The Town FilesEl Cerrito, California
City in Contra Costa County · population 25,962 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,124,400
- Household income
- $127,876
- Jan low / Jul high
- 43° / 74°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 1
- Median age
- 41.8
El Cerrito is a city of 25,962 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $1,124,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better transit than 99% of California towns, hipper than 98% of California towns, more walkable than 96% of California towns.
How El Cerrito 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in El Cerrito is worth $1,124,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.8 times the median household income of $127,876, which is more affordable than 18% of California towns. Median rent is $2,548 a month. 58.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | El Cerrito | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,124,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,548 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $127,876 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 58.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1956 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in El Cerrito
| People | El Cerrito | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 20.6% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 16.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.6% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 31.4% | — |
| Work from home | 31.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 33.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.1% | 93.3% |
Weather in El Cerrito
July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 43.3°F. About 26.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 1 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of El Cerrito since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on December 5, 1998 about 2.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 5, 1998.
Severe weather in Contra Costa County since 1996
Contra Costa County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3428: Covid-19 |
| April 1, 2017 | Flood | DR-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 El Cerrito itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.
Public schools in El Cerrito
8 public schools with 4,570 students, about 22.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Cerrito High | 9-12 | 1,476 | 22.4 |
| Fred T. Korematsu Middle | 7-8 | 680 | 22.7 |
| Summit Public School K2 (charter) | 7-12 | 554 | 26.4 |
| Fairmont Elementary | K-6 | 530 | 23.0 |
| Harding Elementary | K-6 | 474 | 23.7 |
| Madera Elementary | K-6 | 467 | 23.4 |
| Invictus Academy of Richmond (charter) | 7-12 | 389 | 17.7 |
| Cameron | Other | — | — |
Towns near El Cerrito
- Kensington, CA1.4 mi · 5,428 people · home $1,539,000
- East Richmond Heights, CA1.9 mi · 3,460 people · home $915,400
- Albany, CA2.2 mi · 20,271 people · home $1,202,200
- Rollingwood, CA3.5 mi · 3,015 people · home $600,000
- San Pablo, CA3.7 mi · 32,127 people · home $551,700
- Berkeley, CA3.7 mi · 124,321 people · home $1,413,900
- El Sobrante, CA3.7 mi · 15,524 people · home $758,800
- Richmond, CA3.9 mi · 116,448 people · home $668,200
El Cerrito questions
Is El Cerrito, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, El Cerrito scores better for retirees than 48% of California towns and quieter than 30%. 20.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.8).
How much does a house cost in El Cerrito?
The median owner-occupied home in El Cerrito is valued at $1,124,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $127,876, so homes cost about 8.8 times income. Median rent is $2,548 a month.
What is the weather like in El Cerrito?
July highs average 74.2°F and January lows 43.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 26.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does El Cerrito get tornadoes?
1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of El Cerrito since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on December 5, 1998. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)