CITY
El Cerrito
California · 26,121 residents (2025 est.) · 3.67 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
The short version
El Cerrito is a city of 25,994 people in California. The typical home is worth $1,124,400, having more than tripled since 2000. This is an unusually credentialed place: 68% of adults have a four-year degree. That puts it in the top 3% of US cities for household income. 31% of people here were born outside the United States. Renters pay $2,548 a month at the median.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 41.8
US median: 38.9
More educated
68% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 112%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
25,994
+12%since 2000
from 23,171 in 2000
26,121 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
3.67 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
202426K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(1,299)
5 to 94.7%(1,211)
10 to 144.5%(1,163)
15 to 194.1%(1,077)
20 to 245.3%(1,381)
25 to 3414.5%(3,767)
35 to 4415.7%(4,080)
45 to 5413%(3,378)
55 to 6412.6%(3,275)
65 to 7411.6%(3,004)
75 to 846.3%(1,641)
85 and over2.8%(718)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$127,876
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $57,253 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
71.2%
+20.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information7.2%
Retail trade6.8%
Other services5.5%
Finance & insurance4.1%
Public administration3.9%
Arts, entertainment, food3.9%
Wholesale trade3.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.4%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
Education & health services0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
Construction0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$1,124,400
+112%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $291,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
8.8
+12%since 2009
from 7.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
69
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic53.8%(12,474)
Black8.3%(1,931)
Hispanic / Latino7.9%(1,838)
Asian24.3%(5,636)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic44.1%(11,458)
Black5.2%(1,343)
Hispanic / Latino14.8%(3,854)
Asian28.3%(7,368)
Other7.6%(1,971)
87
+3%since 2009
from 84 in 2009
2009 – 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
Mexican8.3%(2,161)
Central American2.3%(590)
South American1.6%(420)
Salvadoran1.2%(314)
Peruvian0.6%(157)
Puerto Rican0.6%(149)
Guatemalan0.6%(148)
Colombian0.4%(116)
Spaniard0.4%(103)
Cuban0.4%(97)
Argentine0.3%(77)
Chilean0.2%(59)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese11.8%(3,065)
Filipino4%(1,032)
Nepalese2.6%(687)
Japanese2.6%(667)
Asian Indian1.6%(404)
Korean1.2%(308)
Taiwanese1%(268)
Mien0.5%(118)
Thai0.4%(116)
Vietnamese0.4%(99)
Indonesian0.4%(95)
Mongolian0.4%(92)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Cambodian0.2%(55)
Bangladeshi0%(12)
Pakistani0%(10)
Sri Lankan0%(10)
Laotian0%(8)
Burmese0%(6)
Malaysian0%(5)
Singaporean0%(5)
Ancestry
German9.2%(2,382)
English8.2%(2,135)
Irish6.9%(1,788)
American3.5%(903)
Italian3.3%(847)
Polish2.2%(581)
Norwegian2.1%(536)
Russian2%(526)
Scottish2%(510)
Arab1.9%(499)
French1.8%(469)
Subsaharan African1.4%(374)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian1.4%(354)
British1.2%(314)
Swedish1.1%(278)
Hungarian0.9%(231)
Danish0.8%(218)
Dutch0.7%(170)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(163)
Ukrainian0.6%(158)
Portuguese0.6%(143)
Israeli0.5%(131)
Brazilian0.5%(122)
Swiss0.5%(117)
Welsh0.5%(117)
Turkish0.4%(97)
Greek0.4%(91)
Nigerian0.3%(90)
French Canadian0.3%(83)
Armenian0.3%(69)
Croatian0.2%(59)
Slovak0.2%(57)
Ghanaian0.2%(56)
Lithuanian0.2%(55)
Serbian0.2%(54)
Palestinian0.2%(50)
Romanian0.2%(50)
Canadian0.2%(48)
West Indian0.2%(42)
Latvian0.2%(40)
Australian0.1%(37)
Jamaican0.1%(35)
Lebanese0.1%(33)
Czech0.1%(28)
Finnish0.1%(26)
Austrian0.1%(25)
Slovene0.1%(22)
Kenyan0.1%(17)
Belgian0.1%(16)
Syrian0.1%(15)
Moroccan0%(12)
Ethiopian0%(9)
Egyptian0%(7)
Jordanian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
96.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2000
from 92.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.6%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 76.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.9%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 96.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.5%(3,886)
Married54.5%(5,811)
Widowed2.7%(286)
Divorced6.3%(673)
Women 15+
Never married30%(3,501)
Married51.1%(5,964)
Widowed7.3%(850)
Divorced11.6%(1,350)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
14.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
0.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 0.6% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
77.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 77.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.7%
+1.7 ptssince 2020
from 31.0% 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)16.8%(88)
Gulf War (1990s)13.2%(69)
Vietnam era35.5%(186)
Korean War12.4%(65)
World War II2.3%(12)
Share of the 524 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
Drill deeper
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Frequently asked
How many people live in El Cerrito, California?
El Cerrito, California has about 25,994 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in El Cerrito, California?
The typical household in El Cerrito, California earns about $127,876 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is El Cerrito, California expensive?
In El Cerrito, California, the median home is worth about $1,124,400, and the typical rent is about $2,548 a month.
How educated are people in El Cerrito, California?
About 67.6% of adults age 25 and over in El Cerrito, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in El Cerrito, California?
About 6.9% of people in El Cerrito, California live below the federal poverty line.
Has El Cerrito, California grown since 1990?
Yes, El Cerrito, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,125 residents, a change of about 14 percent over that period.
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CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024