What a Mill Valley agent helps you decide
Mill Valley is a small city, about 14,000 residents in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey, but the 94941 ZIP that carries its name holds about 32,700 people. Much of that ZIP sits outside city limits in unincorporated places such as Strawberry, Homestead Valley and Tam Valley. Prices are high across all of it: Zillow's typical home value for the city was $2,178,610 in September 2026, and Redfin's median sale price for the whole ZIP was $2,019,407 over the three months to September.
A good local agent earns their fee here on three questions. Is the address inside the city or in the county, which changes who handles permits, policing and some taxes? Is a detached house within reach, or is a condo or townhouse the realistic route? And how far above list will this particular home go? In the 94941 ZIP, homes sold for 105.0% of list price on average in the three months to September 2026, and 49.3% sold above asking (Redfin). Pricing an offer or a listing from the asking price alone will usually miss.
Buying a home in Mill Valley
Redfin counted 83 sales in ZIP 94941 in the three months to September 2026, 62 of them single-family houses at a median of $2,254,431. Here are the checks that shape a purchase here.
Mill Valley buyers: run the monthly cost first
At Freddie Mac's 30-year average of 7.24% (week of October 29, 2026), 20% down on the city's Redfin median of $1,849,119 is $369,824, and principal and interest on the remaining $1,479,295 come to about $10,081 a month. The 1% base property tax adds about $1,541 a month before local bonds and parcel taxes. Get a full pre-approval before touring, because sellers here compare offers on terms as well as price.
Mill Valley buyers: city limits or unincorporated 94941
A Mill Valley mailing address does not mean the home is in the city. The city's evacuation page, for example, files Homestead Valley and Tam Valley under its Southern Marin maps rather than the Mill Valley set. Ask the county assessor's parcel record or the listing agent which jurisdiction applies, and read the tax bill for the special assessments that come with it.
Mill Valley buyers: houses, condos or townhouses
Condos are the main lower-priced route. Redfin's median condo sale in 94941 was $1,319,961 (13 sales) and the median townhouse $1,500,002 (5 sales) in the three months to September 2026, against $2,254,431 for houses. Most condos sit near Seminary Drive, Shelter Bay Avenue and Miller Avenue; our Mill Valley condo guide covers them.
Mill Valley buyers: offers in an above-list market
Spring is the tightest season. In the three months to June 2026, the 94941 median reached $2,445,000, homes sold in a median 11 days and the average sale closed at 108.5% of list (Redfin). By September the median had eased to $2,019,407 with 19 days on market. Ask your agent for the last six months of closed sales on similar streets, with each one's list price, sale price and days on market.
Mill Valley buyers: inspect an older, hillside house
Census estimates show 28.2% of the city's homes were built in 1939 or earlier and only 6.5% since 2010. Budget for a general inspection plus foundation, drainage, sewer lateral and roof reports, and check permits for past additions. Our guide to buying a house in California explains the contract periods.
Selling a home in Mill Valley
Sellers are still in a strong position. Redfin put months of supply in 94941 at 1.9 in the three months to September 2026, with inventory down 32.2% on a year earlier and 53.2% of homes going under contract within two weeks.
Mill Valley sellers: choose the season
The ZIP's three-month median ran from $1,870,000 in the period to January 2026 to $2,450,000 in the period to May. Sales volume follows the same curve, from 50 sales in the period to February to 132 in the period to June. Listing in spring puts your home in front of the most buyers, though it also means more competing listings.
Mill Valley sellers: price from your own home type
Redfin's median price per square foot in 94941 was $1,171.76 for houses and $873.52 for condos in the three months to September 2026. A citywide figure blends very different homes, so ask for a comparative market analysis built from your street, size and condition. Our Mill Valley housing market report tracks the numbers monthly.
Mill Valley sellers: disclosures and your net
Order the natural hazard report before listing: much of Mill Valley is wooded and steep, and buyers will ask about fire zone status, defensible space and flood exposure. Then work out your net after commission, escrow, title and transfer taxes; see our California seller disclosure guide and California closing costs guide.
Mill Valley areas at a glance
Zillow publishes typical values for 14 neighborhoods in and around Mill Valley. All figures below are for September 2026; our Mill Valley neighborhoods guide profiles each one, and the Mill Valley ZIP code page covers 94941 as a whole.
Mill Valley's top tier: Warner Canyon, Kite Hill, Scott Valley and Sycamore
Warner Canyon/Kite Hill had the highest Zillow typical value at $2,984,557, up 12.6% in a year. Scott Valley was $2,933,772 and Sycamore/Tamalpais Park $2,877,254, the largest one-year gain on Zillow's list at 15.9%.
Downtown Mill Valley and the canyons
Downtown/Lytton Square was $2,224,971, up 6.9%. The canyon areas cost more: Blithedale Canyon $2,728,404 and Cascade Canyon $2,594,924. The Mill Valley Public Library at 375 Throckmorton Avenue and Old Mill Park anchor this part of town.
Miller Avenue, Alto and Almonte
Miller/Molino, along the Miller Avenue corridor, was $2,247,140. Alto was $2,081,013 and Almonte $1,869,539, one of the lower entry points on Zillow's list.
Homestead Valley, Tam Valley and Muir Woods Park
West of the city core, Homestead Valley was $2,217,341, Tamalpais Valley $1,990,233 (up 13.3%) and Muir Woods Park $1,799,331. Check the jurisdiction for any address in these areas before you budget for taxes and permits.
Strawberry and the bayfront
Strawberry, an unincorporated peninsula, was $2,261,853. In June 2026 the county approved 337 homes plus senior housing on the former seminary land off Seminary Drive, according to Bay City News. Bayfront/Enchanted Knolls/Shelter Ridge had the lowest typical value, $1,132,073, reflecting its many condos.
Local property checks before you buy in Mill Valley
- Fire zone and evacuation. Updated state fire hazard maps place parts of Mill Valley in the very high zone, where the new Zone 0 ember-resistant rules apply, according to the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce. Look up the address on CAL FIRE's map, download the city's neighborhood evacuation map, and read our California wildfire zones guide.
- Flooding. The city warns that lower Miller Avenue, Camino Alto and the Sycamore Park neighborhood can flood when king tides meet heavy runoff, and that tides can affect the Manzanita ramps to Highway 101. Check the FEMA flood map for any low-lying parcel.
- Parcel taxes. Mill Valley School District's Measure E, passed in June 2026, set a parcel tax of $1,754 a year from July 2026, rising 5% a year from July 2027 (The Ark). The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority's Measure C charges up to 10 cents per building square foot. The city's Municipal Services Tax is up for renewal on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Read the full tax bill, not just the 1% rate, and see our Marin County property tax guide.
- Insurance. Get quotes before removing contingencies. If carriers decline, the California FAIR Plan is the fallback; our homeowners insurance guide covers the options.
How to choose a real estate agent in Mill Valley
Interview at least two agents and ask each the same questions. How many homes have they closed in 94941 in the past year, and at what share of list price? Do they know which streets are inside city limits? Can they show their own pricing record against the spring and autumn markets above? Which inspectors and insurance brokers do they use for older hillside houses?
Since the 2024 changes to how commission is handled, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and the fee is negotiable on both sides. Our California real estate commission guide explains how it works. If you want a starting point, see our featured local agent, whom we vet for local sales and licensing.