Housing data for Walnut Creek, CA
Walnut Creek, CA has an estimated 70,088 residents and 34,389 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Contra Costa County.
35.6% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,680 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+0.7%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 70,088 (±67)
- Housing units
- 34,389 (±779)
- Households that rent
- 35.6%
- Median gross rent
- $2,680
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +0.7%
What stands out in Walnut Creek
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 36.9% (±2.5 points) in Walnut Creek, higher than in Contra Costa County (16.5%).
Working from home: 30.8% (±2.3 points) in Walnut Creek, higher than in Contra Costa County (21.3%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 28.0% (±2.0 points) in Walnut Creek, higher than in Contra Costa County (21.0%).
Median home value: $1,057,300 (±$37,144) in Walnut Creek, higher than in Contra Costa County ($866,800).
- Types of homes in Walnut Creek
- Commute and cars in Walnut Creek
- How long people stay in Walnut Creek
- Home values in Walnut Creek
Housing in Walnut Creek at a glance
- Median rent: $2,680 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,848 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 51.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 35.6% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $130,432 median household income
- Home values: $1,057,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $3,764 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $7,283 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 36.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 44.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 66.2% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.3% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 59.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 30.6 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +0.7% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 28.0% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Walnut Creek against Contra Costa County, its state and the nation
| Walnut Creek | Contra Costa County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 70,088 (±67) | 1,165,012 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 34,389 (±779) | 429,260 (±163) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 35.6% (±1.8 points) | 32.0% (±0.5 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,680 (±$111) | $2,375 (±$22) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $130,432 (±$8,895) | $127,229 (±$1,713) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $1,057,300 (±$37,144) | $866,800 (±$6,426) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $7,283 (±$267) | $7,156 (±$82) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 66.2% (±3.2 points) | 53.1% (±0.9 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 30.6 minutes (±1.7) | 35.3 minutes (±0.4) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 96.3% (±1.1 points) | 95.6% (±0.3 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 46.8 years (±1.4) | 40.5 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Walnut Creek covers 19.8 square miles of land, about 3,547 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Walnut Creek has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 69,567 (±148) | 70,088 (±67) | +0.7% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 33,157 (±539) | 34,389 (±779) | +3.7% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $2,095 (±$63) | $2,680 (±$111) | +27.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $793,100 (±$15,061) | $1,057,300 (±$37,144) | +33.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $105,948 (±$4,192) | $130,432 (±$8,895) | +23.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $3,129 (±$120) | $3,764 (±$148) | +20.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $5,571 (±$172) | $7,283 (±$267) | +30.7% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 35.5% (±1.7 points) | 35.6% (±1.8 points) | +0.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.3% (±1.6 points) | 3.3% (±1.9 points) | 0.0 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
Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94596 | 81% | 23,417 | $2,574 | $1,277,800 | $135,635 |
| 94597 | 73% | 23,129 | $2,661 | $1,026,800 | $132,063 |
| 94595 | 68% | 16,988 | $2,557 | $860,600 | $100,552 |
| 94598 | 38% | 27,206 | $2,940 | $1,339,900 | $186,225 |
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 Walnut Creek
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel (Contra Costa County) | 1.1 mi | $2,758 | $1,649,100 | 9.6% |
| Contra Costa Centre | 1.8 mi | $2,713 | $733,300 | 84.6% |
| Acalanes Ridge | 2.1 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,633,100 | 26.6% |
| Castle Hill | 2.2 mi | — | $2,000,000 or more | 8.8% |
| Saranap | 2.2 mi | $2,540 | $1,453,300 | 34.6% |
| Alamo | 3.6 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 8.2% |
| Pleasant Hill | 4.0 mi | $2,533 | $1,077,100 | 37.4% |
| Reliez Valley | 4.3 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,740,200 | 8.4% |
Places in California most like Walnut Creek
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane | $2,574 | $1,232,200 | $156,169 | 45.3% |
| Albany | $2,445 | $1,202,200 | $144,107 | 46.9% |
| Redondo Beach | $2,691 | $1,279,200 | $150,245 | 46.6% |
| Hayward | $2,391 | $854,400 | $113,318 | 42.0% |
| Brea | $2,397 | $922,300 | $131,129 | 40.3% |
| Alameda | $2,474 | $1,235,700 | $137,697 | 49.3% |
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 Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek, 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.
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Questions about Walnut Creek
What is the average rent in Walnut Creek, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Walnut Creek is $2,680 (±$111) 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 Walnut Creek?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Walnut Creek, CA is $2,385 (±$117) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Walnut Creek rent-burdened?
51.0% of renting households in Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek?
Walnut Creek has an estimated 11,786 (±639) renting households, 35.6% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Walnut Creek?
The median household income in Walnut Creek is $130,432 (±$8,895) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Walnut Creek, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $1,057,300 (±$37,144) for owner-occupied homes in Walnut Creek (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Walnut Creek growing?
In Walnut Creek, the number of residents went from 69,567 in 2015–2019 to 70,088 in 2020–2024 (+0.7%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Walnut Creek?
The ZIP codes that cover Walnut Creek are 94596, 94597, 94595, 94598.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94596?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94596 is $2,574 (±$110) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek city, California (place:83346, 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 .