Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 14,911, settled in 1964.
Homes are expensive, about $775K for a typical one and 5.7 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. Overall it grades C, ranked 394th of 841 in California. It is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Discovery Bay’s median rent is $3,029 a month, above both California’s towns ($1,895 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). On history, just 43 of California’s 1,063 towns do worse.
Where Discovery Bay beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
13,352 counted in 2010 and 15,358 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Discovery Bay is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,326 in 1980, 15,358 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 5 maps from 1913 on.
Discovery Bay 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Discovery Bay.
Discovery Bay has less no health insurance than most of California, has home values still below their peak and sends most of its workers to San Francisco and beyond.
Since 1982, 7 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Discovery Bay.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Byron Union Elementary school district. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Bay ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 417 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 6.1% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 2,956 U.S. towns with household incomes like Discovery Bay’s, it is less healthy than 75%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
73% of Discovery Bay adults had a checkup this year. Discovery Bay beats the California average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 10% of Discovery Bay adults smoke cigarettes.
| Discovery Bay | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 72% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Discovery Bay | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.1% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.7% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Discovery Bay has 1,151 jobs for its 6,267 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 44.1 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
Most working residents leave Discovery Bay for work: only 5% work in town. Discovery Bay’s average trip to work is 44 minutes. Jobs based in Discovery Bay grew to 1,151 in 2023, 307 more than in 2013.
| Discovery Bay | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 44 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $147,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 22% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Discovery Bay has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Discovery Bay is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide). 33% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Discovery Bay | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.6 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 29% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.6 points. Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Discovery Bay | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.6% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.5% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.2% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.9% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.6% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.9% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cornell Park | 0.2 mi | 9 |
| 2. Slifer Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Regatta Park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical value, about $775K, is 11% below its June 2022 peak. At about $775K, home values are down 3% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
90% of households own their home in Discovery Bay. The typical Discovery Bay home is worth about $775,000, down 0.9% in a year, close to the California typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Discovery Bay. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
17 mi MountainMount Diablo
35 mi Stadium & arenaOakland Arena
36 mi Stadium & arenaCalifornia Memorial Stadium
38 mi Theme parkSix Flags Discovery Kingdom
37 mi Theme parkChildren's FairylandUSS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Mount Diablo: Trurl66, Public domain · Oakland Arena: Mike Disharoon, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California Memorial Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Six Flags Discovery Kingdom: Tinned Elk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Children's Fairyland: Wordworking, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Discovery Bay; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Discovery Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Discovery Bay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in California, United States
Discovery Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) in eastern Contra Costa County, California, United States, approximately 60 miles (97 km) from San Francisco. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2020, its population was 15,358, a 15% percent gain from 13,352 at the 2010 census. Discovery Bay was originally a waterfront community built on a network of man-made waterways and residential islands, except for the southeastern quadrant, which comprises the golf course of Discovery Bay Country Club. The homes generally have private docks with access to the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta. Newer developments have been added on former agricultural land to the north and west of the …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Discovery Bay grades C overall, better than 29% of U.S. towns and #394 of 841 in California. It grades A− for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
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−.
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