Mill Valley is a city located in Marin County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 13,600. It is about 15 minutes north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. It is the hometown of rock star Huey Lewis and the fictional character B.J. Hunnicutt from the TV show M*A*S*H. In the fictional Star Trek universe, it is home to the 602 Club.

Geography and early history

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.5 km² (4.8 mi²). 12.2 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.28% water.

Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay . Beyond the flat coastal area, it occupies narrow wooded canyons, mostly of second-growth redwoods, on the eastern slopes of Mount Tamalpais.

The city is named for a saw mill established by John Reed in the 19th century, the site of which is now Old Mill Park. When the wooded area had been completely logged over, it was divided into small and irregular building lots, which were sold at auction. Many of the vacation homes built at that time were converted to residences during the Great Depression of the 1930s, especially after the Golden Gate Bridge eased access to San Francisco. It is now an affluent residential suburb, much of which is reached by narrow, winding roads built in the early 20th century.

The city's public library is located in Old Mill Park, and is generally considered to be one of the most scenic libraries in the Bay Area (in terms of its heavily wooded surroundings which patrons can enjoy a view of through the large windows).

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 13,600 people, 6,147 households, and 3,417 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,112.5/km² (2,883.1/mi²). There are 6,286 housing units at an average density of 514.2/km² (1,332.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 91.43% White, 0.99% African American, 0.25% Native American, 4.14% Asian, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 3.47% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 6,147 households out of which 27.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% are married couples living together, 7.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.4% are non-families. 34.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.85.

In the city the population is spread out with 21.2% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 32.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 44 years. For every 100 females there are 86.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $90,794, and the median income for a family is $119,669. Males have a median income of $94,800 versus $52,088 for females. The per capita income for the city is $64,179. 4.5% of the population and 2.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. The median single-family home price in the city was $1,495,000 as of January 2005.

Points of Interest

• Mount Tamalpais
• Edgewood Botanic Garden
• Golden Gate Baptist Seminary

External links

• City of Mill Valley web site