CensusEasy
CITY · 2000 CENSUS

El Cerrito

California · 23,171 residents · 3.67 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO
Part of the San Francisco metro area
Compare
The short version

El Cerrito is a city of 23,171 people in California. This is an unusually credentialed place: 56% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $291,400. The median age is 42.7, about 7 years above the US median. Renters pay $907 a month at the median. Households here earn about 21% more than in California as a whole.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 42.7
US median: 35.2
More educated
56% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
More affordable
home values down 13%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
23,171
+1%since 1990
from 22,869 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.7
+4%since 1990
from 40.9 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Land area
3.67 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
22K23K24K25K26K19902000201020202024El Cerrito
202426K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 54.7%(1,079)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 94.4%(1,008)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.3%(1,001)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 194.1%(956)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 245.2%(1,203)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.9%(3,454)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4416.3%(3,772)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5415.7%(3,645)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 6410%(2,320)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 748.8%(2,039)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 848.7%(2,026)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2.9%(668)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$57,253
+10%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $39,538 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,593
+49%since 1990
from $21,854 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
6.7%
+1.5 ptssince 1990
from 5.2% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$291,400
−13%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $252,900 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$907
−1%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $695 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
61.0%
−1.8 ptssince 1990
from 62.9% in 1990
39.0% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

1990
White, non-Hispanic65.6%(15,007)
Black9.2%(2,115)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(1,263)
Asian22.5%(5,142)
2000
White, non-Hispanic53.8%(12,474)
Black8.3%(1,931)
Hispanic / Latino7.9%(1,838)
Asian24.3%(5,636)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

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)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
56.0%
+9.7 ptssince 1990
from 46.3% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
92.6%
+3.3 ptssince 1990
from 89.3% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
25.7%
+5.3 ptssince 1990
from 20.4% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.8 min
−10%since 1990
from 26.6 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married31.6%(2,949)
Married56.6%(5,277)
Widowed3.9%(367)
Divorced7.8%(728)
Women 15+
Never married25.1%(2,695)
Married50%(5,361)
Widowed11.8%(1,261)
Divorced13.2%(1,411)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
3.5%
−7.7 ptssince 2013
from 11.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
66.3%
+3.2 ptssince 2020
from 63.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
14.0%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 16.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
20.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2020
from 20.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
15.1%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 13.5% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
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)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)13.2%(69)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era35.5%(186)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War12.4%(65)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.3%(12)
US avg: 1%

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

Places similar to El Cerrito

Hercules
Pop 26,326
Palm City
Pop 26,371
Fish Hawk
Pop 26,186
Lutz
Pop 27,106
Places similar to El Cerrito
Head to head

Compare El Cerrito to nearby cities

EL CERRITO VS
Albany
Income$144,107+152%
Home value$1,202,200+313%
Population19,195−27%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
EL CERRITO VS
San Pablo
Income$79,478+39%
Home value$551,700+89%
Population31,678+21%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
EL CERRITO VS
Berkeley
Income$108,092+89%
Home value$1,413,900+385%
Population121,911+367%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
EL CERRITO VS
El Sobrante CDP (Contra Costa County)
Income$114,853+101%
Home value$758,800+160%
Population16,294−38%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in El Cerrito, California?

El Cerrito, California has about 23,171 residents according to the 2000 Census.

What is the median household income in El Cerrito, California?

The typical household in El Cerrito, California earns about $57,253 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 $291,400, and the typical rent is about $907 a month.

How educated are people in El Cerrito, California?

About 56.0% 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 6.7% 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 302 residents, a change of about 1 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

Up the hierarchy
California

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

How we source and harmonize this data →