Berkeley vs Pleasant Hill
Berkeley, California versus Pleasant Hill, 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 Pleasant Hill score about the same overall (49 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Berkeley | Pleasant Hill |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $105k | $138k |
| Cost of Living | $76k | $76k |
| Home Value | $1.3M | $960k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.75% | 0.74% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 25.42% | 21.36% |
| Unemployment | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 50°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 26.1 in | 17.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 261 days | 261 days |
| Summer Humidity | 55°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 204 days | 163 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 87.1 | 91.1 |
| Air Quality | 37 AQI | 24 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 51.3 |
| Violent Crime | 725/100k | 769/100k |
| Property Crime | 5644/100k | 4792/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 121,385 | 34,504 |
| Median Age | 32.5 | 42.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.63 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 0.97 |
| Political Leaning | D+46 | D+46 |
| White (%) | 51.9% | 57.8% |
| Black (%) | 7.5% | 3.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 12.1% | 13.9% |
| Asian (%) | 20.7% | 16.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.8% | 7.8% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 30 min | 32 min |
| Walkability | 15.8/20 | 14.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 18 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 94.2% | 93.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 120.86 | 153.32 |
| 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 Pleasant Hill more affordable?
- Pleasant Hill has the lower cost of living: its index is $76k, compared with Berkeley's $76k and Pleasant Hill's $76k. Median rent is $2k in Berkeley versus $2k in Pleasant Hill.
- Is Berkeley or Pleasant Hill safer?
- Berkeley has the lower violent crime rate. Berkeley reports 725/100k and Pleasant Hill reports 769/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Berkeley or Pleasant Hill?
- The median home value is $1.3M in Berkeley and $960k in Pleasant Hill, so homes are more affordable in Pleasant Hill.