Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 55/100
C−
Median home value$1,142,800
San Francisco $1,140,700
Median rent$2,776/mo
San Francisco $2,474/mo
Cost-burdened households29%
San Francisco 38%
Newark
Alameda County46,903 residentsNewark Unified
55
C−
Suburbgrade score
38th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. Strongest on employment & income, held back by commute & transport.
55
San Francisco median 60
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Newark yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 55 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 Newark is like to live in, by category
Bars show Newark against San Francisco. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 50/100
D+
Within-state proficiency68th pct
San Francisco median 73rd pct
Student–teacher ratio24.4
San Francisco median 21.7
Graduation rate87%
San Francisco median 89%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 64/100
C+
Housing cost index105
San Francisco 100
Eff. tax rate0.66%
San Francisco 0.73%
Local sales tax10.75%
San Francisco median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 48/100
D+
Mean commute30.6 min
San Francisco 31.0 min
Under 30 minutes49%
San Francisco 52%
Transit stops / sq mi3.3
San Francisco median 8.8 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 51/100
D+
Restaurants & cafés34
San Francisco median 64 · within 2 miles
Groceries3
San Francisco median 7 · within 2 miles
Parks13
San Francisco median 59 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 68/100
B−
Median household income$169,064
San Francisco $136,027
Unemployment4.3%
San Francisco 5.7%
Professional occupations55%
San Francisco 56%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
—
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 Newark yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
—
Do you feel safe walking after dark?
—
Can you walk to a grocery store?
—
Is it good for young children?
—
Are yards and streets well kept?
—
Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Newark on commute & transport
Newark's weakest grade is D+. Six suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbCommuteOverall
Menlo Park7 mi from NewarkB+ 64 C+ North Fair Oaks10 mi from NewarkB+ 63 C+ San Carlos13 mi from NewarkB 74 B Redwood City10 mi from NewarkB− 61 C East Palo Alto6 mi from NewarkB− 54 C− San Bruno23 mi from NewarkB− 61 C Mean commute: ACS 2020–24 · Commuting under 30 minutes: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Newark
Is Newark, CA a good place to live?
Newark scores 55 out of 100, 38th of 59 San Francisco suburbs. It is strongest on employment & income and weakest on commute & transport. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Newark expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades C+. The median home is $1,142,800, 0% above the San Francisco median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.66%. $2,776/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Newark?
Schools grade D+. The districts serving Newark sit at the 68th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 87% graduation rate and a 24.4 student–teacher ratio. Newark is served by Newark Unified. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Newark?
The mean commute is 30.6 min, with 49% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 23% working from home. Transit density is 3.3 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Newark?
Within two miles there are 3 groceries, 34 restaurants and cafés and 13 parks, which grades D+ on amenities.
Are the homes in Newark old or new?
The median home in Newark was built in 1975 — 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. 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.