The Town FilesContra Costa Centre, California
Community in Contra Costa County · population 6,808 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $733,300
- Household income
- $121,313
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 33.6
Contra Costa Centre is a community of 6,808 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $733,300, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 100% of California towns, more vibrant than 100% of California towns, better transit than 100% of California towns.
- #2 in The 25 Best Small Towns for Young Professionals in California
- #12 in The 24 Best Affordable Small Towns for Remote Workers in California
- #14 in The 25 Hippest Small Towns in California
- #17 in The 50 Best Small Towns for Young Professionals in America
- #37 in The 50 Most Walkable Small Towns in America With Little Snow
How Contra Costa Centre 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 Contra Costa Centre is worth $733,300, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.0 times the median household income of $121,313, which is more affordable than 58% of California towns. Median rent is $2,713 a month. 15.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Contra Costa Centre | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $733,300 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,713 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $121,313 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 15.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Contra Costa Centre
| People | Contra Costa Centre | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 13.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 5.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 36.6% | — |
| Work from home | 22.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 33.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.4% | 93.3% |
Weather in Contra Costa Centre
July highs average 88.3°F and January lows 41.7°F. About 17.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 47 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 4 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Contra Costa Centre since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 18, 1989 about 3.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 18, 1989.
Severe weather in Contra Costa County since 1996
Contra Costa County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| April 1, 2017 | Flood | DR-4308: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County had 373,992 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $86,234 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Contra Costa Centre itself the ACS puts it at 7.3%.
Towns near Contra Costa Centre
- Walnut Creek, CA1.8 mi · 70,127 people · home $1,057,300
- Pleasant Hill, CA2.3 mi · 34,613 people · home $1,077,100
- Reliez Valley, CA2.8 mi · 3,354 people · home $1,740,200
- San Miguel, CA2.9 mi · 3,591 people · home $1,649,100
- Saranap, CA2.9 mi · 5,830 people · home $1,453,300
- Concord, CA4.3 mi · 125,410 people · home $797,600
- Lafayette, CA4.3 mi · 25,391 people · home $2,000,001
- Pacheco, CA4.4 mi · 4,183 people · home $343,300
Contra Costa Centre questions
Is Contra Costa Centre, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Contra Costa Centre scores better for retirees than 28% of California towns and quieter than 13%. 7.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.6).
How much does a house cost in Contra Costa Centre?
The median owner-occupied home in Contra Costa Centre is valued at $733,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $121,313, so homes cost about 6.0 times income. Median rent is $2,713 a month.
What is the weather like in Contra Costa Centre?
July highs average 88.3°F and January lows 41.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.7 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Contra Costa Centre get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Contra Costa Centre since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 18, 1989. 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)