Canal West median real estate price is $1,505,285, which is more expensive than 83.3% of the neighborhoods in California and 96.6% of the neighborhoods in the U.S.
The average rental price in Canal West is currently $3,116, based on NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis. Rents here are currently lower in price than 53.0% of California neighborhoods.
Canal West is a densely urban neighborhood (based on population density) located in San Rafael, California.
Canal West real estate is primarily made up of small (studio to two bedroom) to medium sized (three or four bedroom) apartment complexes/high-rise apartments and small apartment buildings. Most of the residential real estate is renter occupied. Many of the residences in the Canal West neighborhood are older, well-established, built between 1940 and 1969. A number of residences were also built between 1970 and 1999.
In Canal West, the current vacancy rate is 0.0%, which is a lower rate of vacancies than 100.0% of all neighborhoods in the U.S. This means that the housing supply in Canal West is very tight compared to the demand for property here.
Many things matter about a neighborhood, but the first thing most people notice is the way a neighborhood looks and its particular character. For example, one might notice whether the buildings all date from a certain time period or whether shop signs are in multiple languages. This particular neighborhood in San Rafael, the Canal West neighborhood, has some outstanding things about the way it looks and its way of life that are worth highlighting.
Real Estate
93.3% of the real estate in the Canal West neighborhood is occupied by renters, which is nearly the highest rate of renter occupancy of any neighborhood in America. With a real estate vacancy rate of only 0.0%, the Canal West neighborhood has a lower vacancy rate than 100.0% of U.S. neighborhoods, a very elite group. Such a low vacancy rate may indicate very strong real estate demand in the neighborhood combined with some impediments to increasing supply, such as zoning or existing density of development, among other potential reasons.
In addition, the Canal West neighborhood is very unique in that it has one of the highest proportions of one, two, or no bedroom real estate of any neighborhood in America. Most neighborhoods have a mixture of home or apartment sizes from small to large, but here the concentration of studios and other small living spaces is at near-record heights. With 98.0% of the real estate here of this small size, this most assuredly is a notable feature that makes this neighborhood unique, along with just a handful of other neighborhoods in the U.S. that share this characteristic.
Furthermore, the Canal West neighborhood is very densely populated compared to most U.S. neighborhoods. In fact, with 60,636 persons per square mile in the neighborhood, it is more packed with people than 98.9% of the nation's neighborhoods.
Also of note, the real estate in the Canal West neighborhood really stands out in the way it looks for a unique reason: this neighborhood has a higher proportion of apartment complexes or high-rise apartments than nearly every neighborhood in the country. Most neighborhoods are a mixture of real estate and housing types, but here it is almost entirely dominated by big apartment buildings and complexes. In fact, 70.2% of the real estate here is classified as apartment complexes or high-rise apartments, which is more than is found in 95.1% of American neighborhoods.
Modes of Transportation
Our research shows that more people carpool to work here in the Canal West (43.6%) than in 99.9% of the neighborhoods in America.
Occupations
Each year, fewer and fewer Americans make their living as farmers, foresters, or fishers. But the Canal West neighborhood truly stands out among U.S. neighborhoods. According to exclusive NeighborhoodScout analysis, this neighborhood has a greater proportion of farmers, foresters, or fishers than 97.9% of all American neighborhoods. This is truly a unique cultural characteristic of this neighborhood.
Furthermore, from major sales accounts to fast-food workers, sales and service employees are often the backbone of the local economy. In the Canal West neighborhood, they truly stand out. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis identifies this neighborhood as having a higher percentage of sales and service workers than 96.9% of all American neighborhoods.
People
The Canal West neighborhood is unique for having just 6.3% of adults here having earned a bachelor's degree. This is a lower rate of college graduates than NeighborhoodScout found in 95.9% of America's neighborhoods.
In addition, with a nice mix of college students, safety from crime, and decent walkability, the Canal West neighborhood rates highly as a college student friendly place to live, and one that college students and their parents may want to consider. NeighborhoodScout's analysis shows that it rates more highly for a good place for college students to live than 85.9% of the neighborhoods in CA. This often also means that the area has certain amenities and services geared towards college students, from undergraduates to graduate students.
Migration / Stability
The freedom of moving to new places versus the comfort of home. How much and how often people move not only can create diverse and worldly neighborhoods, but simultaneously it can produce a loss of intimacy with one's surroundings and a lack of connectedness to one's neighbors. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive research has identified this neighborhood as unique with regard to the transience of its populace. What is interesting to note, is that the Canal West neighborhood has a greater percentage of residents born in another country (63.2%) than are found in 99.4% of all U.S. neighborhoods.
Diversity
Significantly, 85.2% of its residents five years old and above primarily speak Spanish at home. This is a higher percentage than 99.1% of all U.S. neighborhoods.
How wealthy a neighborhood is, from very wealthy, to middle income, to low income is very formative with regard to the personality and character of a neighborhood. Equally important is the rate of people, particularly children, who live below the federal poverty line. In some wealthy gated communities, the areas immediately surrounding can have high rates of childhood poverty, which indicates other social issues. NeighborhoodScout's analysis reveals both aspects of income and poverty for this neighborhood.
The neighbors in the Canal West neighborhood in San Rafael are middle-income, making it a moderate income neighborhood. NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis reveals that this neighborhood has a higher income than 49.0% of the neighborhoods in America. With 25.5% of the children here below the federal poverty line, this neighborhood has a higher rate of childhood poverty than 76.2% of U.S. neighborhoods.
A neighborhood is far different if it is dominated by enlisted military personnel rather than people who earn their living by farming. It is also different if most of the neighbors are clerical support or managers. What is wonderful is the sheer diversity of neighborhoods, allowing you to find the type that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.
In the Canal West neighborhood, 40.7% of the working population is employed in sales and service jobs, from major sales accounts, to working in fast food restaurants. The second most important occupational group in this neighborhood is manufacturing and laborer occupations, with 29.0% of the residents employed. Other residents here are employed in clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations (16.2%), and 7.6% in executive, management, and professional occupations.
Languages
The most common language spoken in the Canal West neighborhood is Spanish, spoken by 85.2% of households. Some people also speak English (11.2%).
Ethnicity / Ancestry
Boston's Beacon Hill blue-blood streets, Brooklyn's Orthodox Jewish enclaves, Los Angeles' Persian neighborhoods. Each has its own culture derived primarily from the ancestries and culture of the residents who call these neighborhoods home. Likewise, each neighborhood in America has its own culture – some more unique than others – based on lifestyle, occupations, the types of households – and importantly – on the ethnicities and ancestries of the people who live in the neighborhood. Understanding where people came from, who their grandparents or great-grandparents were, can help you understand how a neighborhood is today.
In the Canal West neighborhood in San Rafael, CA, residents most commonly identify their ethnicity or ancestry as Mexican (33.6%). There are also a number of people of Asian ancestry (1.8%). In addition, 63.2% of the residents of this neighborhood were born in another country.
How you get to work – car, bus, train or other means – and how much of your day it takes to do so is a large quality of life and financial issue. Especially with gasoline prices rising and expected to continue doing so, the length and means of one's commute can be a financial burden. Some neighborhoods are physically located so that many residents have to drive in their own car, others are set up so many walk to work, or can take a train, bus, or bike. The greatest number of commuters in Canal West neighborhood spend between 15 and 30 minutes commuting one-way to work (35.2% of working residents), which is shorter than the time spent commuting to work for most Americans.
Here most residents (43.6%) carpool with coworkers, friends, or neighbors to get to work. In addition, quite a number also drive alone in a private automobile to get to work (38.4%) and 10.0% of residents also ride the bus for their daily commute. Despite relying on the automobile to get to work, residents of this neighborhood share the ride more than most neighborhoods, reducing traffic, pollution, and saving money.
