9% child poverty. At the same time, Marin City is home to the highest percentage of people of color (71%) and the highest share of renters (2/3 of households) in the cluster. - Healthy Places Index confirms what families already know.
The California Healthy Places Index (HPI) score for Marin City is much lower than nearby Tiburon, Belvedere, and Mill Valley, reflecting significant barriers in housing, healthcare access, social conditions, and economic opportunity—not just what happens inside school walls. - MLK students are starting far behind, even compared to nearby schools.
At Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, recent data show virtually no students of color meeting either 3rd grade reading or 8th grade math standards. In contrast, nearby schools serving more affluent communities report much higher proficiency rates. - This is a small community with big leverage.
Because Marin City is geographically compact and tightly connected through a small set of schools and community partners, targeted, coordinated investment here can move the needle quickly. Not only for education, but also for health, housing stability, and economic mobility.
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Continue on the path of selecting Marin City as our next place-based geography.
Use this map and the HPI data to align partners around Marin City as a priority geography, and make sure partners are looking at the same tract- and school-level data during plan sessions. -
Focus on early literacy and middle-grade math at MLK.
Work with SMCSD and community partners (tutoring, after-school, summer programs, family engagement) to set a short list of shared metrics (e.g., 3rd grade reading, 8th grade math, chronic absence) and test concrete strategies to boost them. -
Tighten the bridge from Marin City to Tamalpais High.
Use the tract-to-school map to clarify the default TK-8 → 9-12 pathway and co-design stronger transitions (e.g., summer bridge, 9th grade on-track monitoring) so Marin City students are actually positioned to benefit from the stronger outcomes we see at Tam High.
- Explore the range of programs and services partners are offering in Marin City (and the rest of the county) on our dashboard.
Mapping the Data
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Click a tract area to see its profile of key census-level data and the default school pathway (TK-8/9-12).
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Compare tracts to spot patterns in levels of student poverty, as well as student outcomes. Note: each tract is shaded based on the level of children living in poverty.
- Click school icons for additional information, including percentage of students of color, as well as outcomes data.
Census and School Data
California Healthy Places Index for Novato
Click image to dive deeper into the data
Marin City Community Map
- SoC = Students of Color
- Students of Color data from California Department of Education, 2024-25
- English Learner data from California Department of Education, 2024-25
- 3rd Grade Reading & 8th Grade Math outcomes from California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), 2024-25
- College Readiness (UC/CSU a-g eligibility) outcomes California Department of Education, 2024-25 Four-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate
- College Enrollment & Completion data from National Student Clearinghouse, 2024 Graduates
- Chronic Absence data from California Department of Education, 2024-25
- Census data from American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year
- % Children in Poverty reflects children under 18 below the federal poverty line (ACS)
