More historic than 13% of U.S. towns · #616 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Vine Hill was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1968. Below: maps from 1896 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Vine Hill is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #616 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Vine Hill’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Vine Hill’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.6 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Vine Hill’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Vine Hill. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1896Carquinez Strait sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Vine Hill.
The story so far
Vine Hill, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Vine Hill yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Vine Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 4,323 at the 2020 census. It is located 2.25 miles (3.6 km) east of downtown Martinez.
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 3,761 to 4,323 (+15%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Vine Hill, 1859 to 1913
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Vine Hill is more historic than 13% of U.S. towns, #616 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Vine Hill?
2% of Vine Hill’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1968.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
