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CITY

Berkeley

California · 121,911 residents (2025 est.) · 10.4 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
The short version

With 120,257 people, Berkeley is a city in California. This is an unusually credentialed place: 75% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $1,413,900, having more than tripled since 2000. Owners hold 44% of the housing stock. That puts it in the top 6% of US cities for household income. There are 11,528 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $108,092, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 33.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
75% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 107%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Berkeley

What changed most since 1990

  • Median home value (2024 dollars)$615,618 → $1,413,900 (+130%)US over the same years: +67%
  • Black share18.3% → 7.7% (−10.6 pts)US over the same years: +0.2 pts
  • White share58.8% → 49.9% (−8.9 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts

Among the 138 cities and towns in the San Francisco metro

  • 113th in household income$108,092
  • 33rd in share with a bachelor's degree74.9%
  • 63rd in home value$1,413,900
  • 33rd in diversity score84.9

Its weight in Alameda County

Berkeley's population equals 7.3% of Alameda County's. Its number of households without a car equals 16% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 14% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
120,257
+17%since 2000
from 102,743 in 2000
121,911 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
11,528 / sq mi
+17%since 2000
from 9,849 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
33.2
+2%since 2000
from 32.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
10.4 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
99K106K113K120K127K19902000201020202024Berkeley
2024120K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.3%(3,991)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 93.6%(4,319)
US avg: 6%
10 to 143.5%(4,152)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1910.6%(12,699)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2416%(19,249)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3415.7%(18,869)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.4%(13,725)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.8%(11,792)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.4%(11,361)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 749.6%(11,561)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.4%(6,446)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.7%(2,093)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$108,092
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,485 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$69,534
+128%since 2000
from $30,477 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
60.2%
+19.1 ptssince 2009
from 41.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
17.3%
−2.7 ptssince 2000
from 20.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.537
+4%since 2010
from 0.519 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information6.3%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Arts, entertainment, food5.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Retail trade4.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade3.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration3.1%
US avg: 4.8%
Finance & insurance2.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical1.9%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.1%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,413,900
+107%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $374,300 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,133
+58%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $740 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
44.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2000
from 42.7% in 2000
55.8% rent
Vacancy rate
11.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.27 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.22 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
29.1%
−7.9 ptssince 2009
from 37.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
52.3%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 54.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
13.1
+7%since 2009
from 12.3 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
71
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic55.2%(56,691)
Black13.3%(13,707)
Hispanic / Latino9.7%(10,001)
Asian16.3%(16,740)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic49.9%(59,992)
Black7.7%(9,284)
Hispanic / Latino12.8%(15,343)
Asian20.4%(24,473)
Other9.3%(11,165)
Diversity Score
85
+11%since 2009
from 77 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.5%(9,019)
Central American1.6%(1,951)
South American1.6%(1,932)
Salvadoran0.9%(1,106)
Puerto Rican0.5%(637)
Spaniard0.5%(629)
Peruvian0.4%(437)
Chilean0.3%(405)
Nicaraguan0.3%(384)
Argentine0.3%(382)
Colombian0.3%(379)
Guatemalan0.3%(314)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Cuban0.2%(207)
Venezuelan0.1%(161)
Ecuadorian0.1%(121)
Costa Rican0.1%(108)
Dominican0.1%(92)
Uruguayan0%(26)
Bolivian0%(21)
Asian origin
Chinese8.3%(10,023)
Asian Indian4%(4,782)
Korean1.4%(1,736)
Filipino1.3%(1,510)
Japanese1.2%(1,458)
Vietnamese1.1%(1,319)
Taiwanese0.7%(868)
Pakistani0.4%(448)
Nepalese0.2%(295)
Indonesian0.2%(248)
Thai0.1%(138)
Laotian0.1%(109)
+ 11 more asian origin groups with data
Hmong0%(51)
Burmese0%(47)
Cambodian0%(46)
Kazakh0%(27)
Uzbek0%(25)
Mongolian0%(10)
Mien0%(10)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(140)
Samoan0.1%(70)
Fijian0%(20)
Tongan0%(13)
Guamanian0%(12)
Ancestry
German9.6%(11,571)
English9.5%(11,375)
Irish8.5%(10,260)
Italian4.7%(5,613)
American2.6%(3,163)
Polish2.5%(2,974)
Russian2.1%(2,473)
French2%(2,376)
Scottish1.9%(2,310)
Swedish1.7%(1,997)
Norwegian1.5%(1,785)
Arab1.4%(1,713)
+ 48 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian1.3%(1,530)
Ukrainian1%(1,250)
British1%(1,249)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(1,110)
Swiss0.7%(889)
Dutch0.7%(858)
Hungarian0.6%(745)
Welsh0.6%(740)
Austrian0.6%(731)
Armenian0.6%(676)
Greek0.5%(619)
Brazilian0.5%(593)
Lithuanian0.5%(572)
Portuguese0.4%(485)
Danish0.4%(462)
West Indian0.4%(435)
Lebanese0.3%(411)
Romanian0.3%(374)
Turkish0.3%(358)
Finnish0.3%(352)
Ethiopian0.3%(302)
Canadian0.2%(262)
Slovak0.2%(251)
Czech0.2%(249)
Nigerian0.2%(246)
Moroccan0.2%(233)
Belgian0.2%(224)
Egyptian0.2%(199)
Croatian0.2%(183)
Australian0.1%(156)
Haitian0.1%(139)
Palestinian0.1%(134)
Jamaican0.1%(132)
Latvian0.1%(131)
Israeli0.1%(108)
Serbian0.1%(100)
Cape Verdean0.1%(67)
Iraqi0.1%(66)
Syrian0%(60)
Bulgarian0%(47)
Slovene0%(37)
Jordanian0%(15)
Barbadian0%(14)
Ghanaian0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
74.9%
+10.6 ptssince 2000
from 64.3% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
95.8%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 92.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
42.0%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 34.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
27.8 min
+38%since 2000
from 20.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
27.2%
−14.5 ptssince 2009
from 41.7% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
3.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.8% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
12.4%
−5.5 ptssince 2009
from 17.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
37.1%
+28.2 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
13.6%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 16.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
4.4%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
20.7%
+3.7 ptssince 2009
from 17.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.6%
−1.6 ptssince 2011
from 7.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
60.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2011
from 58.5% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.5%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 71.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
18.6%
−4.0 ptssince 2009
from 22.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
69.5%
+7.5 ptssince 2009
from 62.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.1%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 49.3% in 2009
Female
51.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
Foreign born
21.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 20.3% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.1%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
10.9%
+2.9 ptssince 2012
from 8.0% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.8%
−5.8 ptssince 2013
from 8.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.3%
+5.8 ptssince 2017
from 88.5% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
98.0%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 96.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
74.8%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 73.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
69.3%
−2.7 ptssince 2016
from 72.0% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
8.9%
+1.2 ptssince 2016
from 7.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married56.5%(29,087)
Married35.9%(18,461)
Widowed1.3%(677)
Divorced6.3%(3,266)
Women 15+
Never married53.8%(30,275)
Married33.7%(18,993)
Widowed4.3%(2,443)
Divorced8.2%(4,593)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.8%
−5.8 ptssince 2013
from 8.6% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
62.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 61.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
22.0%
−2.5 ptssince 2020
from 24.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
16.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 16.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
13.1%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 12.3% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 0.7% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
81.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2020
from 82.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
27.2%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 26.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.8%(392)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)20.1%(442)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.6%(763)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.6%(145)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.4%(52)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,203 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Berkeley, decade by decade

Berkeley population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990102,724$71,371$615,61858.7%74.2
2000102,743$81,036$681,84564.3%79.8
2010112,580$84,325$1,051,73968.2%80.2
2020124,321$110,609$1,284,15573.1%84.8
2024120,257$108,092$1,413,90074.9%84.9

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Pop 125,445
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Head to head

Compare Berkeley to nearby cities

BERKELEY VS
Emeryville
Income$117,092+8%
Home value$604,800−57%
Population13,251−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKELEY VS
Albany
Income$144,107+33%
Home value$1,202,200−15%
Population19,195−84%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKELEY VS
El Cerrito
Income$127,876+18%
Home value$1,124,400−20%
Population26,121−79%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BERKELEY VS
Piedmont
Income$250,000+
Home value$2,000,000+
Population10,642−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Berkeley, California?

Berkeley, California has about 120,257 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Berkeley, California?

The typical household in Berkeley, California earns about $108,092 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Berkeley, California expensive?

In Berkeley, California, the median home is worth about $1,413,900, and the typical rent is about $2,133 a month.

How educated are people in Berkeley, California?

About 74.9% of adults age 25 and over in Berkeley, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Berkeley, California?

About 17.3% of people in Berkeley, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Berkeley, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Berkeley, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 17,533 residents, a change of about 17 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →