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CITY

El Cerrito

California · 26,121 residents (2025 est.) · 3.672 sq mi
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Part of the San Francisco metro area
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Notable rankings
#184Most expensive homesof 6,786$1,124,400#279Most work-from-homeof 6,82631.8%
The short version

El Cerrito is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $127,876. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 68% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $1,124,400. It ranks in the top 5% of US cities for household income. Households here earn about 29% more than the California 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

Total population
25,994
+12%since 2000
from 23,171 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
7,079 / sq mi
+17%since 2009
from 6,054 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
41.8
−2%since 2000
from 42.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:26,121 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
22K23K24K25K26K1990201020202024El Cerrito
202426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(1,299)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.7%(1,211)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.5%(1,163)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 194.1%(1,077)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.3%(1,381)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.5%(3,767)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.7%(4,080)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5413%(3,378)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.6%(3,275)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.6%(3,004)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.3%(1,641)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.8%(718)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$127,876
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $57,253 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$73,055
+124%since 2000
from $32,593 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
71.2%
+20.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
6.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2000
from 6.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.461
+10%since 2010
from 0.419 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information7.2%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade6.8%
US avg: 9.9%
Other services5.5%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration3.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food3.9%
US avg: 1.9%
Wholesale trade3.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.4%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.2%
US avg: 1.6%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,124,400
+112%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $291,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,548
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $907 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
58.6%
−2.4 ptssince 2000
from 61.0% in 2000
41.4% rent
Vacancy rate
3.7%
−0.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
26.9%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 35.6% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
46.0%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
8.8
+12%since 2009
from 7.9 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
69
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in El Cerrito on RentDataNow
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)
Diversity Score
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)
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
Nicaraguan0.2%(49)
Costa Rican0.1%(33)
Panamanian0.1%(27)
Honduran0.1%(19)
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
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.2%(46)
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)
+ 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)
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)
RANKED:Largest Chinese population · Largest German population · Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
67.6%
+11.6 ptssince 2000
from 56.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
96.3%
+3.7 ptssince 2000
from 92.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
32.2%
+6.5 ptssince 2000
from 25.7% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
33.3 min
+40%since 2000
from 23.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
40.6%
−16.9 ptssince 2009
from 57.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
5.9%
−3.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
15.3%
−6.5 ptssince 2009
from 21.9% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
31.8%
+24.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.4%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.8%
−2.8 ptssince 2011
from 8.6% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.7%
−1.0 ptssince 2011
from 66.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
17.1%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 16.6% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
65.1%
−10.3 ptssince 2009
from 75.4% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.1%
+1.8 ptssince 2009
from 47.3% in 2009
Female
50.9%
−1.8 ptssince 2009
from 52.7% in 2009
Foreign born
31.4%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 31.2% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.4%
−44.4 ptssince 2009
from 46.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
9.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2012
from 10.2% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
3.5%
−85.3 ptssince 2013
from 88.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.1%
+5.7 ptssince 2017
from 90.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
63.3%
−1.4 ptssince 2016
from 64.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.8%
Unchangedsince 2016
from 7.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
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
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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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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →