The Town FilesOrinda, California
City in Contra Costa County · population 19,514 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,863,200
- Household income
- $250,001
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 74°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 47.5
Orinda is a city of 19,514 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $1,863,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more upscale than 100% of California towns, better for families than 98% of California towns, better transit than 91% of California towns.
How Orinda 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 Orinda is worth $1,863,200, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.5 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 34% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 91.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Orinda | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,863,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,501 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $250,001 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.5× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 91.3% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1960 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Orinda
| People | Orinda | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.5 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.3% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 25.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 85.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 2.2% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 18.6% | — |
| Work from home | 39.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 36.1 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.0% | 93.3% |
Weather in Orinda
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
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Orinda since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 18, 1989 about 9.7 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 Orinda itself the ACS puts it at 3.4%.
Public schools in Orinda
6 public schools with 3,738 students, about 19.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miramonte High | 9-12 | 1,188 | 18.9 |
| Orinda Intermediate | 6-8 | 820 | 18.2 |
| Wagner Ranch Elementary | K-5 | 466 | 20.3 |
| Glorietta Elementary | K-5 | 453 | 21.6 |
| Del Rey Elementary | K-5 | 437 | 21.9 |
| Sleepy Hollow Elementary | K-5 | 374 | 19.7 |
Towns near Orinda
- Lafayette, CA2.8 mi · 25,391 people · home $2,000,001
- Moraga, CA3.5 mi · 16,870 people · home $1,663,200
- Saranap, CA5.1 mi · 5,830 people · home $1,453,300
- Piedmont, CA5.3 mi · 11,270 people · home $2,000,001
- Reliez Valley, CA5.4 mi · 3,354 people · home $1,740,200
- Kensington, CA6.5 mi · 5,428 people · home $1,539,000
- Contra Costa Centre, CA7.0 mi · 6,808 people · home $733,300
- Pleasant Hill, CA7.1 mi · 34,613 people · home $1,077,100
Orinda questions
Is Orinda, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Orinda scores better for retirees than 84% of California towns and quieter than 67%. 23.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.5).
How much does a house cost in Orinda?
The median owner-occupied home in Orinda is valued at $1,863,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 7.5 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.
What is the weather like in Orinda?
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 Orinda get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Orinda 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)