The Town FilesBerkeley, California
City in Alameda County · population 124,321 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,413,900
- Household income
- $108,092
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 74°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 33.2
Berkeley is a city of 124,321 people in Alameda County, California. The median home is worth $1,413,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more walkable than 100% of California towns, hipper than 100% of California towns, better transit than 100% of California towns.
How Berkeley ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Berkeley is worth $1,413,900, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 13.1 times the median household income of $108,092, which is more affordable than 2% of California towns. Median rent is $2,133 a month. 44.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Berkeley | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,413,900 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,133 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $108,092 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 13.1× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 44.2% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1944 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Berkeley
| People | Berkeley | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 12.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 74.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 17.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 21.1% | — |
| Work from home | 37.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Berkeley
July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 43.3°F. About 26.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Berkeley since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 5, 1998 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 5, 1998.
Severe weather in Alameda County since 1996
Alameda County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Alameda County
Alameda County had 790,358 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $98,026 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Berkeley itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.
Public schools in Berkeley
18 public schools with 9,040 students, about 19.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley High | 9-12 | 3,220 | 18.7 |
| Martin Luther King Middle | 6-8 | 866 | 19.7 |
| Willard Middle | 6-8 | 578 | 16.5 |
| Malcolm X Elementary | K-5 | 460 | 19.2 |
| Longfellow Arts and Technology Middle | 6-8 | 442 | 13.8 |
| Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier | K-5 | 404 | 21.3 |
| Ruth Acty Elementary | K-5 | 396 | 20.8 |
| Washington Elementary | K-5 | 389 | 20.5 |
| Sylvia Mendez Elementary | K-5 | 386 | 22.7 |
| Rosa Parks Environmental Science | K-5 | 371 | 20.6 |
| Thousand Oaks Elementary | K-5 | 363 | 24.2 |
| Cragmont Elementary | K-5 | 294 | 21.0 |
Towns near Berkeley
- Emeryville, CA1.9 mi · 12,905 people · home $604,800
- Albany, CA2.0 mi · 20,271 people · home $1,202,200
- Kensington, CA2.8 mi · 5,428 people · home $1,539,000
- El Cerrito, CA3.7 mi · 25,962 people · home $1,124,400
- Piedmont, CA4.8 mi · 11,270 people · home $2,000,001
- East Richmond Heights, CA5.5 mi · 3,460 people · home $915,400
- Richmond, CA6.9 mi · 116,448 people · home $668,200
- Rollingwood, CA7.1 mi · 3,015 people · home $600,000
Berkeley questions
Is Berkeley, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Berkeley scores better for retirees than 34% of California towns and quieter than 14%. 16.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.2).
How much does a house cost in Berkeley?
The median owner-occupied home in Berkeley is valued at $1,413,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $108,092, so homes cost about 13.1 times income. Median rent is $2,133 a month.
What is the weather like in Berkeley?
July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 43.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 26.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Berkeley get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Berkeley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on December 5, 1998. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)