I Have a Baby and Nowhere to Live Contra Costa County
Housing guide: Where to alive in Contra Costa County
Families flock to cities like Walnut Creek and San Ramon for serenity neighborhoods with cosmopolitan amenities
By Ethan Fletcher |
Supported past
Information technology's a chip of a Bay Surface area platitude that young singles start out in San Francisco, move to Oakland or Berkeley upon partnering upward and settle out past the E Bay hills in Contra Costa County once kids enter the picture. This celebrated eastern drift is familiar for a reason: As a full general rule, the suburban East Bay offers perks similar low law-breaking, single-family homes with ample yards and excellent public schools. A fledgling family unit tin't ask for much more than.
While Contra Costa has traditionally been viewed (and oft dismissed by hipper-than-chiliad metropolis denizens) as a sleepy bedroom community, that label is somewhat outdated. The area is relatively rich in big city-style civilities, nigh notably in Walnut Creek, dwelling house to an award-winning visual and performing arts facility (the Lesher Centre), a mod outdoor shopping circuitous (Broadway Plaza), and, thanks to a recent edifice boom, thousands of units of urban-way apartments and condos. Upscale shopping centers in Concord (The Veranda) and San Ramon (Urban center Heart Bishop Ranch) have also brought destination retail and the kind of food previously available just past a trip to San Francisco — modern Vietnamese at the Slanted Door, forest-fired Neapolitan pizzas at Doppio Naught — to the suburbs. That trip, by the way, is still eminently doable past automobile — the completion of a fourth bore through the Caldecott Tunnel has significantly eased e-due west traffic — or by public transportation via one of the county's 11 BART stations.
Outside of Walnut Creek, historic downtowns in the likes of Lafayette, Danville and Martinez boast grapheme, walkability and surprisingly eclectic retail offerings, from third-wave java to boutique clothing. Even the county's lily-white image is not entirely authentic. Irresolute migration patterns in the last few decades accept brought welcome diversity to the burbs, including thriving Latino, Asian and Blackness communities, and new businesses to serve them. The dining scene now reflects that with everything from quesabirria tacos and South Indian dosas to smothered oxtails.
Source: American Community Survey Census Data.
One perk that hasn't changed over the years: Piece of cake access to the unspoiled outdoors. The Due east Bay parks system is one of the jewels of the nation, and much of its acreage lies in Contra Costa. Among the highlights are the canton'south signature landmark, (if you haven't taken your kids to Rock Metropolis, do then immediately) e of Walnut Creek, the lovely rolling grass hills of Briones Regional Park north of Lamorinda and Martinez's breathtaking waterfront area overlooking the Carquinez Strait. (And for those drawn to high-mountain recreation, y'all're that much closer to the Sierra and Lake Tahoe.)
At its heart, nevertheless, Contra Costa is still a identify that unapologetically values family unit to a higher place all. That's exemplified everywhere you look, from some of the state's top-ranked public schools to the exceedingly generous parks, sports fields and playgrounds, to restaurants that don't just tolerate but actually welcome parents and their squirmy kids for dinner. Those are qualities, by the way, that many seem to have rediscovered during the pandemic: Every bit shutdowns made dense city life less desirable, local real manor prices have soared.
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Minor-town feel
Parks
Food lover's hub
Retail oasis
Commuter'due south dream
Depression-toll living
Waterfront
Lamorinda (Lafayette/ Moraga/ Orinda)
A suburban haven with home prices to lucifer.
data dive
| Fundamental Facts | Lamorinda (Lafayette/Moraga/Orinda) | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,490 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 181,967 | $ 75,235 |
| Median home value | $ 1,360,270 | $ 505,000 |
| Median rent | $ 2,379 | $ 1,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 34.ane | 29.viii |
Source: American Community Survey data. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-urban center areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
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Lamorinda (Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda)
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Combining excellent public schools, quaint downtowns, open up infinite and proximity to San Francisco/Oakland/Berkeley (by car and BART), Lamorinda — a shortening of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda — has plenty to recommend it. Merely those perks come up at a price: Lamorinda has some of the priciest real estate in the Due east Bay. While in that location have been contempo efforts to add more than affordable multi-unit of measurement housing, most of the residences are single-family unit, spaced generously amid scenic rolling hills — vividly light-green in the spring before turning California golden brown in the dry flavour.
Lafayette is the biggest urban center (though withal relatively tiny) and local depict, its downtown main drag lined with outdoor- and frequently canis familiaris-friendly restaurants, boutique shops and the country-of-the-art Lafayette Library and Learning Center, which doubles as the area'south cultural hub. Orinda has a smaller but sweetness downtown highlighted by the historic Orinda Theatre movie firm, whose iconic marque tin be seen from Highway 24. Even sleepy Moraga is dwelling house now to a popular brewpub and beer garden. Headlined by Briones Regional Park and Lafayette Reservoir, outdoor options are plentiful and attainable.
the schools
| Schoolhouse District | Enrollment | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| acalanes union high | 5,635 | 96.8 |
Source: California Department of Teaching and U.S. Department of Education. Data from the 2019-2020 schoolhouse year. High school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating high schoolhouse in four years.
Danville/ Blackhawk
Swanky homes and the great outdoors in the "Danville Bubble"
information dive
| Central Facts | Danville/Blackhawk | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 54,209 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 170,365 | $ 75,235 |
| Median home value | $ 1,137,733 | $ 505,000 |
| Median rent | $ two,668 | $ 1,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 34.vii | 29.viii |
Source: American Community Survey data. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-city areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
Danville, Blackhawk
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With some of the best-rated schools in the state, superb weather condition, attainable open space and a thriving, walkable downtown complete with restaurants, confined, bakeries, boutiques and fifty-fifty a bookstore, life is good in the "Danville Bubble." But the good life comes at a price. Real manor here and in nearby Alamo and Blackhawk (a swanky gated community home to Oakland A's executive Billy Beane and local hip-hop fable E-40, among others), is amongst the highest cost in Contra Costa.
The perks, however, are undeniable, specially of the outdoors multifariousness: Mount Diablo State Park is a quick drive to the east, Las Trampas is a regional gem to the west, and the Fe Horse Regional Trail (a sometime Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way that stretches from Concord to Pleasanton) is a bike-, walk-, and jog-friendly oasis running downwardly the middle.
the schools
| School Commune | Enrollment | Graduation Charge per unit |
|---|---|---|
| san ramon valley unified | 31,911 | 97.five |
Source: California Department of Didactics and U.S. Department of Education. Information from the 2019-2020 schoolhouse year. High school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating loftier schoolhouse in iv years.
San Ramon
Sleepy San Ramon is waking upwards with fresh dining and retail
data dive
| Key Facts | San Ramon | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 75,648 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 160,783 | $ 75,235 |
| Median home value | $ 958,800 | $ 505,000 |
| Median rent | $ two,391 | $ 1,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 38.8 | 29.8 |
Source: American Community Survey data. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-city areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
San Ramon
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Long considered the quintessential sleepy Contra Costa bedroom customs, San Ramon has undergone significant changes over the last decade. Its proximity to booming Silicon Valley and investment in large multi-unit housing complexes has led to a younger and more diverse demographic than at any time in the city'due south history.
In particular, San Ramon's Asian population has boomed, reflected in the metropolis'due south ubiquitous strip malls that now offer a lively mix of dim sum houses, biriyani eateries and Eye Eastern markets. Ane of the region's first suburban business parks, Bishop Ranch provides a sturdy economical base of operations as dwelling house to AT&T, Chevron, GE, Ford and other powerhouse companies that employ up of thirty,000 people. The three-year-sometime Metropolis Middle outdoor shopping center — designed past "starchitect" Renzo Piano and bursting with high-cease shopping and dining — provides a chic downtown-style gathering spot for a community that lacked it. One thing that hasn't changed: A public school organization perennially ranked among the all-time in California.
the schools
| School District | Enrollment | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| san ramon valley unified | 31,911 | 97.5 |
Source: California Department of Education and U.South. Department of Education. Data from the 2019-2020 school year. High school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating high school in four years.
Walnut Creek
Contra Costa'due south transit hub is likewise its cultural nexus
information swoop
| Fundamental Facts | Walnut Creek | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,567 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 105,948 | $ 75,235 |
| Median home value | $ 793,100 | $ 505,000 |
| Median rent | $ 2,095 | $ 1,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 36.six | 29.8 |
Source: American Customs Survey data. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-city areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
Walnut Creek
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Positioned at the nexus of interstates 680 (running north to Sacramento and south to San Jose) and 24 (headed west toward Berkeley/Oakland), with like shooting fish in a barrel access to a pair of BART stations offering a straight shot to San Francisco, Walnut Creek serves as the geographical and transit hub of Contra Costa.
It's also the county'due south cultural center, having grown over the concluding few decades into a bustling regional draw with a dense urban core boasting sophisticated dining, assiduities-rich condos, a performing arts eye and destination shopping from Apple to Zara.
Even so, get outside downtown and information technology'southward non hard to film the city's pastoral roots, with its plethora of small-scale ranch-style homes and aplenty open up space — more two,700 acres in total, including local landmark Mt. Diablo State Park, a top wonderland for E Bay outdoors enthusiasts. Characteristically for this county, Walnut Creek delivers practiced schools while balancing bigger-metropolis appeal with family unit-friendly amenities: Heather Subcontract Park and Lindsay Wildlife Museum being 2 popular examples.
the schools
| School District | Enrollment | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| mt. diablo unified | 31,037 | 88.1 |
Source: California Department of Didactics and U.South. Department of Education. Data from the 2019-2020 school year. Loftier school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating high school in four years.
Concord/ Pleasant Hill/ Martinez
Craft cocktails, a taco trail and shoreline parks in Contra Costa County
information dive
| Cardinal Facts | Concord/Pleasant Hill/Martinez | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 202,313 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 97,986 | $ 75,235 |
| Median home value | $ 588,250 | $ 505,000 |
| Median hire | $ 1,770 | $ ane,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 34.9 | 29.8 |
Source: American Community Survey data. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-city areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
Concord, Pleasant Hill, Martinez
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This area north of Walnut Creek occupies a bit of a sweet spot in Contra Costa, offer an appealingly casual and downwardly-to-earth version of the county'southward family-friendly, suburban feel plus more than multifariousness and affordability.
The seat of the county regime, Martinez, has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years. In its historic (simply long-sleepy) downtown, cocktail bars and artisan coffee roasters now mix with the coincidental tiffin eateries catering to the weekday work crowd — and provide an urbane complement to the splendid, if underrated, Radke Martinez Regional Shoreline Park nearby.
Pleasant Hill is quieter and more suburban, while the largest urban center, Concord, has its ain middle of gravity. That includes the vibrant Todos Santos Plaza boondocks square, several popular craft breweries and a large Latino population that helps support nearly 40 independently owned and operated Mexican restaurants, which the city wisely began codifying and promoting last year via its Hold Taco Trail campaign.
the schools
| School District | Enrollment | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| mt. diablo unified | 31,037 | 88.1 |
Source: California Department of Pedagogy and U.S. Department of Education. Data from the 2019-2020 school year. High school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating high school in four years.
East County
Contra Costa farm country provides peaches, sweet corn and plenty of aquatic take a chance
information dive
| Cardinal Facts | Due east County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 332,515 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 87,210 | $ 75,235 |
| Median home value | $ 438,299 | $ 505,000 |
| Median rent | $ 1,838 | $ i,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 44.8 | 29.eight |
Source: American Customs Survey data. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-city areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
East County
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Farming, bass fishing, wakeboarding: Eastward County really does feel similar a different world from the residual of Contra Costa and indeed near of the Bay Expanse.
Much of that can be attributed to the region's still-thriving agricultural industry. Brentwood and surrounding towns serve as 1 of the Bay Area's bread baskets, growing a veritable farmers' market of produce, from asparagus and cherries in the spring to peaches and legendary sweet corn in the summer and fall (much of which is available to harvest yourself).
In improver, the county's eastern edge abuts the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta, a bayou-like ecological marvel that'due south a paradise for motor boaters and naturalists akin. The last stops on BART, Pittsburg and Antioch, are bigger, denser cities, while Brentwood and locales east trend more suburban, rural and expensive.
the schools
| School District | Enrollment | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| antioch unified | sixteen,293 | 83.2 |
| liberty union loftier | eight,304 | 93.3 |
| mt. diablo unified | 31,037 | 88.ane |
| pittsburg unified | 11,367 | 90.0 |
Source: California Department of Pedagogy and U.S. Section of Education. Data from the 2019-2020 school year. Loftier school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating high schoolhouse in four years.
West County
Urban Contra Costa boasts commute convenience, a various customs and bayfront hiking
data dive
| Central Facts | Due west County | California |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 247,369 | 39,512,223 |
| Median household income | $ 81,184 | $ 75,235 |
| Median dwelling value | $ 508,480 | $ 505,000 |
| Median rent | $ 1,692 | $ ane,503 |
| Avg. commute (mins.) | 36.seven | 29.8 |
Source: American Community Survey information. Medians for neighborhoods and multi-urban center areas are weighted based on population of component areas
the neighborhood
West County
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If East County is Contra Costa's version of farm country, and then Westward County is its urban counterpoint. With that comes abundant access to national brand stores and unique diversity, culture and industry.
Encompassed past El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, Hercules and several smaller unincorporated communities, this northwestern crescent of the East Bay is roughly bordered past the San Francisco Bay and Interstate lxxx inland. Despite this major thoroughfare, West Canton has some of the nearly affordable single-family housing, as well as several wonderful hidden gems dotted forth the zigzag declension, including Miller-Knox and Point Pinole regional shorelines and the Rosie the Riveter Museum (documenting Richmond's Earth War Ii–era industrialism, however visible today in the grade of a massive Chevron refinery).
El Cerrito and Richmond are connected to BART and share the urban Dna of nearby Berkeley and Oakland, while the vibe gets sleepier as cities stretch east.
the schools
| Schoolhouse District | Enrollment | Graduation Charge per unit |
|---|---|---|
| west contra costa unified | 28,246 | 84.iv |
Source: California Department of Instruction and U.South. Section of Education. Data from the 2019-2020 schoolhouse twelvemonth. Loftier school districts only. Graduation rate represents the share of students graduating high school in four years.
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Source: https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/sf-bay-area-housing-where-to-live/contra-costa-county
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