Oak tree on Yellow Field, 2015
Blackhawk’s story
Blackhawk in pictures
Census counts: 6,199 in 1990, 9,637 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2015 and 6 maps from 1896 on.
Explore the history →
BlackhawkCA
A town of 10,137. Public schools that outperform most of California.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: FASTILY · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
10,137
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$2M
Census ACS
Household income
$245K
median
Median age
50.3
years
Jobs based here
1,736
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#43 of 841 in CA
Is Blackhawk a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Blackhawk grades A− overall, 43rd among California's 841 graded towns. Its schools outperform 95% of the state's and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $2.0 million, 14.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Blackhawk, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top.
What makes Blackhawk stand out
Where Blackhawk beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Blackhawk for work
Where Blackhawk’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,736jobs based in Blackhawk
3%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Blackhawk grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Blackhawk is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for schools (better than 95% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 1%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listD−Open →SchoolsA+Open →HealthSan Ramon Regional Medical Center 4.9 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & income1,736 jobs based hereAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 0.3% of households have no car; 10.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 277 attractions →Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and 224 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Blackhawk. Close and well known come first.
Big draw28 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw28 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw21 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
5 mi MountainMount Diablo
Big draw26 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkSources: 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 · Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Diablo: Trurl66, Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Blackhawk: who provides what
Blackhawk is unincorporated, so Contra Costa County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEBMUDNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesContra Costa CountyContra Costa County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereContra Costa County Elections DivisionContra Costa County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code9450694506 100%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 Blackhawk.
Blackhawk has schools in the top 5% of California, has less no health insurance than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
SchoolsA+
Blackhawk’s grade for schools is an A+
Its A+ ranks #29 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2M.
Its public schools are run by the San Ramon Valley Unified school district. Its one school is below.
95%of CA districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tassajara Hills ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 506 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Blackhawk’s grade for health is an A
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 3.3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 470 U.S. towns with household incomes like Blackhawk’s, it is less healthy than 85%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
12% of Blackhawk adults report frequent mental distress. Blackhawk beats the California average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 6.7% of Blackhawk adults smoke cigarettes.
94%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Blackhawk | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
18 better11 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Blackhawk | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.8% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 6.4% |
San Ramon Regional Medical Center
4.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
88th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Blackhawk
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Blackhawk since 1991.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 1991
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
The median household income in Blackhawk is higher than in most of California or the rest of the country
The average commute for its 3,939 working residents takes 36.1 minutes, against 28.7 across California. 37.7% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
The median household income in Blackhawk is $245,000. Most working residents leave Blackhawk for work: only 3% work in town. 5.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Blackhawk.
3%work in town
| Blackhawk | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $245,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Blackhawk3%
San Francisco10%
San Ramon7%
Pleasanton5%
San Jose5%
21 mi
median commute distance
1,736
jobs based in Blackhawk
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Blackhawk has mild winters and pleasant summers
January nights average 40.9°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 85.9°.
Blackhawk has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Blackhawk’s January low is 41°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
86°summer high
| Blackhawk | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 86°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–56°
Spring47–68°
Summer59–84°
Fall53–74°
Dec 22
typical first frost
Mar 8
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
86°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
#572for trails in CA
| Blackhawk | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.9% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
5.9%
conserved · 218 of 3,686 acres
2.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D−
Homes in Blackhawk sell for about $2.39M
At 14.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 92% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
The median sale price was $2,385,000 in May 2026.
$2.39Mmedian sale price
Market temperature
17
days on market
99.1%
sale-to-list price
11
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Blackhawk
17pages on Blackhawk
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
7 within 15 miles of the center of Blackhawk
Las Positas CollegeCommunity college · Public · Livermore9.2 mi$1,168 in-state tuitionSaint Mary's College of CaliforniaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Moraga10.9 mi$57,803 tuitionCalifornia State University-East BayUniversity or college · Public · Hayward13 mi$7,583 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Blackhawk residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Blackhawk
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Blackhawk is an unincorporated planned community and census-designated place located in Contra Costa County, California, United States, east of Danville and Oakland. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 9,637. Governed by county rules/regulations and a homeowner association (HOA), Blackhawk has a country club, two golf courses, sports complex, restaurants, and abuts the Blackhawk Plaza mall. HOA dues provide 24-hour security plus additional law enforcement contracted through the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. The area is covered by the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District. The ZIP code is 94506. The community is inside area code 925.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 997 ft
- Area code
- 925
Blackhawk’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Blackhawk.
DanvilleDiabloCamino TassajaraBlackhawk
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackhawk | #43 | A− | D− | — | A+ | A |
| Danville | #6 | A | D− | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Diablo | — | — | D− | — | A+ | A+ |
| Camino Tassajara | #9 | A | D | — | A+ | A+ |
Diablo has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Blackhawk, Diablo and Camino Tassajara report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Blackhawk with a neighbor →
Questions about Blackhawk
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blackhawk, CA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Blackhawk grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #43 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Blackhawk, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $2,000,000, 163% 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−.