Contra Costa County, CA

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

1.17M

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

40.5

0.496% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.36%

1.32% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$127,229

1.19% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$866,800

4.33% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

569,123

0.605% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Contra Costa County, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

89% of the residents in Contra Costa County, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Contra Costa County, CA are Diablo Valley College (3,426 degrees awarded in 2024), Los Medanos College (2,175 degrees), and Contra Costa College (1,578 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Contra Costa County, CA was $866,800, and the homeownership rate was 68%.

Most people in Contra Costa County, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 35.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Contra Costa County, CA was 2 cars per household.

Contra Costa County, CA borders Alameda County, CA, Marin County, CA, Sacramento County, CA, San Francisco County, CA, San Joaquin County, CA, Solano County, CA, and Sonoma County, CA.

Photo by Images by John 'K'

United States California San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Population & Diversity

Contra Costa County, CA is home to a population of 1.17M people, from which 89% are citizens. As of 2024, 26.4% of Contra Costa County, CA residents were born outside of the country (308k people).

In 2024, there were 2.04 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (444k people) in Contra Costa County, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 217k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 153k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

89%

2024 Citizenship

89.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 89% of Contra Costa County, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Contra Costa County, CA was 89.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Contra Costa County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Contra Costa County, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
444k ± 1.88k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
217k ± 2.36k
Other (Hispanic)
153k ± 4.87k

27.6%

Hispanic Population

322k people

27.6% of the people in Contra Costa County, CA are hispanic (322k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Contra Costa County, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

26.4%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

308k people

26%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

302k people

As of 2024, 26.4% of Contra Costa County, CA residents (308k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Contra Costa County, CA was 26%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Contra Costa County, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
13,013 ± 730
Gulf War (2001-)
8,071 ± 798
Gulf War (1990s)
4,373 ± 549

Contra Costa County, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.61 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Contra Costa County, CA.

Health

95.4% of the population of Contra Costa County, CA has health coverage, with 54.2% on employee plans, 16.2% on Medicaid, 12.2% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 0.552% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Contra Costa County, CA see 986 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (986 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1070 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 243 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

986 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Contra Costa County, CA

Primary care physicians in Contra Costa County, CA see an average of 986 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (986 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Contra Costa County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.3% under 18 years, 18.9% between 18 and 34 years, 40.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.63%

Uninsured

54.2%

Employer Coverage

16.2%

Medicaid

12.2%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

0.552%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Contra Costa County, CA declined by 3.7% from 4.81% to 4.63%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Contra Costa County, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.15 in Contra Costa County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Contra Costa County, CA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 28.4% in Contra Costa County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Contra Costa County, CA.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 5.24% in Contra Costa County, CA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Contra Costa County, CA.

Economy

The economy of Contra Costa County, CA employs 569k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Contra Costa County, CA were Health Care & Social Assistance (80,112 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (72,459 people), and Retail Trade (58,386 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($208,972), Utilities ($153,173), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($131,148).

Employment

Occupations

569k

2024 Value

± 6,458

−0.605%

1 Year decline

± 1.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Contra Costa County, CA declined at a rate of −0.605%, from 573k employees to 569k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Contra Costa County, CA, are Management Occupations (81,201 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (54,327 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (52,903 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Contra Costa County, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

569k

2024 Value

± 6,458

−0.605%

1 Year decline

± 1.62%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Contra Costa County, CA declined at a rate of −0.605%, from 573k employees to 569k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Contra Costa County, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (80,112 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (72,459 people), and Retail Trade (58,386 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Contra Costa County, CA, though some of these residents may live in Contra Costa County, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$77,882

Median earning men ± $1,369

$56,469

Median earning women ± $1,373

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($133,088), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($129,407), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($119,377).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Information ($90,869), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($90,128), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($82,016).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

2,876
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
1,759
Health Care and Social Assistance
1,736
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$5.24M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$2.9M
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$2.59M
Construction

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 51 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Contra Costa County, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Contra Costa County, CA awarded 9,766 degrees. The student population of Contra Costa County, CA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 16,305 male students and 20,293 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Contra Costa County, CA are Hispanic or Latino (3,562 and 37.7%), White (2,189 and 23.2%), Asian (1,737 and 18.4%), and Black or African American (821 and 8.69%).

The largest universities in Contra Costa County, CA by number of degrees awarded are Diablo Valley College (3,426 and 35.1%), Los Medanos College (2,175 and 22.3%), and Contra Costa College (1,578 and 16.2%).

The most popular majors in Contra Costa County, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,605 and 16.4%), Biological & Physical Sciences (951 and 9.74%), and General Business Administration & Management (507 and 5.19%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $57,303.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Contra Costa County, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 86.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 9.47%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 36,598 (44.6% men and 55.4% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 36,598 students enrolled in Contra Costa County, CA, 44.6% men and 55.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 13,958 records, of which 58.9% were women and 41.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Biological & Physical Sciences
750 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
463 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
349 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Contra Costa County, CA was Biological & Physical Sciences with 750 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Contra Costa County, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Diablo Valley College
3,426 degrees awarded
Los Medanos College
2,175 degrees awarded
Contra Costa College
1,578 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Diablo Valley College with 3,426 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 3,636 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Contra Costa County, CA, which is 0.593 times less than the 6,130 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 3,562 degrees mean that there were 1.63 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 2,189 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($57,303) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($500) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,190) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Contra Costa County, CA was $866,800 in 2024, which is 2.61 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $830,800 to $866,800, a 4.33% increase. The homeownership rate in Contra Costa County, CA is 68%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Contra Costa County, CA have an average commute time of 35.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Contra Costa County, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 20.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Contra Costa County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.87%.

Housing

Property

$866,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,426

$281,819

Median Property Taxes

±$3,754

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Contra Costa County, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Contra Costa County, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

68%

Homeownership

2024

68%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 68% of the housing units in Contra Costa County, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 67.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Contra Costa County, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$127,229

Median Household Income

± $1,713

414k

Number of Households

± 4,897

In 2024, the median household income of the 414k households in Contra Costa County, CA grew to $127,229 from the previous year's value of $125,727.

The following chart displays the households in Contra Costa County, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Contra Costa County, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (59.7%)
Worked At Home (21.3%)
Carpooled (10%)

In 2024, 59.7% of workers in Contra Costa County, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (21.3%) and those who carpooled to work (10%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

35.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Contra Costa County, CA have a longer commute time (35.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.64% of the workforce in Contra Costa County, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Contra Costa County, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Contra Costa County, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Contra Costa County, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 20.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Contra Costa County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.87%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.36% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Contra Costa County, CA (96.6k out of 1.16M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Contra Costa County, CA is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 10.1% of the children was living in poverty in Contra Costa County, CA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 336 in Contra Costa County, CA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 61.7% per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.