Castro Valley, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Castro Valley, 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.
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A
Health Above average
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A
Income Above average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Castro Valley | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 57,957 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3395.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.40% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.1 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 19,903 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Castro Valley grew by 14.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 57,957 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Castro Valley is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.6% of residents. That is about the same share as California.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,780 16.9% -4.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,680 23.6% on par
- Gen X 45–60 13,567 23.4% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,863 17.0% +1.8 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 51.9% of the people living in Castro Valley and men 48.1%.
- Women 51.9% California 49.9%
- Men 48.1% California 50.1%
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100% of everyone living in Castro Valley
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Economy
Castro Valley has a the economy index of A, which means it is very prosperous.
| Metric | Castro Valley | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $136,046 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.45% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Castro Valley is about 37% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Castro Valley | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $801,013 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,541 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 69.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Castro Valley is about 26.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,541 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Castro Valley spend about 60 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 250 hours, about 10.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Castro Valley | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 30.0 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 60.0 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 250 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,752 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 21.0% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 40,376 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,313 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Castro Valley is 30 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
Castro Valley has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | Castro Valley | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 40.3% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.86 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Castro Valley has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Castro Valley | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.6 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Castro Valley, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Castro Valley, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castro Valley, CA | 57,957 | $136,046 #1/3 | $801,013 #1/3 | 30.0 min #3/3 |
| Ashland, CA | 22,071 | $83,561 | $506,984 | 28.4 min |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 28,612 | $111,304 | $241,499 | 27.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Castro Valley, California.
How big is Castro Valley, California by population?
About 57,957 people live in Castro Valley, California, in 19,903 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 40.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Castro Valley, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Castro Valley, California has 3,395 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 39 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Castro Valley, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.9 times the median household income ($801,013 against $136,046), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,541 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Castro Valley, California?
Unemployment in Castro Valley, California is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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