Contra Costa County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade D, better than 13% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 77% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 94% of US counties
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 1% for broadband access
- bottom 1% for monthly rent
Contra Costa County is a county in California with about 1,163,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, broadband access, and walkability. It rates lower on natural disaster risk and monthly rent.
Official websitecontracosta.ca.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
85%56%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.2 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$120k99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$76kbetter than 1% of US counties
Home Value$787k99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 1% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.85%better than 50% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden21.76%better than 1% of US counties
Unemployment5.8%better than 29% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)50°F89th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)68°F6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation21.4 in15th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.1 inbetter than 89% of US counties
Sunny Days266 daysbetter than 85% of US counties
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 86% of US counties
Comfortable Days184 daysbetter than 99% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk99.5better than 1% of US counties
Air Quality51 AQIbetter than 13% of US counties
School Quality62.7better than 65% of US counties
Violent Crime964/100kbetter than 37% of US counties
Property Crime2140/100kbetter than 12% of US counties
Community
Population1,162,64899th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age40.137th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.7199th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9728th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+462nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)40.6%10th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)8.4%74th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)26.4%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)18.0%99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)6.6%88th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time37 minbetter than 2% of US counties
Walkability11.1/20better than 96% of US counties
Airport Distance19 mibetter than 96% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.7%better than 99% of US counties
Amenities Nearby2.52better than 51% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 82% of US counties
Frequently asked questions
- Is Contra Costa County an affordable place to live?
- Contra Costa County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $76k, better than 1% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Contra Costa County?
- The median home value in Contra Costa County is $787k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Contra Costa County?
- Median household income in Contra Costa County is $120k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Contra Costa County?
- Median gross rent in Contra Costa County is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Contra Costa County safe?
- Contra Costa County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 964/100k (better than 37%). Property crime is 2140/100k.
- What is the weather like in Contra Costa County?
- Contra Costa County averages 68°F in July and 50°F in January, with 21.4 in of annual precipitation and about 266 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Contra Costa County?
- Public-school quality in Contra Costa County is above average, scoring better than 65% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Contra Costa County?
- The average one-way commute in Contra Costa County is 37 min.
Other counties in California
Explore California
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)