Housing data for El Cerrito, CA
El Cerrito, CA has an estimated 25,994 residents and 11,247 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Contra Costa County.
41.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,548 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+2.3%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 25,994 (±33)
- Housing units
- 11,247 (±317)
- Households that rent
- 41.4%
- Median gross rent
- $2,548
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +2.3%
What stands out in El Cerrito
Commuting by public transportation: 15.3% (±2.3 points) in El Cerrito, higher than in Contra Costa County (5.4%).
Homes built before 1980: 82.0% (±4.9 points) in El Cerrito, higher than in Contra Costa County (53.1%).
Working from home: 31.8% (±2.8 points) in El Cerrito, higher than in Contra Costa County (21.3%).
Median home value: $1,124,400 (±$22,807) in El Cerrito, higher than in Contra Costa County ($866,800).
Housing in El Cerrito at a glance
- Median rent: $2,548 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,689 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 49.9% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 41.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $127,876 median household income
- Home values: $1,124,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $9,367 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 17.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 52.0% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 82.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 1.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 73.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 33.3 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +2.3% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 22.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
El Cerrito against Contra Costa County, its state and the nation
| El Cerrito | Contra Costa County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 25,994 (±33) | 1,165,012 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 11,247 (±317) | 429,260 (±163) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 41.4% (±3.4 points) | 32.0% (±0.5 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,548 (±$119) | $2,375 (±$22) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $127,876 (±$9,939) | $127,229 (±$1,713) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,124,400 (±$22,807) | $866,800 (±$6,426) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $9,367 (±$631) | $7,156 (±$82) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 82.0% (±4.9 points) | 53.1% (±0.9 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 33.3 minutes (±1.6) | 35.3 minutes (±0.4) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 96.1% (±1.2 points) | 95.6% (±0.3 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 41.8 years (±1.3) | 40.5 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
El Cerrito covers 3.7 square miles of land, about 7,079 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How El Cerrito has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 25,398 (±47) | 25,994 (±33) | +2.3% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 10,721 (±260) | 11,247 (±317) | +4.9% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $1,956 (±$60) | $2,548 (±$119) | +30.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median home value | $804,700 (±$15,706) | $1,124,400 (±$22,807) | +39.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $108,298 (±$4,841) | $127,876 (±$9,939) | +18.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $6,516 (±$246) | $9,367 (±$631) | +43.8% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 40.5% (±1.9 points) | 41.4% (±3.4 points) | +0.9 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 1.8% (±1.3 points) | 1.6% (±1.5 points) | −0.2 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Contra Costa County
El Cerrito has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Contra Costa County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Contra Costa County recorded 353 violent and 1,693 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in El Cerrito
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94530 | 85% | 26,401 | $2,545 | $1,114,100 | $128,529 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near El Cerrito
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington | 1.4 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,539,000 | 13.2% |
| East Richmond Heights | 1.9 mi | $2,071 | $915,400 | 15.4% |
| Albany | 2.2 mi | $2,445 | $1,202,200 | 46.9% |
| Rollingwood | 3.5 mi | $1,836 | $600,000 | 24.9% |
| San Pablo | 3.7 mi | $2,018 | $551,700 | 58.0% |
| Berkeley | 3.7 mi | $2,133 | $1,413,900 | 55.8% |
| El Sobrante (Contra Costa County) | 3.7 mi | $2,216 | $758,800 | 32.6% |
| Richmond | 3.9 mi | $1,960 | $668,200 | 45.3% |
Places in California most like El Cerrito
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crescenta-Montrose | $2,281 | $1,207,100 | $130,000 | 40.8% |
| La Palma | $2,262 | $973,600 | $117,989 | 32.4% |
| Glendora | $2,254 | $862,700 | $113,569 | 32.1% |
| Daly City | $2,551 | $1,115,000 | $123,547 | 39.8% |
| Cypress | $2,483 | $913,900 | $130,215 | 31.9% |
| Sierra Madre | $2,198 | $1,226,800 | $143,547 | 44.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for El Cerrito, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,088 | $2,290 | $2,805 | $3,592 | $4,250 |
HUD income limits for El Cerrito, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $35,650 | $59,400 | $95,050 |
| 2 people | $40,750 | $67,900 | $108,600 |
| 3 people | $45,850 | $76,400 | $122,200 |
| 4 people | $50,900 | $84,850 | $135,750 |
| 5 people | $55,000 | $91,650 | $146,650 |
| 6 people | $59,050 | $98,450 | $157,500 |
| 7 people | $63,150 | $105,250 | $168,350 |
| 8 people | $67,200 | $112,050 | $179,200 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $162,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in El Cerrito
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for El Cerrito beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near El Cerrito, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near El Cerrito, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about El Cerrito
What is the average rent in El Cerrito, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in El Cerrito is $2,548 (±$119) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in El Cerrito?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in El Cerrito, CA is $1,947 (±$188) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in El Cerrito rent-burdened?
49.9% of renting households in El Cerrito pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in El Cerrito?
El Cerrito has an estimated 4,480 (±366) renting households, 41.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in El Cerrito?
The median household income in El Cerrito is $127,876 (±$9,939) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in El Cerrito, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,124,400 (±$22,807) for owner-occupied homes in El Cerrito (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is El Cerrito growing?
In El Cerrito, the number of residents went from 25,398 in 2015–2019 to 25,994 in 2020–2024 (+2.3%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in El Cerrito?
The ZIP code that covers El Cerrito is 94530.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94530?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94530 is $2,545 (±$118) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — El Cerrito city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Oakland-Fremont, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for El Cerrito city, California (place:21796, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .