Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Orinda grades A overall, ranked 3rd of 841 in California. It is healthier than 98% of U.S. towns. Its schools rank ahead of 98% of California towns and the median household earns $250K. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $1.9 million for a typical one and 14.3 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 86% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Orinda, where California’s towns sit at 29% and U.S. towns at 29%. Orinda is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. On safety, just 29 of California’s 426 towns do better.
Where Orinda beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
17,643 counted in 2010 and 19,514 in 2020; an estimated 19,507 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 10.6% in the decade before.
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 Orinda is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 5,568 in 1960, 19,514 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1938 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Orinda. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw11 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw15 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw17 mi GardenPresidio of San FranciscoAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Orinda, 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 Orinda.
Orinda fares better on crime within California than nationally, has schools in the top 5% of California and has less no health insurance than most of California.
At 14.3 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $1.94M) costs more against local pay than in 90% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The typical value, about $1.94M, is 8% below its June 2022 peak.
Orinda’s median rent is $3,501 a month. The typical Orinda home is worth about $1,943,000, up 2.6% in a year, more than twice the California typical home. 91% of households own their home in Orinda.
| Orinda | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 91% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #6 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.94M.
Its public schools are run by the Orinda Union school district. Two of its 9 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Miramonte High, with 1,167 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orinda IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 822 | – |
| Miramonte HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,167 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 2.9% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like Orinda’s, it is healthier than 52%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
5.7% of Orinda adults smoke cigarettes. Orinda beats the California average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 16% of Orinda adults get no exercise outside work.
| Orinda | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 22% | 19% |
| What stands out | Orinda | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.9% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.2% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
18 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The trail density in Orinda is 1.4 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Pinole Valley Watershed, at 340 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mulholland Open Space Preserve | 1.9 mi | 111 |
| 2. Wilder Park | 1.1 mi | 38 |
| 3. Pinole Valley Watershed | 0.3 mi | 340 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1993, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Orinda.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average commute for its 7,120 working residents takes 36.1 minutes, against 28.7 across California. 39.3% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Among 847 California towns, just 10 have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Orinda. Jobs based in Orinda grew to 3,958 in 2023, 585 more than in 2013. Most working residents leave Orinda for work: only 5% work in town.
| Orinda | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 39% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 2.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 11.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 94% of California’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 15 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 40.9°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 81.1°.
Orinda has warm winters and pleasant summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Orinda | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 81°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 41°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
28 within 15 miles of the center of Orinda
About 4 of every 100 Orinda residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Orinda’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Orinda on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Orinda.
City in California, United States
Orinda is an affluent city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city's population as of the 2020 census is estimated at 19,514 residents.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Orinda.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Orinda grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #3 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, B+ for safety and A+ 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−.
7 notable people were born here, including Luke Sassano and Ken Dorsey.
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