Berkeley vs Brentwood
Berkeley, California versus Brentwood, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Berkeley and Brentwood score about the same overall (49 vs 47 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Berkeley | Brentwood |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $135k |
| Cost of Living | $76k | $76k |
| Home Value | $1.3M | $736k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.75% | 1.01% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 25.42% | 21.76% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 6.0% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 48°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 26.1 in | 12.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 284 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 204 days | 110 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 87.1 | 73.8 |
| Air Quality | 37 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 72.6 |
| Violent Crime | 725/100k | 981/100k |
| Property Crime | 5644/100k | 2071/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 121,385 | 64,443 |
| Median Age | 32.5 | 40.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.67 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.93 |
| Political Leaning | D+46 | D+46 |
| White (%) | 51.9% | 44.9% |
| Black (%) | 7.5% | 9.4% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.1% | 25.5% |
| Asian (%) | 20.7% | 14.8% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.8% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 41 min |
| Walkability | 15.8/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 31 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.2% | 95.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 120.86 | 24.05 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Berkeley or Brentwood more affordable?
- Brentwood has the lower cost of living: its index is $76k, compared with Berkeley's $76k and Brentwood's $76k. Median rent is $2k in Berkeley versus $2k in Brentwood.
- Is Berkeley or Brentwood safer?
- Berkeley has the lower violent crime rate. Berkeley reports 725/100k and Brentwood reports 981/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Berkeley or Brentwood?
- The median home value is $1.3M in Berkeley and $736k in Brentwood, so homes are more affordable in Brentwood.