7 Reasons To Raise Your Kids In Marin
When tech executive Jeff Leh’s three kids were little, he and his wife Aubrey decided they wanted out of the bustle of San Francisco. They wanted to live somewhere that offered more open spaces for their kids to explore, and freedom from the stress of clamoring for a highly selective city school. After extensive research, they settled in Kentfield, a town in Marin County just twenty minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge with gorgeous vistas of Mt. Tamalpais and a year round climate.
Three years later, the sales VP couldn’t be happier with his choice. “This area has tons of amenities to offer families,” Jeff shares. “Where else are you going to find amazing nature trails right out the door, and yet you’re only a half hour from a night out in the city?”
But don’t take Jeff’s word for it. There’s plenty of solid data pointing to why so many families would recommend moving to Marin County.
1. Top Tiered Public and Private Schools
Say goodbye to anxious school lotteries and onerous waitlists. Marin County features some of the top scoring schools in the state, with most towns boasting public schools that rank in the top 10% in California. Whether you choose a stellar private school or a gold ribbon public school, Marin schools are known to foster a high-level of parent involvement and to attract top talent teachers.
2. Ranked the healthiest county in California.
Get out of the congestion and fumes, and live longer! Out of 57 counties in California, Marin County has been consistently ranked the healthiest county in California for nearly a decade by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was recently pegged as the nation’s healthiest county for children by U.S. News & World Report, and has the longest life expectancy of any county in the nation.
3. 156,000 acres of open space.
Live somewhere that encourages exercise and healthy living. There’s a reason the sport of mountain biking was born in Marin County. With more open space per square mile than any other CA county, Marin County turns everyone into outdoor enthusiasts, which is a plus for your family. According to numerous studies having regular access to nature is good for a growing brain, makes people happier and relieves anxiety and stress.
4. Weather that will have you leaving your North Face home.
Enjoy summer as it was meant to be. If you’ve never ventured north of Mill Valley or Sausalito, you might not realize that unlike Southern Marin, much of the county has sunnier weather year round. Contrary to summer-fogged-San Francisco, in many quaint Marin towns, summer really is summer and swimming pools are a magnet for indoor-outdoor entertaining.
5. Locally sourced food
Eat healthy. With a tradition of small farms and local food producers, from Cowgirl Creamery to Marin Sun Farms, Marin County offers ample choices for locally sourced food—including 15 year-round farmer’s markets. The trend towards healthy eating trickles down to local school districts, with many Marin schools offering healthy local food and produce from their school gardens in their cafeterias.
6. Commute with a view
Whether you commute to the city by boat, from one of three Ferry terminals in Marin, or travel via the Golden Gate Bridge, your ride to work every day will feature gorgeous vistas and breathtaking back drops. (Not to mention a no-host bar if you choose the Ferry.)
7. Take advantage of 100 years of advocacy by hikers and environmental groups.
Marin County’s 600 miles of hiking trails and 22 pristine beaches are no accident. The county has a long history—dating back to John Muir—of environmental activism. These deeply engaged pioneers fought long and hard to keep commercial enterprises from developing 80% of the county, so that Mt. Tam, Muir Woods and the entire Pt. Reyes National seashore are ours to enjoy.