Orinda, CA

Census place 0654232 · pop 19,514

D58/ 100
😐 Meh
A
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Income$250,001 · top 1%
🚽 Rent$5,805/mo · bottom 1%
Taxes
0.54% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Rent$5,805/mo1

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$5,805/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$1,863,2001

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$1,863,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Commute time36 min3

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

36 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1009

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Income inequality0.4915

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.4%24

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.4% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)-0.7%25

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

-0.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Air quality (AQI)County-level48 AQI29

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

48 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property crime rate880/100k67

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

880 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Violent crime rate57/100k83

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

57 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property-tax burden0.54%88

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.54% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Physical inactivity15.9%94

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

15.9% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Adult obesity23.6%95

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

23.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Homeownership91.3%97

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

91.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Broadband access98.0%97

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

98.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Poor mental health11.8%98

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

11.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Poverty rate2.2%98

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

2.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Adult smoking5.7%99

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

5.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Uninsured adults2.9%100

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

2.9% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Bachelor's degree or higher85.9%100

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

85.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Median household income$250,001100

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$250,001 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Frequently asked

Is Orinda, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Orinda scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is median household income and its weakest is rent. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Orinda, CA?
Orinda reports 57 violent crimes per 100k and 880 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Orinda, CA expensive to live in?
Orinda has a median home value of $1,863,200 and typical rent around $5,805/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Orinda, CA?
Its weakest measured area is rent ($5,805/mo) — 1/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Orinda, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is median household income ($250,001) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.