Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 14,911, settled in 1964.
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Where it falls short is cost of living (D−): the typical home is worth about $775K, 5.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. With a C overall, Discovery Bay is better than 29% of U.S. towns and ranks 394th of 841 in California. Its best grade is for health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country. It also does well on schools (B+): its public schools beat nearly two thirds of California towns on state tests and graduation. Hazard risk is weaker too (D) — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. On history, just 43 of California’s 1,063 towns do worse. The town’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).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places.
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, Discovery Bay has seen 7 flood insurance claims paid out. 74% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 24%. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2022.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The public schools here belong to the Byron Union Elementary school district. One of its 4 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. 3 public schools serve Discovery Bay, with 805 students in all.
| 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.
Among adults in Discovery Bay, 10% smoke cigarettes and 11% worry about having enough food. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Discovery Bay is ahead of California on 11 and behind on 2. 73% of Discovery Bay adults had a checkup this year.
| 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.
For workers in Discovery Bay, the share who work from home is 22%. The town had 1,151 jobs in 2023, up 307 from 2013. The typical journey to work here is 44 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 29 miles.
| 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
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide). For Discovery Bay, the median age is 45.6 years. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 33%, against 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
Walkers can cover 0.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| 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.
A home in Discovery Bay typically sold within 46 days of listing. Homes here are typically worth about $775,000, down 0.9% in a year, close to the California typical home. In Discovery Bay, nine in ten households are owner-occupiers.
| Discovery Bay | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,029 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 90% | 64% | 73% |
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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