El Cerrito, California
Among the top 2% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 1% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 98% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade B, better than 55% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade B+, better than 81% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B+, better than 82% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 3% for walkability
- bottom 1% for estimated total tax burden
El Cerrito is a mid-size city in California with about 26,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on income tax and estimated total tax burden.
- The median home value in El Cerrito is $1.1M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in El Cerrito is $120k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in El Cerrito is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- El Cerrito has a violent crime rate of 863/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in El Cerrito is 33 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Mild summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
83%55%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.6 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$120k91st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$76kbetter than 3% of US places
Home Value$1.1M98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 3% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$6kbetter than 6% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.82%better than 62% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden23.37%better than 1% of US places
Unemployment5.5%better than 35% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)66°F4th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation22.8 in17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days261 daysbetter than 79% of US places
Summer Humidity55°Fbetter than 83% of US places
Comfortable Days201 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk62.1better than 55% of US places
Air Quality33 AQIbetter than 87% of US places
School Quality79.1better than 75% of US places
Violent Crime863/100kbetter than 43% of US places
Property Crime4056/100kbetter than 3% of US places
Community
Population25,86994th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age41.954th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6697th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9338th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+464th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)45.2%16th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)4.7%76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)12.8%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)29.7%99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)7.6%83rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time33 minbetter than 15% of US places
Walkability14.1/20better than 97% of US places
Airport Distance15 mibetter than 92% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.5%better than 81% of US places
Amenities Nearby323.17better than 78% of US places
Park & Nature AccessModeratebetter than 45% of US places
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)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is El Cerrito an affordable place to live?
- El Cerrito is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $76k, better than 3% of comparable areas. Median rent is $2k.
- Is El Cerrito safe?
- El Cerrito is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 863/100k (better than 43%). Property crime is 4056/100k.
- What is the weather like in El Cerrito?
- El Cerrito averages 66°F in July and 51°F in January, with 22.8 in of annual precipitation and about 261 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in El Cerrito?
- Public-school quality in El Cerrito is above average, scoring better than 75% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in El Cerrito?
- The average one-way commute in El Cerrito is 33 min.