City safety & data profile

BerkeleyCA

Berkeley, CA is a 121K-resident city in Alameda County with a median household income of $108,092.

Alameda County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Berkeley, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Berkeley has a population larger than 94% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $1,413,900, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

121K
Population
Top 6%
By size
$108,092
Median income
$1,413,900
Median home
17.3%
Poverty rate

The read on Berkeley

Berkeley posts a median household income higher than 75% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Berkeley area.

Top 25%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Berkeley

Where Berkeley income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$108,092 Top 25% higher than 75% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Berkeley, CA beyond the headline numbers

Berkeley sits inside Alameda County, California, at roughly 37.87°N, -122.27°W. Population 120,972, $108,092 median household income. Median home value $1,413,900, median rent $2,133. Poverty rate 17.3%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Berkeley's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 32.9%, then high blood pressure at 23.7%. 1 hospital in/around Berkeley, 4/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Berkeley from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
120,972
Berkeley
Median Income
$108,092
+59% vs avg
Median Home Value
$1,413,900
+521% vs avg
Median Age
33.2
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Alameda County) - Berkeley's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
1.6M+7%
Median Income
$129,367+79%
Median Home Value
$1,090,100+121%
Poverty Rate
9.2%-26%
Unemployment
5.4%-48%

Economics

Economics indicators for Berkeley, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,133/mo
Poverty Rate
17.3% +22% vs avg
Unemployment 5.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 74.9%
Work From Home 37.1%
Public Transit 12.4%

Population

White 52.2%
African American 7.9%
Asian 20.5%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.6%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
32.9%
High Blood Pressure
23.7%
Obesity
22.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.1%
Binge Drinking
18.1%
Physical Inactivity
17.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
10.4%
Current Asthma
9.7%
Current Smoking
8%
Diabetes
7.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 66.3%
Annual Checkup 70.2%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
3.9%
Stroke
2.2%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
1
★★★
0
★★
0
0
Average Rating
4/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
ALTA BATES SUMMIT MEDICAL CENTER - ALTA BATES CAMP
BERKELEY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Berkeley, CA?
Berkeley, CA has a population of 120,972 people, located in Alameda County, California.
What is the median household income in Berkeley?
The median household income in Berkeley, CA is $108,092 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 17.3%.
What is the median home value in Berkeley?
The median home value in Berkeley, CA is $1,413,900. Median rent is $2,133/month.
What are the top health concerns in Berkeley?
The top health indicators in Berkeley include Short Sleep Duration (32.9%), High Blood Pressure (23.7%), Obesity (22.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Berkeley?
Berkeley has 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Berkeley?
The median age in Berkeley, CA is 33.2 years. 74.9% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Berkeley, CA is located in Alameda County, California. With a population of 121K and a $108,092 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Berkeley area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

Primary source data

Nearby Cities 8

Using Berkeley's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Berkeley area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Berkeley against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Alameda County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.