Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Piedmont grades B+ overall, ranked 80th of 841 in California. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally. The median household earns $250K and its schools outperform 96% of the state's. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $2.5 million for a typical one and 18.7 times the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income. 88% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Piedmont, above both the California town median (29%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Few places in the country are easier to get around without a car. On history, just 43 of California’s 1,063 towns do better.
Where Piedmont beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Piedmont | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.6% | 10.6% |
Where Piedmont’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Piedmont is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 634 in 1890, 11,270 in 2020. The archive holds 20 old photos and papers going back to 1878 and 8 maps from 1897 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Piedmont. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw5 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw9 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw10 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw13 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 Piedmont, 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 Piedmont.
Piedmont has schools in the top 5% of California, has less no health insurance than most of California and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
At 18.7 years of the San Francisco metro’s $136K median household income, the typical home (about $2.55M) costs more against local pay than in 96% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
Piedmont’s median rent is $3,501 a month. Typical home values rose 15% in the year to September 2026. 91% of households own their home in Piedmont.
| Piedmont | 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 #18 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 $2.55M.
Its public schools are run by the Piedmont City Unified school district. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Piedmont High, with 733 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 575 | A+ |
| Piedmont HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 733 | A+ |
| Wildwood ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 291 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 2.6% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like Piedmont’s, it is healthier than 81%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
13% of Piedmont adults get no exercise outside work. Piedmont beats the California average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 5.4% of Piedmont adults smoke cigarettes.
| Piedmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Piedmont | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.9% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.8% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.6 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The trail density in Piedmont is 2.1 miles per square mile.
| Piedmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.1% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Piedmont Park | 1.6 mi | 13 |
| 2. Dracena Park | 0.7 mi | 8 |
| 3. Witter Sports Complex | 0.1 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Piedmont.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 477 to 218 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
39.9% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Piedmont for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Piedmont has added 75 jobs, to 1,404 in 2023. The top destinations are San Francisco (27%), Oakland (18%) and Berkeley (5%).
| Piedmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 42.4°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 75.7°.
Piedmont has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Piedmont | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 76°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
35 within 15 miles of the center of Piedmont
About 4 of every 100 Piedmont residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
4 notable people were born in Piedmont.
City in California, United States
Piedmont is a small city in Alameda County, California, United States, enclaved by the city of Oakland. Its residential population was 11,270 at the 2020 census. The name comes from the region of Piedmont in Italy, and it means 'foothill'. Piedmont was incorporated in 1907, and was developed significantly in the 1920s and 1930s.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Piedmont grades B+ overall, better than 71% of U.S. towns and #80 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, C− for safety and A+ for schools. Hazard risk 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Alex Hirsch and Richard Carlson.
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