Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 50/100
D+
Median home value$1,104,600
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$2,554/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households36%
San Francisco 38%
Castro Valley
Alameda County65,001 residentsCastro Valley Unified
61
C
Suburbgrade score
28th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on amenities, held back by commute & transport.
61
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Castro Valley yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 61 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Castro Valley is like to live in, by category
Bars show Castro Valley against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 66/100
C+
Within-state proficiency82nd pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio22.7
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate92%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 69/100
B−
Housing cost index95
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate0.66%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax10.25%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 45/100
D
Mean commute32.7 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes49%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi9.1
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 79/100
B+
Restaurants & cafés67
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries12
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks70
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 60/100
C
Median household income$142,779
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment3.8%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations52%
San Francisco 56%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Castro Valley yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Castro Valley on commute & transport
Castro Valley's weakest grade is D. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbCommuteOverall
Menlo Park16 mi from Castro ValleyB+ 64 C+ North Fair Oaks18 mi from Castro ValleyB+ 63 C+ San Carlos18 mi from Castro ValleyB 74 B Redwood City16 mi from Castro ValleyB− 61 C East Palo Alto17 mi from Castro ValleyB− 54 C− Berkeley17 mi from Castro ValleyB− 66 C+ Mean commute: ACS 2020–24 · Commuting under 30 minutes: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Castro Valley
Is Castro Valley, CA a good place to live?
Castro Valley scores 61 out of 100, 28th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on commute & transport. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Castro Valley expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $1,104,600, 3% below the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.66%. $2,554/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Castro Valley?
Schools grade C+. The districts serving Castro Valley sit at the 82nd pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 92% graduation rate and a 22.7 student–teacher ratio. Castro Valley is served by Castro Valley Unified. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Castro Valley?
The mean commute is 32.7 min, with 49% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 21% working from home. Transit density is 9.1 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Castro Valley?
Within two miles there are 12 groceries, 67 restaurants and cafés and 70 parks, which grades B+ on amenities.
Are the homes in Castro Valley old or new?
The median home in Castro Valley was built in 1966 — close to the San Francisco median of 1968. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 81% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.
Six San Francisco lists
Best San Francisco suburbs for familiesMost affordable San Francisco suburbsBest San Francisco suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown San FranciscoMost walkable San Francisco suburbsBest San Francisco suburbs for young professionalsCompare Castro Valley
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