Shell Ridge, California Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 746, Shell Ridge's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Shell Ridge is a small community located in California, within Contra Costa County. The total population is 746. It ranks as the 1141st most populous out of 1,570 Census-designated places in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Shell Ridge is 46.6 years. This is 23% higher than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Shell Ridge is $250,000+. This is 152% higher than the state median of $99,122. It is also 210% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 1.9%. This is 84% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 3.4%. This is 48% lower than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $1,912,000. Housing costs are 160% higher than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 7.6x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 100.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 79% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

Shell Ridge has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 85.9% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 10.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (85.9% vs 33.8%). The Hispanic or Latino population (10.2%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

82.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Shell Ridge in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 123% 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 97.5%. Notably, 42.3% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Shell Ridge, California is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against California state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 1,570 Census-designated places in California. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.