The Town Files

Alamo, California

Community in Contra Costa County · population 15,314 (2020 Census)

Map: where Alamo is in CaliforniaAlamo
Median home
$2,000,001
Household income
$250,001
Jan low / Jul high
42° / 83°
Snow a year
1 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
49.8

Alamo is a community of 15,314 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for families than 98% of California towns, more upscale than 97% of California towns, better for retirees than 92% of California towns.

Alamo in our rankings:

How Alamo ranks

Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.

Alamo lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement92nd pctFamilies98th pctQuiet74th pctWalkability37th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals74th pctVibrancy46th pctHip & trendy45th pctCollege town43rd pctUpscale97th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit88th pctDriving9th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Alamo is worth $2,000,001, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.0 times the median household income of $250,001, which is more affordable than 28% of California towns. Median rent is $3,501 a month. 91.8% of households own their home.

Alamo vs Contra Costa County vs typical California townAlamoContra Costa CountyTypical California townHome value$2,000,001$866,800$596,900Household income$250,001$127,229$91,557Monthly rent$3,501$2,375$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingAlamoTypical California town
Median home value$2,000,001$596,900
Median rent$3,501$1,827
Median household income$250,001$91,557
Home value ÷ income8.0×6.4×
Homeownership91.8%67.4%
Median year built19781977
Seasonal / vacation homes1.1%—

Who lives in Alamo

PeopleAlamoTypical California town
Median age49.840.2
Age 65 and over25.0%17.7%
Under 1821.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher77.5%27.7%
Below the poverty line2.1%10.3%
Veterans5.6%—
Born outside the U.S.14.5%—
Work from home31.5%13.4%
Average commute29.2 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband98.2%93.3%

Weather in Alamo

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 41.7°F. About 26.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.7 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 27 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 19 nights at or below freezing.

Alamo monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°54°42°Jan55°42°Feb58°43°Mar62°44°Apr68°49°May76°55°Jun83°62°Jul83°61°Aug80°60°Sep72°54°Oct60°46°Nov53°41°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue5.10.14.90.53.70.11.91.10.30.00.00.11.22.65.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Mt Diablo Junction station (4.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Alamo since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 18, 1989 about 8.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 18, 1989.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Alamo by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Contra Costa County since 1996

Storm events in Contra Costa County since 1996 by typeHail12Heat29Flood59Wildfire13Dense Fog19High Wind72Debris Flow15Dense Smoke7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Contra Costa County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 15 deaths recorded.

Contra Costa County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3428: Covid-19
April 1, 2017FloodDR-4308: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County had 373,992 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $86,234 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Alamo itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.

Largest industries in Contra Costa CountyHealth care & social assistan…76,021 jobs · $78,791Retail40,398 jobs · $51,458Hotels & restaurants33,545 jobs · $33,009Construction27,400 jobs · $99,886Professional & technical serv…25,151 jobs · $132,280Administrative & support22,451 jobs · $70,083
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Contra Costa County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Contra Costa 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Alamo

4 public schools with 1,393 students, about 23.6 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Stone Valley Middle6-858124.2
Rancho Romero ElementaryK-544523.4
Alamo ElementaryK-535025.0
Central County Special Education ProgramsK-12178.5

Towns near Alamo

Alamo questions

Is Alamo, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Alamo scores better for retirees than 92% of California towns and quieter than 74%. 25.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.8).

How much does a house cost in Alamo?

The median owner-occupied home in Alamo is valued at $2,000,001 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $250,001, so homes cost about 8.0 times income. Median rent is $3,501 a month.

What is the weather like in Alamo?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 41.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 26.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.7 inches of snow.

Does Alamo get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Alamo since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 18, 1989. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Alamo's Census boundary (GEOID 0600618). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.