Contra Costa County, California Housing Market Prices
Contra Costa County Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
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Median home price 2% above the California median More expensive than 70% of counties in California$663,272
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Median rent 17% above the California median More expensive than 91% of counties in California$2,374
Median Home Price Map: Nearby Counties
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | Contra Costa County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $663,272 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 6.0% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,374 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 5.9% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in Contra Costa County is about 2% higher than in California. Rent is about 17% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in Contra Costa County, up about 6.0% and 5.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in Contra Costa County rose about 66.6% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,425 to $2,374. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 5.2 yearly household incomes in Contra Costa County.
Buying the median-priced home in Contra Costa County costs roughly 23.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Contra Costa County. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.
| Metric | Contra Costa County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $663,272 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $127,405 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 5.2 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in Contra Costa County rose about 100.6%, while median household income rose about 59.1% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | Contra Costa County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 65.6% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 30.9% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 3.5% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 16.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
Contra Costa County has a homeownership rate of 65.6%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 3.5%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | Contra Costa County | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.78 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1974 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.7 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in Contra Costa County was built around 1974. On average, 2.8 people live in a home with about 5.7 rooms, staying for about 16.0 years on average.
Contra Costa County, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Counties
Contra Costa County, CA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,163,035 residents against a local median of 733,246. Contra Costa County, CA's median home price, at $663,272, runs 20% below the $833,751 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $1,261,558 on median home price, so Contra Costa County, CA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Contra Costa County, CA has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median home price | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa County, CA | 1,163,035 | $663,272 #4/6 | $2,374 #2/6 | 68.0% #1/6 |
| Alameda County, CA | 1,648,382 | $833,751 | $2,356 | 54.4% |
| Solano County, CA | 451,581 | $483,427 | $2,162 | 63.0% |
| San Mateo County, CA | 733,246 | $1,744,985 | $2,920 | 58.2% |
| San Joaquin County, CA | 797,313 | $526,211 | $1,733 | 62.0% |
| Napa County, CA | 134,769 | $902,338 | $2,237 | 63.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in Contra Costa County, California.
What is the median home price in Contra Costa County, California?
The median home price in Contra Costa County, California is $663,272, higher than the California average of $650,794.
What is the average home price in Contra Costa County, California?
The typical home price in Contra Costa County, California, reported as the median sale price, is $663,272. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in Contra Costa County, California?
The median gross rent in Contra Costa County, California is $2,374 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
What was the median gross rent in Contra Costa County in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in Contra Costa County, California was $1,927 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in Contra Costa County, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in Contra Costa County, California is about 23.3, meaning it would take roughly 23.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in Contra Costa County.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in Contra Costa County, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in Contra Costa County, up about 6.0% and 5.9% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in Contra Costa County, California?
65.6% of households in Contra Costa County, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in Contra Costa County, California?
The housing vacancy rate in Contra Costa County, California is 3.5%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
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