Acalanes RidgeCA
A town of 1,006.
Is Acalanes Ridge a good place to live?
The best of Acalanes Ridge’s subject grades are an A+ for incomes, health, and schools; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. 38% of residents are 65 or older in Acalanes Ridge, where California’s towns sit at 16% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 2 of California’s 1,056 towns score higher on incomes. Acalanes Ridge is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. Acalanes Ridge has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Acalanes Ridge stand out
Where Acalanes Ridge beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Acalanes Ridge has grown 13% from 2010 to 2020
1,137 counted in 2010 and 1,285 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Acalanes Ridge grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Acalanes Ridge is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 207 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Acalanes Ridge. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw15 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw20 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's StadiumPhoto credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Moving to Acalanes Ridge: who provides what
Acalanes Ridge is unincorporated, so Contra Costa County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Acalanes Ridge.
Acalanes Ridge is healthier than 97% of U.S. towns
Acalanes Ridge beats the California average on 19 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 13% of Acalanes Ridge adults report frequent mental distress, below both California’s towns (17%) and U.S. towns (17%). 6.7% of Acalanes Ridge adults smoke cigarettes.
| Acalanes Ridge | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Acalanes Ridge | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Acalanes Ridge
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A smaller share of residents in Acalanes Ridge live below the poverty line than in the typical California or U.S. town
1.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Acalanes Ridge. Jobs based in Acalanes Ridge grew to 245 in 2023, 194 more than in 2013. Acalanes Ridge’s median household income is $181,000.
| Acalanes Ridge | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $181,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Acalanes Ridge, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Acalanes Ridge has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes in Acalanes Ridge sell for about $1.54M
The median rent in Acalanes Ridge is $3,501 a month.
| Acalanes Ridge | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Acalanes Ridge
Colleges nearby
23 within 15 miles of the center of Acalanes Ridge
About 7 of every 100 Acalanes Ridge residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
1,006 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
About Acalanes Ridge
Place in California, United States
Acalanes Ridge is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, United States. Acalanes Ridge sits at an elevation of 499 feet (152 m). The population was 1,285 at the 2020 Census. Acalanes Ridge was created a census-designated place for the 2010 census, and comes alphabetically first among all census-designated places in California.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 750 ft
Questions about Acalanes Ridge
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Acalanes Ridge, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,633,000, 114% above the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.