More historic than 14% of U.S. towns · #604 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of El Cerrito was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1981. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1942 on, and the census since 1990.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, El Cerrito is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #604 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of El Cerrito’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so El Cerrito’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points).
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about El Cerrito’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of El Cerrito yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
El Cerrito (Spanish for 'The Little Hill') is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Inland Empire region of Riverside County, California, United States. It is an unincorporated area mostly surrounded by the city of Corona. The population was 5,058 at the 2020 census, down from 5,100 at the 2010 census.
Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 5,100 in 2010, 5,058 in 2020.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
El Cerrito is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #604 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in El Cerrito?
2% of El Cerrito’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1981.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (1), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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