The Town FilesPleasant Hill, California
City in Contra Costa County · population 34,613 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,077,100
- Household income
- $145,029
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 42.0
Pleasant Hill is a city of 34,613 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $1,077,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better transit than 96% of California towns, better for young professionals than 92% of California towns, more upscale than 86% of California towns.
How Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill is worth $1,077,100, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.4 times the median household income of $145,029, which is more affordable than 35% of California towns. Median rent is $2,533 a month. 62.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pleasant Hill | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,077,100 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,533 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $145,029 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 62.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Pleasant Hill
| People | Pleasant Hill | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 18.8% | — |
| Work from home | 26.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 30.2 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.7% | 93.3% |
Weather in Pleasant Hill
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 Pleasant Hill since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 18, 1989 about 2.7 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 Pleasant Hill itself the ACS puts it at 4.8%.
Public schools in Pleasant Hill
14 public schools with 7,834 students, about 24.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| College Park High | 9-12 | 1,997 | 24.4 |
| Sequoia Middle | 6-8 | 835 | 25.3 |
| Valley View Middle | 6-8 | 785 | 23.1 |
| Pleasant Hill Middle | 6-8 | 719 | 24.8 |
| Valhalla Elementary | K-5 | 686 | 28.6 |
| Pleasant Hill Elementary | K-5 | 646 | 30.8 |
| Strandwood Elementary | K-5 | 600 | 25.0 |
| Sequoia Elementary | K-5 | 594 | 28.3 |
| Gregory Gardens Elementary | K-5 | 384 | 27.4 |
| Fair Oaks Elementary | K-5 | 297 | 21.2 |
| Horizons School: Independent Study | K-12 | 216 | 12.0 |
| Prospect High (Continuation) | 9-12 | 75 | 10.7 |
Towns near Pleasant Hill
- Reliez Valley, CA1.8 mi · 3,354 people · home $1,740,200
- Contra Costa Centre, CA2.3 mi · 6,808 people · home $733,300
- Pacheco, CA2.4 mi · 4,183 people · home $343,300
- Martinez, CA3.7 mi · 37,287 people · home $859,800
- Vine Hill, CA3.7 mi · 4,323 people · home $631,900
- Walnut Creek, CA4.0 mi · 70,127 people · home $1,057,300
- Concord, CA4.2 mi · 125,410 people · home $797,600
- Mountain View, CA4.4 mi · 2,622 people · home $590,100
Pleasant Hill questions
Is Pleasant Hill, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pleasant Hill scores better for retirees than 40% of California towns and quieter than 30%. 17.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.0).
How much does a house cost in Pleasant Hill?
The median owner-occupied home in Pleasant Hill is valued at $1,077,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $145,029, so homes cost about 7.4 times income. Median rent is $2,533 a month.
What is the weather like in Pleasant Hill?
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 Pleasant Hill get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pleasant Hill 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)