Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
San Pablo earns a D, 616th of 841 graded towns in California, mostly because of safety. It reports more crime per resident than 88% of U.S. towns, including 124 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, it is more walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. San Pablo’s July high is 74°F, below both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). San Pablo's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 99% of U.S. towns. San Pablo is home to Contra Costa College.
Where San Pablo beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 1,075 in 1870, a low of 367 in 1890, 32,127 in 2020. The archive holds 34 old photos and papers going back to 1924 and 8 maps from 1895 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far San Pablo is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 98% of comparable towns) to D− for hazard risk (better than 3%), so the D overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around San Pablo. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw13 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw12 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
Big draw13 mi GardenPresidio of San FranciscoAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in San Pablo, 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 San Pablo.
San Pablo has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and has home values still below their peak, but it scores below Richmond and its other neighbors on health.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 95% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 43 flood insurance claims have been paid out in San Pablo.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the West Contra Costa Unified school district. One of its 6 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helms MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 558 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 1,095 to 756 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in San Pablo is 20.1 per 1,000 residents. San Pablo reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 88% report less. The violent crime rate in San Pablo is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| San Pablo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.1 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave San Pablo for work: only 5% work in town. San Pablo’s average trip to work is 32 minutes. The top destinations are San Francisco (16%), Richmond (10%) and Oakland (9%).
| San Pablo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 8.9% | 14% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $79,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical value, about $554K, is 15% below its June 2022 peak. At about $554K, home values are down 7% in five years, against a rise of 13% across California.
The typical San Pablo home is worth about $554,000, down 0.7% in a year, 27% below the California typical home. 42% of households own their home in San Pablo.
| San Pablo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 42% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $2,018 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its C, from Richmond (C+) to El Sobrante (B+).
San Pablo beats the California average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 40% of San Pablo adults feel lonely.
| San Pablo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 72% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 33% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 16% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 9% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | San Pablo | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.2% | 6.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 17.8% | 10.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 43.2°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 73.5°.
San Pablo has warm winters and cool summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| San Pablo | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. John Hubert Davis Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Wildcat Creek Restoration and Greenway Trail | 0.1 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
32 within 15 miles of the center of San Pablo
About 7 of every 100 San Pablo residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
9 notable people were born in San Pablo.
City in California, United States
San Pablo (Spanish for "Saint Paul") is an enclave city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. As of 2026, the city council consists of Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado, Vice Mayor Rita Xavier, Abel Pineda, Patricia Ponce, and Arturo Cruz. Dorothy Gantt is the city Clerk. Viviana Toledo is the city treasurer.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with San Pablo.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Richmond (D) is closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Pablo | #616 | D | C | D | C+ | C |
| El Sobrante | #304 | C+ | C− | — | C+ | B+ |
| Rollingwood | #446 | C | C+ | — | C+ | B− |
| Richmond | #605 | D | C− | D | C+ | C+ |
El Sobrante and Rollingwood report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare San Pablo with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
San Pablo grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #616 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($136,027 across the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
9 notable people were born here, including Raul Rojas and Gene Clines.
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