Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 66,607, settled in 1837.
Homes are expensive, about $782K for a typical one and 5.7 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Overall it grades C+, ranked 270th of 841 in California. Residents are healthier than 80% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 87% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 81% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Brentwood’s median rent is $2,758 a month, against $1,895 a month in California’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. John Marsh House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Brentwood beats most towns.
51,481 counted in 2010 and 64,292 in 2020; an estimated 66,607 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Brentwood is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 87% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1837, comes before those of 97% of the California towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 1,729 in 1950, 64,292 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1856 and 5 maps from 1914 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Brentwood takes its name from Brentwood in Essex, England, 5,330 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionBrentwood, settled in 1837, takes its name from Brentwood, a large town in Essex, England.
2 more U.S. towns are named after Brentwood:Brentwood, NH4,923Brentwood, NY0
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brentwood. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw34 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw39 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkAlcatraz 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 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brentwood, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Brentwood.
Brentwood has home values still below their peak, owes part of its health edge to its incomes and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
20 miles of trail in 39 parks and preserves. Brentwood’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Marsh Creek State Park, at 71 acres.
| Brentwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.9% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Sunset Park | 0.9 mi | 37 |
| 2. Veteran's Park | 0.7 mi | 17 |
| 3. Oak Meadow Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Brentwood Union school district. Two of its 18 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| William B. Bristow MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,223 | C− |
| Liberty HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,836 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,361 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brentwood’s, it is less healthy than 67%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
9.4% of adults smoke cigarettes in Brentwood. Brentwood beats the California average on 12 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 72% of adults had a checkup this year in Brentwood.
| Brentwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.4% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 29% | 35% |
| What stands out | Brentwood | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.4% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brentwood since 1982.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 27,232 working residents takes 40 minutes, against 28.7 across California. Jobs based here grew from 9,149 in 2013 to 14,242.
Most working residents leave Brentwood for work: only 13% work in town. The average trip to work in Brentwood is 40 minutes. Jobs based in Brentwood grew to 14,242 in 2023, 5,093 more than in 2013.
| Brentwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 40 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $142,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 19% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 1,636 to 1,177 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Within California, it does better than 50% of towns.
| Brentwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 15.6 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Brentwood has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 90°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 26% of residents (22% statewide). 39% of Brentwood adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Brentwood has grown 3.6% since 2020, to 66,607 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Brentwood | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 26% | 22% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 29% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 16% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.5 points). Across California, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 41.2, men 39.1.
| Brentwood | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.8% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.2% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.5% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.1% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.3% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.8% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.4% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.9% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical value, about $782K, is 11% below its June 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $8,257, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical Brentwood home is worth about $782,000, down 0.9% in a year, close to the California typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brentwood
About 6 of every 100 Brentwood residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Brentwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
5 notable people were born in Brentwood.
City in California, United States
Brentwood is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population is 66,854 as of 2022, an increase of 287% from 23,302 at the 2000 census. Brentwood was settled by Euro-Americans in the late 19th century. The community is still known throughout the Bay Area for its agricultural products - primarily its cherries, corn and peaches. Due to urban sprawl, many of the old farms and orchards have been replaced by suburban properties and developments since 1990. Brentwood is increasingly residential, with the rate of population growth in the triple digits during the 1990s, and 69% from 2000 through 2010. As of …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Brentwood.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brentwood grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #270 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Within California, it does better than 50% of towns.
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−.
5 notable people were born here, including Corinne Cole and Faye Resnick.
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