The Town FilesPinole, California
City in Contra Costa County · population 19,022 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $718,600
- Household income
- $127,717
- Jan low / Jul high
- 44° / 71°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 44.7
Pinole is a city of 19,022 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $718,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more seaside character than 93% of California towns, better transit than 88% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 77% of California towns.
How Pinole 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 Pinole is worth $718,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.6 times the median household income of $127,717, which is more affordable than 64% of California towns. Median rent is $2,700 a month. 79.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pinole | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $718,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,700 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $127,717 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 79.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Pinole
| People | Pinole | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.8% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 15.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 4.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 33.8% | — |
| Work from home | 17.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 35.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Pinole
July highs average 70.8°F and January lows 44.1°F. About 24.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 0 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Pinole since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 5, 1998 about 5.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 5, 1998.
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 Pinole itself the ACS puts it at 4.2%.
Public schools in Pinole
7 public schools with 3,420 students, about 21.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinole Valley High | 9-12 | 1,292 | 23.5 |
| West County Mandarin | K-8 | 434 | 24.1 |
| Pinole Middle | 7-8 | 379 | 19.9 |
| Stewart Elementary | K-8 | 366 | 19.3 |
| Shannon Elementary | K-6 | 343 | 21.4 |
| Ellerhorst Elementary | K-6 | 303 | 18.9 |
| Collins Elementary | K-6 | 303 | 20.2 |
Towns near Pinole
- Tara Hills, CA0.5 mi · 5,364 people · home $661,200
- Montalvin Manor, CA0.7 mi · 3,099 people · home $438,600
- Hercules, CA2.1 mi · 26,016 people · home $769,400
- El Sobrante, CA2.1 mi · 15,524 people · home $758,800
- Rollingwood, CA2.6 mi · 3,015 people · home $600,000
- San Pablo, CA3.0 mi · 32,127 people · home $551,700
- North Richmond, CA3.8 mi · 4,175 people · home $623,900
- East Richmond Heights, CA3.9 mi · 3,460 people · home $915,400
Pinole questions
Is Pinole, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pinole scores better for retirees than 50% of California towns and quieter than 42%. 23.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.7).
How much does a house cost in Pinole?
The median owner-occupied home in Pinole is valued at $718,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $127,717, so homes cost about 5.6 times income. Median rent is $2,700 a month.
What is the weather like in Pinole?
July highs average 70.8°F and January lows 44.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Pinole get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Pinole 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)