Contra Costa County, California Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Contra Costa County, California has a population of 1,165,012, the 9th most populous county in California. The median household income is $127,229 and the median home value is $866,800. The poverty rate is 8.4%.

Contra Costa County Quick Facts

Population 1,165,012

Median Household Income $127,22990% MOE ±$1,713

Median Home Value $866,80090% MOE ±$6,426

Poverty Rate 8.4%90% MOE ±0.4 pts

Unemployment Rate 6.5%90% MOE ±0.3 pts

Median Age 40.5 years90% MOE ±0.1 years

Homeownership Rate 68.0%90% MOE ±0.5 pts

Affordability Ratio 6.8x

Bachelor's Degree+ 45.2%90% MOE ±0.6 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 89.6%

Cities/Places 53

Population 1,165,012 9th of 58

Median Income $127,229 28% higher than state

Poverty Rate 8.4%

Unemployment 6.5%

How Contra Costa County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	1,142,251	1,165,012	+2.0%
Median household income	$122,721	$127,229	+3.7%
Median home value¹	$770,177	$866,800	+12.5%
Median gross rent	$2,239	$2,375	+6.1%

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Contra Costa

$127,229

$99,122

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Contra Costa

$866,800

$734,700

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 8.7%

$25K-$50K 9.9%

$50K-$100K 21.1%

$100K+ 60.3%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

3.4%

$10K-$15K

1.9%

$15K-$20K

1.7%

$20K-$25K

1.7%

$25K-$30K

1.9%

$30K-$35K

2.0%

$35K-$40K

2.1%

$40K-$45K

2.1%

$45K-$50K

1.8%

$50K-$60K

4.3%

$60K-$75K

6.6%

$75K-$100K

10.3%

$100K-$125K

9.5%

$125K-$150K

8.0%

$150K-$200K

13.4%

$200K+

29.4%

Employment

6.5% Unemployment Rate State: 6.6%|National: 5.2%

64.7% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 68.0%

Renter 32.0%

Affordability Index Expensive

6.8x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $2,375/mo 22.4% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

22.0%

18-34

20.2%

35-54

27.7%

55-74

23.0%

75+

7.2%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very High Diversity

This community is exceptionally diverse, with no single racial or ethnic group dominating the population.

State average: 70 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Contra Costa County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Concord	124,035	$108,709	8.2%	$797,600
Antioch	116,477	$97,465	11.4%	$629,700
Richmond	115,505	$95,391	13.6%	$668,200
San Ramon	85,993	$196,161	4.4%	$1,509,500
Pittsburg	76,257	$99,861	11.2%	$597,900
Walnut Creek	70,088	$130,432	6.4%	$1,057,300
Brentwood	65,208	$142,494	8.3%	$836,600
Oakley	45,183	$137,677	6.1%	$660,200
Danville	43,401	$232,216	3.8%	$1,681,700
Martinez	36,903	$127,355	6.3%	$859,800
Pleasant Hill	34,235	$145,029	7.3%	$1,077,100
San Pablo	31,720	$79,478	12.6%	$551,700
Hercules	26,302	$129,397	5.6%	$769,400
El Cerrito (Contra Costa County)	25,994	$127,876	6.9%	$1,124,400
Lafayette	25,285	$228,250	2.9%	$2,000,000+
Bay Point	24,231	$82,565	14.4%	$525,000
Orinda	19,514	$250,000+	2.2%	$1,863,200
Pinole	18,761	$127,717	6.9%	$718,600
Moraga	16,769	$216,193	7.3%	$1,663,200
El Sobrante (Contra Costa County)	16,294	$114,853	11.4%	$758,800
Discovery Bay	14,911	$147,117	7.4%	$832,000
Alamo	14,488	$250,000+	2.1%	$2,000,000+
Clayton	10,937	$175,707	2.5%	$1,055,200
Blackhawk	10,137	$245,208	5.6%	$2,000,000+
Rodeo	8,976	$91,484	8.4%	$663,200
Contra Costa Centre	6,893	$121,313	10.1%	$733,300
Camino Tassajara	5,831	$250,000+	6.5%	$2,000,000+
Saranap	5,662	$157,347	4.1%	$1,453,300
Kensington	5,179	$237,130	3.6%	$1,539,000
Tara Hills	4,840	$101,747	8.6%	$661,200
Pacheco	4,325	$101,210	13.2%	$343,300
San Miguel (Contra Costa County)	3,967	$250,000+	1.8%	$1,649,100
North Richmond	3,855	$100,673	4.5%	$623,900
Rollingwood	3,627	$99,830	14.7%	$600,000
Vine Hill	3,540	$115,313	10.3%	$631,900
Crockett	3,372	$110,899	11.2%	$776,100
Reliez Valley	3,173	$249,864	5.3%	$1,740,200
East Richmond Heights	3,109	$134,632	5.3%	$915,400
Bayview (Contra Costa County)	2,751	$162,537	9.0%	$654,900
Mountain View (Contra Costa County)	2,418	$94,046	11.0%	$590,100
Knightsen	2,264	$177,232	3.8%	$953,000
Montalvin Manor	2,063	$79,542	9.4%	$438,600
Bethel Island	1,864	$74,972	34.6%	$682,700
Byron	1,837	$76,424	15.4%	$750,000
Diablo	1,232	$248,150	13.2%	$2,000,000+
Castle Hill	1,026	$250,000+	0.2%	$2,000,000+
Norris Canyon	1,014	$250,000+	1.8%	$2,000,000+
Acalanes Ridge	1,006	$181,094	1.5%	$1,633,100
Alhambra Valley	979	$206,063	19.9%	$1,249,100
North Gate	806	$208,525	4.1%	$1,674,700
Shell Ridge	746	$250,000+	1.9%	$1,912,000
Clyde	653	$134,050	6.9%	$649,200
Port Costa	296	$38,929	0.0%	$600,000

Explore California Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Contra Costa County is located in California with a total population of 1,165,012. It is the 9th most populous county out of 58 in California. The county encompasses 53 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Contra Costa County is 40.5 years. This is 7% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Contra Costa County is $127,229. This is 28% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 58% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.4%. This is 30% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 6.5%. This is 2% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $866,800. Housing costs are 18% higher than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.8x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 68.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 22% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Contra Costa County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 27.6%. The Black or African American population is significantly higher than the state average (8.0% vs 5.2%).

Education

45.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Contra Costa County in the top 10% of all counties in the state for educational attainment. This is 22% higher than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.6%. Notably, 17.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Contra Costa County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against California and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Contra Costa County, California?

Contra Costa County has a population of 1,165,012, making it the 9th most populous county in California.

What is the median income in Contra Costa County?

The median household income in Contra Costa County is $127,229 with a poverty rate of 8.4%.

How many cities are in Contra Costa County, California?

Contra Costa County contains 53 Census-designated places.