Elliston · National Register of Historic Places
Sunol’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1969.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1871Sunol is settled
SunolCA
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 bordering townsMap →
Elliston · Photo: MARELBU · CC BY 3.0
Population
847
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.42M
+3.2% in a year
Household income
$215K
median
Median age
46.3
years
Jobs based here
418
Balanced
Is Sunol a good place to live?
Sunol’s median rent is $3,501 a month, above both California’s towns ($1,896 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Only 5 of the 848 California towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Sunol. 49% of the land in Sunol is conserved, where California’s towns sit at 4.3% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park, at 3,230 acres with 29.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Sunol has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Sunol stand out
Where Sunol beats most towns.
Small town
847 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
FremontPleasantonHaywardSunol
Nearby attractions
All 252 attractions →Levi's Stadium and 215 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sunol. Close and well known come first.
Big draw14 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw34 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw14 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
Big draw27 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Levi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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
Getting set up
Moving to Sunol: who provides what
Sunol is unincorporated, so Alameda County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterZone 7 Water AgencyNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAlameda CountyAlameda 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 hereAlameda Registrar of VotersAlameda County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code9458694586 98%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 Sunol.
Housing
A typical Sunol home is worth about $1.42M
The typical Sunol home is worth about $1,418,000, up 3.2% in a year, 86% above the California typical home. 82% of Sunol households own their home.
$1.42MZillow home value
Typical home value
Sunol$1.42M
California$762K
+3.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Sunol’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Sunol Glen Unified school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunol Glen ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 240 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Sunol
32 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. Sunol’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile.
48.6%conserved
48.6%
conserved · 8,855 of 18,213 acres
32 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pleasanton Ridge Regional Park | 29.4 mi | 3,230 |
| 2. Ohlone Wilderness Trail Permit Area | — | 8 |
| 3. Vargas Plateau Regional Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Sunol
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 93% of U.S. communities.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesLandslides
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Sunol has mild winters and pleasant summers
Sunol has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 40° and snow is almost unheard of.
86°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–59°
Spring47–70°
Summer56–84°
Fall50–75°
Dec 2
typical first frost
Feb 15
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
86°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Sunol
Most working residents leave Sunol for work: only 0% work in town. The median household income in Sunol is $215,000. Since 2013, Sunol has lost 108 jobs, to 418 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Sunol | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $215,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 26% | 14% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 10% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Sunol0%
Pleasanton15%
San Jose9%
San Francisco8%
Livermore6%
17 mi
median commute distance
418
jobs based in Sunol
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
Fewer of Sunol’s adults get no exercise outside work than in the typical California or U.S. town
14% of adults get no exercise outside work in Sunol.
| Sunol | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 29% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 24% | 25% |
32 measures vs. California
22 better8 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Sunol | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.9% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 6.4% |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont
5.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sunol
17pages on Sunol
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
10 within 15 miles of the center of Sunol
Ohlone CollegeCommunity college · Public · Fremont4.2 mi$1,202 in-state tuitionUnitek CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Fremont6.9 miCalifornia State University-East BayUniversity or college · Public · Hayward10.7 mi$7,583 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Sunol residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Get outside
32 miles of trails in Sunol
48.6% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
2
Ohlone Wilderness Trail Permit Area8 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Landmarks
3 places in Sunol on the National Register of Historic Places.
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About Sunol
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Sunol (Spanish: Suñol) is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the Sunol Valley of the East Bay, the population was 922 at the 2020 census. It is best known as the location of the Sunol Water Temple and for its historic tourist railroad system, the Niles Canyon Railway.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 28 sq mi
- Elevation
- 266 ft
- ZIP code
- 94586
- Area code
- 510
Questions about Sunol
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sunol, CA a good place to live?
Sunol has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.