Walnut Creek, CA
Census place 0683346 · pop 70,088
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,057,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,909/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
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.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3017 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
31 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
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.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
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.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+0.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
289 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
64.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.69% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
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.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
18.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
96.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$130,432 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
24.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
12.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
70.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.2% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
Frequently asked
- Is Walnut Creek, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Walnut Creek scores 48/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult smoking and its weakest is housing cost. 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 Walnut Creek, CA?
- Walnut Creek reports 289 violent crimes per 100k and 3017 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Walnut Creek, CA expensive to live in?
- Walnut Creek has a median home value of $1,057,300 and typical rent around $2,909/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Walnut Creek, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,057,300) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Walnut Creek, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult smoking (6.4%) — 98/100, 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.