| Coordinates | 38°14′47″N 122°54′20″W |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| County | Marin |
| County Board | District 4 Dennis Rodoni[1] |
| State Senator | [2] |
| Assemblymember | [2] |
| U. S. Rep. | [3] |
| Unit pref | US |
| Area total | 0.859 km² |
| Area total | 0.332 sq mi |
| Area land | 0.859 km² |
| Area land | 0.332 sq mi |
| Area water | 0 km² |
| Area water | 0 sq mi |
| Area water percent | 0 |
| Elevation | 27 m |
| Elevation | 89 ft |
| Population total | 187 |
| Population as of | 2020 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Time zone (DST) | PDT (UTC-7) |
| ZIP code | 94971 |
| Area code | 707 |
Tomales is a census-designated place (CDP) on State Route 1 in Marin County, California, United States. The population was 187 at the 2020 census.[4]
Geography
Tomales is located above Keys Creek, approximately 3 mi (5 km) northeast of Tomales Bay. The nearest city is Petaluma, 16 miles (26 km) to the east by road, and the nearest large city is San Francisco, about 75 minutes (58 miles (93 km)) to the south.[5]
The CDP has a total area of 0.33 square miles (0.85 km2), all land.[6]
History
When Europeans first reached Tomales Bay, it was home to Coast Miwok people. Numerous authenticated Miwok villages are known from this area, including one (named Utumia) sited near the present-day town of Tomales.[7]
The "Tomalles" post office opened in 1854, and changed its spelling to "Tomales" before 1879.[8]
Starting in the 1870s, Tomales was a stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad connecting Cazadero to the Sausalito ferry.
Built near the San Andreas Fault, Tomales was affected by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. One of the town's two cemeteries predates the earthquake, and the damage to the pre-1906 plots shows just how widespread the quake's effects were.
Demographics
Tomales first appeared as a census designated place in the 2000 U.S. census.[9]
Racial and ethnic composition
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[10] | Pop 2010[11] | Pop 2020[12] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 198 | 184 | style='background: #ffffe6; |157 | 94.29% | 90.20% | style='background: #ffffe6; |83.96% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1 | 0 | style='background: #ffffe6; |0 | 0.48% | 0.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 2 | 3 | style='background: #ffffe6; |4 | 0.95% | 1.47% | style='background: #ffffe6; |2.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3 | 4 | style='background: #ffffe6; |4 | 1.43% | 1.96% | style='background: #ffffe6; |2.14% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | style='background: #ffffe6; |0 | 0.00% | 0.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; |0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0 | style='background: #ffffe6; |1 | 0.00% | 0.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; |0.53% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1 | 4 | style='background: #ffffe6; |7 | 0.48% | 1.96% | style='background: #ffffe6; |3.74% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5 | 9 | style='background: #ffffe6; |14 | 2.38% | 4.41% | style='background: #ffffe6; |7.49% |
| Total | 210 | 204 | style='background: #ffffe6; |187 | 100.00% | 100.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00% |
2020
The 2020 United States census reported that Tomales had a population of 187. The population density was 563.3 inhabitants per square mile (217.5 /km2). The racial makeup of Tomales was 157 (84.0%) White, 0 (0.0%) African American, 4 (2.1%) Native American, 5 (2.7%) Asian, 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander, 8 (4.3%) from other races, and 13 (7.0%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14 persons (7.5%).[13]
The census reported that 182 people (97.3% of the population) lived in households, 5 (2.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.[13]
There were 86 households, out of which 17 (19.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 44 (51.2%) were married-couple households, 4 (4.7%) were cohabiting couple households, 17 (19.8%) had a female householder with no partner present, and 21 (24.4%) had a male householder with no partner present. 22 households (25.6%) were one person, and 18 (20.9%) were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.12.[13] There were 57 families (66.3% of all households).[14]
The age distribution was 16 people (8.6%) under the age of 18, 8 people (4.3%) aged 18 to 24, 38 people (20.3%) aged 25 to 44, 63 people (33.7%) aged 45 to 64, and 62 people (33.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57.2 years. There were 90 males and 97 females.[13]
There were 108 housing units at an average density of 325.3 /mi2, of which 86 (79.6%) were occupied. Of these, 53 (61.6%) were owner-occupied, and 33 (38.4%) were occupied by renters.[13]
2010
At the 2010 census Tomales had a population of 204. The population density was 614.9 inhabitants per square mile (237.4 /km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.6% White, 1.5% Native American, 2.0% Asian, and 2.0% from two or more races. 4.4% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.[15]
The census reported that 100% of the population lived in households.
There were 99 households, 13 (13.1%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 47 (47.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 9 (9.1%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2 (2.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 10 (10.1%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 1 (1.0%) same-sex married couple or partnership. 32 households (32.3%) were one person and 6 (6.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.06. There were 58 families (58.6% of households); the average family size was 2.55.
The age distribution was 22 people (10.8%) under the age of 18, 12 people (5.9%) aged 18 to 24, 43 people (21.1%) aged 25 to 44, 93 people (45.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 34 people (16.7%) who were 65 or older. The median age was 50.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.2 males.
There were 122 housing units at an average density of 367.7 inhabitants per square mile (142.0 /km2), of which 59.6% were owner-occupied and 40.4% were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.0%. 61.8% of the population lived in owner-occupied housing units and 38.2% lived in rental housing units.
2000
At the 2000 census, the median household income was $51,953 and the median family income was $52,708. Males had a median income of $41,607 versus $46,389 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $26,609. None of the families and 14.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.[16]
Education
The CDP is served by the Shoreline Unified School District.[17] Shoreline USD operates Tomales Elementary School and Tomales High School. The high school is the largest employer in Tomales and has a student body of approximately 190 from northwestern Marin County and southwestern Sonoma County.
In popular culture
Much of the 2001 movie Bandits was filmed in and around Tomales,[18] as were the opening shots of Mumford (1999),[19] and parts of Scream (1996),[20] and Village of the Damned (1995).[21]
References
- ^ "County of Marin District 4 webpage". County of Marin. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ "Final Maps | California Citizens Redistricting Commission". Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ Retrieved October 19, 2025.
- ^ "P1. Race – Tomales CDP, California: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ "Google Maps". Retrieved 2007-12-01.
- ^ "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files: California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Miwok Indian Tribe". Access Genealogy. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ^
- ^ "2000 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - California". United States Census Bureau. Archived March 22, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. – via Wayback Machine
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Tomales CDP, California". United States Census Bureau
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Tomales CDP, California". United States Census Bureau
- ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Tomales CDP, California". United States Census Bureau
- ^ "Tomales CDP, California; DP1: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ "Tomales CDP, California; P16: Household Type - 2020 Census of Population and Housing". US Census Bureau. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: CA - Tomales CDP". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Marin County, CA". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2024-12-07. - Text list
- ^ "Filming locations for Bandits (2001)". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ^ filminamerica.com
- ^ "Filming locations for Scream (1996/I)". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
- ^ John Carpenter website Archived 2008-03-09 at the Wayback Machine