Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 46/100
D
Median home value$1,124,400
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$2,548/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households36%
San Francisco 38%
El Cerrito
Contra Costa County25,994 residentsWest Contra Costa Unified
53
C−
Suburbgrade score
42nd of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on amenities, held back by schools.
53
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for El Cerrito yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 53 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 El Cerrito is like to live in, by category
Bars show El Cerrito against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 33/100
F
Within-state proficiency29th pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio22.2
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate82%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 64/100
C+
Housing cost index102
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate0.80%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax10.25%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 52/100
D+
Mean commute33.3 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes47%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi23
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 86/100
A−
Restaurants & cafés100
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries12
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks110
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 53/100
C−
Median household income$127,876
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment5.8%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations65%
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 El Cerrito 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 El Cerrito on schools
El Cerrito's weakest grade is F. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbSchoolsOverall
Mill Valley13 mi from El CerritoB+ 68 B− San Anselmo15 mi from El CerritoB+ 65 C+ Moraga11 mi from El CerritoB+ 62 C Orinda8 mi from El CerritoB+ 65 C+ Lafayette10 mi from El CerritoB+ 67 C+ Albany2 mi from El CerritoB+ 69 B− Within-state proficiency: EDFacts SY2021–22 · Graduation rate: EDFacts ACGR SY2018–19
Common questions about living in El Cerrito
Is El Cerrito, CA a good place to live?
El Cerrito scores 53 out of 100, 42nd of 59 San Francisco suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on schools. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is El Cerrito expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C+. The median home is $1,124,400, 1% below the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.80%. $2,548/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in El Cerrito?
Schools grade F. The districts serving El Cerrito sit at the 29th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 82% graduation rate and a 22.2 student–teacher ratio. El Cerrito is served by West Contra Costa Unified. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from El Cerrito?
The mean commute is 33.3 min, with 47% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 32% working from home. Transit density is 23 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in El Cerrito?
Within two miles there are 12 groceries, 100 restaurants and cafés and 110 parks, which grades A− on amenities.
Are the homes in El Cerrito old or new?
The median home in El Cerrito was built in 1956 — older than 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. 71% 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 El Cerrito
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