Living in Berkeley, CA
College town in California
Berkeley is a college town in California, home to about 120,000 people, with 3.7 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a very fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.
Is Berkeley a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 20 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Mild summers: highs around 74°F
- Highly educated: 75% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 4 research universities are within 31 mi
- Easy flying: OAK is 11 mi away
👎 Cons
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.54M, and rent is $3,720 a month
- Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.74% property tax
- Disaster-prone: 7 federally declared disasters since 2000, mainly earthquakes and flooding
- Fewer family amenities than most places
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Berkeley ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Berkeley: common questions
What is the cost of living in Berkeley?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.54M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,720 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 116, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Berkeley?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.74% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Berkeley safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.3× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Berkeley?
Berkeley has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 74°F.
Does Berkeley get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 7 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 4.63 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Berkeley?
The nearest major airport is OAK, about 11 mi away.
How Berkeley scores
Each bar compares Berkeley with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
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Is Berkeley right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.