Rodoni Property, 1715 Elm Street
El Cerrito’s story
El Cerrito in pictures
Census counts: 4,490 in 1990, 5,058 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 6 maps from 1942 on.
Explore the history →El CerritoRiverside County, CA
Public schools that outperform most of California. In California, this town has 5,325 residents.
Population
5,325
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$627K
Census ACS
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
35.7
years
Jobs based here
542
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#248 of 841 in CA
What should you know before moving to El Cerrito?
A town of contrasts. The weak point is cost of living (D−): the typical home is worth about $627K, 7 years of the Riverside metro’s $90K median household income. Overall, El Cerrito earns a C+, which places it 248th of 841 in California. On that grade it does better than 44% of U.S. towns. Its standout strength is schools (B+): its schools outperform 74% of the state's. Hazard risk is weaker too (D): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. The biggest park or preserve is El Cerrito Sports Park, at 26 acres. The town’s average trip to work is 43 minutes, above both the California town median (28 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes).
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenStreetMap.
What makes El Cerrito stand out
Where El Cerrito beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Corona-Norco Unified schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Branch Christian School | PK–8 | 240 |
| El Cerrito Middle | 6–8 | 1,218 |
SchoolsB+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and earthquakes at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave El Cerrito for work
Where El Cerrito’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
542jobs based in El Cerrito
2%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How El Cerrito grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far El Cerrito is from typical.
Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesD−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsA−Open →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.8 of 20; 2.3% of households have no carB+Open →HealthCorona Regional Medical Center 3.5 miles awayBOpen →
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.
ClimateMild winters, 93° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.7; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 272 attractions →Disneyland and 89 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around El Cerrito. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Theme parkDisneyland17.3M visitors a year
Big draw27 mi Theme parkKnott's Berry Farm4.5M visitors a year
Big draw21 mi Stadium & arenaAngel Stadium of Anaheim
Big draw23 mi Theme parkDisney California Adventure10.1M visitors a year
21 mi Stadium & arenaHonda Center
Big draw35 mi MuseumOldest McDonald's restaurantSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Disneyland: HarshLight from San Jose, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Knott's Berry Farm: Phydend at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Staff Sgt. Chad McMeen, Public domain · Disney California Adventure: CrispyCream27, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Honda Center: Arnold C (Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution · Oldest McDonald's restaurant: Northwalker, CC0
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Getting set up
Moving to El Cerrito: who provides what
El Cerrito is unincorporated, so Riverside County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerSouthern California Edison31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Corona water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesRiverside CountyRiverside 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 hereRiverside Registrar of VotersRiverside County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9288192881 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 El Cerrito.
El Cerrito has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Corona and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
The biggest natural risk in El Cerrito is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Expected losses in El Cerrito break down as 50% from inland flooding and 45% from earthquakes. Flood insurance has paid out on 3 claims here since 1993.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
3
paid flood claims since 1993
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
For schools, El Cerrito earns a B+
The Corona-Norco Unified school district runs its public schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. El Cerrito’s only public school teaches 1,218 students.
74%of CA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,218 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsB
2% of the land in El Cerrito is protected from building
Trails run 2.7 miles in 1 park or preserve.
#395for trails in CA
| El Cerrito | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
2%
conserved · 36 of 1,796 acres
2.7 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. El Cerrito Sports Park | — | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most people working in El Cerrito commute elsewhere
El Cerrito has 542 jobs for its 2,306 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 43 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
The middle household income in El Cerrito is $109,000. Most people who work leave El Cerrito to do it: just 2% work in town. Jobs here fell by 132 from 2013 to 2023, to 542. For residents locally, the share who live below the poverty line is 6.9%.
2%work in town
| El Cerrito | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 43 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In El Cerrito2%
Corona15%
Riverside7%
Los Angeles5%
Anaheim4%
20 mi
median commute distance
542
jobs based in El Cerrito
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is El Cerrito’s year
The Riverside Fire Stn 3 weather station, 11 miles away, records that about 110 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. January nights average 43.2°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.4°.
El Cerrito’s January low stands at 43°F. Snow almost never falls.
93°summer high
| El Cerrito | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 43°F | 40°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 89°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–68°
Spring49–75°
Summer60–90°
Fall54–82°
+2.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
El Cerrito ranks healthier than three in five of the country’s towns
Against the 7,303 U.S. towns with household incomes like El Cerrito’s, it is less healthy than 70%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Among adults in El Cerrito, 17% worry about having enough food. In El Cerrito, 37% of adults feel lonely, and 36% have obesity.
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| El Cerrito | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 36% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 29% | 35% |
32 measures vs. California
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | El Cerrito | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with obesity | 35.5% | 27.8% |
Corona Regional Medical Center
3.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
47th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about El Cerrito
17pages on El Cerrito
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
8 within 15 miles of the center of El Cerrito
Young Americans College of the Performing ArtsCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Corona1.9 miNorco CollegeCommunity college · Public · Norco6.1 mi$1,428 in-state tuitionUniversity of California-RiversideUniversity or college · Public · Riverside14.5 mi$15,606 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 El Cerrito residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
About El Cerrito
Census-designated place in California, United States
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.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 860 ft
El Cerrito’s neighbors
One town shares a border with El Cerrito.
CoronaEl Cerrito
How the neighbors grade
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito | #248 | C+ | D− | — | B+ | B |
| Corona | #381 | C | D− | C | B+ | B |
El Cerrito reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare El Cerrito with a neighbor →
Questions about El Cerrito
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is El Cerrito, CA a good place to live?
El Cerrito grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #248 of 841 in California. It grades B for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is El Cerrito, CA expensive?
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−.