The Town FilesMartinez, California
City in Contra Costa County · population 37,287 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $859,800
- Household income
- $127,355
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 42.6
Martinez is a city of 37,287 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $859,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better transit than 92% of California towns, better for first-time buyers than 88% of California towns, more upscale than 80% of California towns.
How Martinez 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 Martinez is worth $859,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.8 times the median household income of $127,355, which is more affordable than 43% of California towns. Median rent is $2,353 a month. 70.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Martinez | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $859,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,353 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $127,355 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 6.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 70.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1977 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Martinez
| People | Martinez | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 6.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 12.0% | — |
| Work from home | 22.3% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Martinez
July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 35.0°F. About 19.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 47 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 17 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Martinez since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 18, 1989 about 5.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 18, 1989.
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 Martinez itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.
Public schools in Martinez
11 public schools with 4,608 students, about 22.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alhambra Senior High | 9-12 | 1,070 | 22.3 |
| Hidden Valley Elementary | K-5 | 814 | 26.3 |
| Martinez Junior High | 6-8 | 803 | 25.9 |
| John Swett Elementary | K-5 | 534 | 22.3 |
| Morello Park Elementary | K-5 | 500 | 20.8 |
| John Muir Elementary | K-5 | 415 | 21.8 |
| Las Juntas Elementary | K-5 | 346 | 20.4 |
| Vicente Martinez High | 9-12 | 46 | 11.5 |
| Briones (Alternative) | K-12 | 44 | 22.0 |
| Mt. McKinley | 7-12 | 36 | 9.0 |
| Martinez Early Intervention Preschool Program (MEIPP) | Other | — | — |
Towns near Martinez
- Mountain View, CA0.8 mi · 2,622 people · home $590,100
- Vine Hill, CA1.6 mi · 4,323 people · home $631,900
- Pacheco, CA2.5 mi · 4,183 people · home $343,300
- Pleasant Hill, CA3.7 mi · 34,613 people · home $1,077,100
- Reliez Valley, CA4.1 mi · 3,354 people · home $1,740,200
- Benicia, CA5.6 mi · 27,131 people · home $810,000
- Contra Costa Centre, CA6.0 mi · 6,808 people · home $733,300
- Concord, CA6.4 mi · 125,410 people · home $797,600
Martinez questions
Is Martinez, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Martinez scores better for retirees than 53% of California towns and quieter than 43%. 18.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.6).
How much does a house cost in Martinez?
The median owner-occupied home in Martinez is valued at $859,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $127,355, so homes cost about 6.8 times income. Median rent is $2,353 a month.
What is the weather like in Martinez?
July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 35.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Martinez get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Martinez since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 18, 1989. 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)