On incomes it is strong — the median household earns $108K. It also does well on walkability (A+). The weak point is safety — its police reported 772 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 97% of U.S. towns. Cost of living is weaker too: the typical home is worth about $1.4 million, 10.6 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. All told, that adds up to a B− overall and a rank of 182nd of 841 in California. That leaves it better than 53% of U.S. towns. Hazard risk is weaker too (D−): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Berkeley has 63 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them California Hall and Doe Memorial Library.

Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FBI crime data, 2025 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.

StrongestA⁺Walkability A⁺Civic life AJobs & incomeWeakestD⁻Safety D⁻Hazard risk DCost of living

What makes Berkeley stand out

Where Berkeley beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

WalkabilityA⁺

More walkable than 99% of U.S. towns

30.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit

EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.

Room 307, Gilman Hall, University of California

HistoryA

Settled in 1866

A history going back 160 years.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Berkeley6.4

California4.4

U.S.3.3

Worth knowing · SafetyD⁻

45% more violent crime than CA

FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.

Room 307, Gilman Hall, University of California · National Register of Historic Places

Berkeley’s story

160 years in pictures

Room 307, Gilman Hall, University of California is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier. Its 63 National Register listings are more than in 99% of California towns with a listing.

Census counts: 5,101 in 1890, 124,321 in 2020. The archive holds 19 old photos and papers going back to 1873 and 2 maps from 1895 on.

1866Berkeley is settled

Explore the history →

How Berkeley grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Berkeley is from typical.

How grading works

Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 99% of comparable towns) to D− for safety (better than 3%), so the B− overall blends very different results.

WalkabilityEPA walkability 16 of 20; 20.7% of households have no carA⁺Open →SafetyCrime runs among the highest comparedD⁻Open →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listD⁻Open →Jobs & incomeIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnDOpen →HealthHealthier than 88% of U.S. towns; Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Camp 1.9 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedAOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors8% conserved landA⁻Open →History26 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life5.6 library visits per resident; 8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 76° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market15 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.2; 75% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 203 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berkeley. Close and well known come first.

All 255 attractions →

Big draw7 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary

Big draw6 mi MuseumUSS Hornet

Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center

Big draw8 mi LandmarkLombard Street

Big draw8 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park

in town Stadium & arenaCalifornia Memorial Stadium

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo 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 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · California Memorial Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0

Getting set up

Moving to Berkeley: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Berkeley, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterEBMUDNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpCity of Berkeley Transfer StationTown pickupTown site

SchoolsBerkeley Unified School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereAlameda Registrar of VotersAlameda County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025

ZIP codes94704, 94703, 94702, 9470994704 20% · 94703 17% · 94702 14% · 94709 10%Census 2020

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 Berkeley.

Berkeley is shaped by its college students, draws workers from Oakland and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.

HousingCost of living grade D

Berkeley’s grade for cost of living is a D

At 10.6 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $1.44M) costs more against local pay than in 80% of California towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The typical value, about $1.44M, is 9% below its May 2022 peak.

In Berkeley, 44% of households live in a home they own, where California’s towns sit at 64% and U.S. towns at 73%. For Berkeley, the typical rent is $2,133 a month. The typical Berkeley home is worth about $1,443,000, up 8% in a year, 89% above the California typical home. On the market in the town: a median 15 days to sell.

$1.44MZillow home value

	Berkeley	California towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	44%	64%	73%
Median rent	$2,133 a month	$1,895 a month	$1,185 a month
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	56%	55%	48%

Typical home value

Berkeley$1.44M

California$762K

Market temperature

days on market

126.6%

sale-to-list price

+8%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in September

Full pageBerkeley’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 8% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 13.3 years of income Rents$2,133 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of all 5 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SchoolsA

On state tests, Berkeley’s schools beat 86% of California districts

Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.44M.

The Berkeley Unified school district runs its public schools. Of its 35 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. The 6 public schools in Berkeley teach 2,459 students between them.

86%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Martin Luther King MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8	Grades 6–8	851	–
Berkeley HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	3,218	A⁺

Full pageBerkeley’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsBerkeley Unified Vs. the neighborsAhead of 4 of its 5 graded neighbors Every school35 schools · Malcolm X Elementary Questions“Are Berkeley’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation

SafetyD⁻

In Berkeley, property crime runs higher than in the typical California or U.S. town

Property crime runs at 40.4 per 1,000 residents, about twice the California rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 7,809 to 5,671 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.

The rate of reported violence in Berkeley is 6.4 per 1,000 residents.

3%of U.S. towns report more crimeD⁻Safety Grade

	Berkeley	California towns	U.S. towns
Property crimes per 1,000 (2025)	40.4 per 1,000 residents	13.3	9.9
Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025)	6.4 per 1,000 residents	2.9	1.6

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Berkeley6.4

California4.4

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Berkeley40.4

California18.2

U.S.15.5

3rd

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

3rd

percentile among CA towns

772

violent crimes reported in 2025

4,899

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageBerkeley’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type6.4 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsDown since 2023 Vs. the neighborsAhead of 2 of its 5 graded neighbors Questions“Is Berkeley, CA safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Work & commuteJobs & income grade A

About one in five working residents works right in Berkeley

66,939 jobs are based in Berkeley, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. 37.1% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.

Jobs in Berkeley grew by 6,493 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 66,939. In Berkeley, 37% of workers work from home, against 14% in California’s towns and 11% across U.S. towns. 17% of Berkeley residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are San Francisco (26%), Oakland (13%) and San Jose (2%).

21%work in town

	Berkeley	California towns	U.S. towns
Work from home	37%	14%	11%
Working residents who work in town	21%	6.6%	8%
Below the poverty line	17%	10%	9.6%
Median household income	$108,000	$95,000	$80,000

Where working residents work

In Berkeley21%

San Francisco26%

Oakland13%

San Jose2%

Emeryville2%

9 mi

median commute distance

66,939

jobs based in Berkeley

A job hub

jobs vs. working residents

A+

Walkability grade: among the most walkable U.S. towns

Full pageBerkeley’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here66,939 jobs based here · A job hub Where people work21% work in Berkeley Commute times28 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 9 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D⁻

Berkeley faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes

15 flood insurance claims have been paid in Berkeley since 1978. 88% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 11%. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Berkeley after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.

94risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesInland flooding

paid flood claims since 1978

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageBerkeley’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims15 paid flood claims · Since 1978 Past disasters4 federal disasters · Paid out in Berkeley Get readyReady for earthquakes

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HealthA

A smaller share of adults have diabetes in Berkeley than in most of California or the rest of the country

Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 6.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide.

For adults in Berkeley, the share who smoke cigarettes is 8%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Berkeley is ahead of California on 20 and behind on 4.

88%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade

	Berkeley	California towns	U.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)	24%	31%	35%
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	22%	29%	35%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	7.4%	12%	12%
Feel lonely (CDC PLACES)	39%	36%	33%

32 measures vs. California

20 better8 too close to call4 worse

What stands out	Berkeley	CA
Fewer uninsured adults	6.1%	10.6%
Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth	6.1%	10.6%
More binge drinkers	18.1%	15.3%

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Camp

1.9 mi away · emergency room

None

primary care, dental or mental-health shortage

81st

percentile among CA towns

Full pageBerkeley’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsFewer adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby1.9 miles to an ER · Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Camp How adults are doingFewer adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than CA on 20 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsA⁻

8.4% of the land in Berkeley is protected from building

The biggest park or preserve is McLaughlin Eastshore State Park, at 696 acres. Trails run 17 miles in 40 parks and preserves. The concentration of trails for Berkeley comes to 0.9 miles per square mile.

#400for trails in CA

	Berkeley	California towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	8.4%	4.2%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.9 miles per square mile	1.0	0.4

8.4%

conserved · 945 of 11,245 acres

17 mi

of trails · 0.9 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. César Chávez Park	3.9 mi	92
2. Berkeley Meadow	1.1 mi	76
3. Brickyard Cove	1 mi	30

Full pageBerkeley’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map17 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk3.9 miles of trail · César Chávez Park Conserved land8.4% conserved · 945 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Berkeley?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Mild winters and pleasant summers in Berkeley

January nights average 43°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 74.3°.

Berkeley’s January low is 43°F. Snow is almost unheard of.

76°summer high

	Berkeley	California towns	U.S. towns
July high	74°F	89°F	85°F
January low	43°F	40°F	22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter44–58°

Spring49–66°

Summer55–74°

Fall52–70°

+1.7°

vs. the 20th-century average

76°

typical summer high

Full pageBerkeley’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 74°, January lows 43°Rain & snow23″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.7° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Berkeley

20pages on Berkeley

The big questions

SchoolsABeat 86% of CA districts · 35 schools SafetyD⁻6.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthABetter than CA on 20 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingD$1.44M typical home · up 8% in a year Work & commuteA$108K median household income · 66,939 jobs here Natural hazardsD⁻FEMA risk higher than 94% of U.S. communities · earthquakes

Out and about

OutdoorsA⁻17 mi of trails · 8% conserved land PlacesAttractions255 nearby · California Memorial Stadium under 1 mi LibraryA⁺5.6 library visits per resident CollegesAcupuncture and Integrative Medicine College-Berkeley, in town

The story

HistoryASettled 1866 · 63 on the National Register Famous people26 born in Berkeley Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 69 residents Climate76° summer highs

Day to day

News5 recent stories about Berkeley WeatherHandbookZIP code 94701, 94702, 94703 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

36 within 15 miles of the center of Berkeley

Berkeley City CollegeCommunity college · Public · BerkeleyIn town$1,258 in-state tuition University of California-BerkeleyUniversity or college · Public · BerkeleyIn town$16,347 in-state tuition Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College-BerkeleyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · BerkeleyIn town

College town 27 of every 100 Berkeley residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

College town

27% of Berkeley is in college

11 colleges in town.

University of California-Berkeley43,954 students on campus

Admission: 11%
Net price: $13,481
Graduate: 93%

Berkeley City College2,915 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: $9,096
Graduate: 36%

The Wright Institute511 students on campus

Admission: Open
Net price: —
Graduate: —

College Scorecard · IPEDS

Landmarks

63 places in Berkeley on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Room 307, Gilman Hall, University of CaliforniaNational Historic Landmark

First Church of Christ, ScientistNational Historic Landmark

St. John's Presbyterian Church

Senior Hall

Famous people from Berkeley

26 notable people were born in Berkeley.

See all 26 →

Ben AffleckAmerican film actor, director and screenwriter · born 1972

Ursula K. Le GuinAmerican fantasy and science fiction author · 1929–2018

Rebecca RomijnAmerican actress and model · born 1972

Gary RuvkunAmerican geneticist · born 1952

John FogertyAmerican rock musician · born 1945

Curtis T. McMullenAmerican mathematician and Fields medallist · born 1958

About Berkeley

City in California, United States

Berkeley ( BURK-lee) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emeryville to the south and the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington to the north. Its eastern border with Contra Costa County generally follows the ridge of the Berkeley Hills. The 2020 census recorded a population of 124,321. Berkeley is home to the oldest campus in the University of California, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed and operated by the…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1866
Area: 18 sq mi
Elevation: 171 ft
ZIP code: 94701, 94702, 94703
Area code: 510

Berkeley’s neighbors

5 towns share a border with Berkeley.

Explore the map →

OaklandAlbanyKensingtonEmeryvilleSan FranciscoBerkeley

Oakland

SE · 13% of Berkeley workers commute here

Visit

Albany

Visit

Kensington

Visit

Emeryville

S · 2% of Berkeley workers commute here

Visit

San Francisco

W · 26% of Berkeley workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	CA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Berkeley	#182	B⁻	D	D⁻	A	A
Oakland	#604	D	D	D⁻	C	B⁺
Albany	#91	B⁺	D	C⁻	A	A⁺
Kensington	#174	B⁻	D	B⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Emeryville	#549	D	D	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺
San Francisco	#308	C⁺	D⁻	D	B⁺	A

Compare Berkeley with a neighbor →

Questions about Berkeley

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Berkeley, CA a good place to live?

Berkeley grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #182 of 841 in California. It grades A for health, D− for safety and A for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Berkeley, CA expensive?

Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.

What is Berkeley, CA known for?

26 notable people were born here, including Ben Affleck and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Post to Berkeley

Check your email

BerkeleyCA

What is it like to live in Berkeley?

What makes Berkeley stand out

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

160 years in pictures

How Berkeley grades

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 203 more within 40 miles

Moving to Berkeley: who provides what

The data

Berkeley’s grade for cost of living is a D

Typical home value

On state tests, Berkeley’s schools beat 86% of California districts

In Berkeley, property crime runs higher than in the typical California or U.S. town

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

About one in five working residents works right in Berkeley

Where working residents work

Berkeley faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes

A smaller share of adults have diabetes in Berkeley than in most of California or the rest of the country

8.4% of the land in Berkeley is protected from building

Mild winters and pleasant summers in Berkeley

Typical low → high °F

Everything we know about Berkeley

Colleges nearby

27% of Berkeley is in college

Landmarks

Famous people from Berkeley

About Berkeley

Berkeley’s neighbors

Questions about Berkeley