Alameda County, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Alameda County, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
A
Health Above averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in California
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 91% of counties in California
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 5 best educated counties in California
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,648,382 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2008.4 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.30% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 597,859 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Alameda County grew by 11.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,648,382 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Alameda County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 26.5% of residents. That is 2.8 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 325,301 19.7% -2.0 pts
- Millennials 29–44 436,308 26.5% +2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 347,924 21.1% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 242,878 14.7% -0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.4% of the people living in Alameda County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Alameda County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Alameda County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $129,593 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.17% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Alameda County is about 31% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $833,751 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,356 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 54.4% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Alameda County is about 29.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,356 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Alameda County spend about 57 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 236 hours, about 9.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 28.3 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 56.6 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 236 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,310 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 25.7% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 25,790 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,495 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
California:
Inyo County (11.1 min), Mono County (12.0 min), Del Norte County (12.1 min).
Slowest:
Alpine County (31.3 min), San Benito County (31.2 min), Contra Costa County (31.0 min).
The average commute time in Alameda County is 28 minutes, longer than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Alameda County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47.5% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.69 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
California:
Marin County (0.5), San Francisco County (0.4), Santa Clara County (0.4).
Lowest:
Colusa County (0.2), Merced County (0.2), Glenn County (0.2).
Health
Alameda County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Alameda County | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.8 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.4% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.6% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
California:
San Francisco County (0.8), San Mateo County (0.8), Santa Clara County (0.8).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.8), Imperial County (0.8), Tulare County (0.8).
Alameda County, CA Compared With Nearby Counties
Alameda County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,648,382 residents against a local median of 733,246. Alameda County, CA's median home price, at $833,751, runs 25% below the $1,111,762 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 28.3 min against a local median of 23.2 min, 22% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 22% above the local median it puts Alameda County, CA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $1,261,558 on median home price, so Alameda County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Alameda County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | $129,593 #3/6 | $833,751 #4/6 | 28.3 min #5/6 |
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | $127,405 | $663,272 | 31.0 min |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 1,901,257 | $165,940 | $1,378,776 | 22.9 min |
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | $159,405 | $1,744,985 | 23.2 min |
| Solano County, CA | 451,581 | $100,378 | $483,427 | 23.7 min |
| Santa Cruz County, CA | 264,809 | $111,078 | $1,111,762 | 21.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Alameda County, California.
How big is Alameda County, California by population?
About 1,648,382 people live in Alameda County, California, in 597,859 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 37.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Alameda County, California?
Averaged over its land area, Alameda County, California has 2,008 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 23 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Alameda County, California?
The median home costs 6.4 times the median household income ($833,751 against $129,593), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,356 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Alameda County, California have a college degree?
47.5% of adults in Alameda County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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