Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 45/100
D
Median home value$769,400
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$2,991/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households40%
San Francisco 38%
Hercules
Contra Costa County26,302 residentsWest Contra Costa Unified
44
D
Suburbgrade score
52nd of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on amenities, held back by commute & transport.
44
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Hercules yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 44 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 Hercules is like to live in, by category
Bars show Hercules against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 31/100
F
Within-state proficiency28th pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio22.2
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate83%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 57/100
C−
Housing cost index92
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate1.00%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax9.25%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 29/100
F
Mean commute37.6 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes40%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi8.0
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 59/100
C
Restaurants & cafés38
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries5
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks43
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 46/100
D
Median household income$129,397
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment6.4%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations49%
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 Hercules 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 Hercules on commute & transport
Hercules's weakest grade is F. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbCommuteOverall
Mill Valley16 mi from HerculesB 68 B− San Rafael12 mi from HerculesB− 58 C Berkeley11 mi from HerculesB− 66 C+ Emeryville13 mi from HerculesC+ 56 C− Larkspur14 mi from HerculesC+ 67 C+ Alamo19 mi from HerculesC 69 B− Mean commute: ACS 2020–24 · Commuting under 30 minutes: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Hercules
Is Hercules, CA a good place to live?
Hercules scores 44 out of 100, 52nd 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 Hercules expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C−. The median home is $769,400, 33% below the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 1.00%. $2,991/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Hercules?
Schools grade F. The districts serving Hercules sit at the 28th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 83% graduation rate and a 22.2 student–teacher ratio. Hercules is served by West Contra Costa Unified. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Hercules?
The mean commute is 37.6 min, with 40% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 19% working from home. Transit density is 8.0 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Hercules?
Within two miles there are 5 groceries, 38 restaurants and cafés and 43 parks, which grades C on amenities.
Are the homes in Hercules old or new?
The median home in Hercules was built in 1988 — newer 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. 78% 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 Hercules
Every San Francisco suburb, side by side