Living in Hercules, CA
Suburb in California
Hercules is a suburb in California, home to about 26,000 people, with 3.3 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.
Is Hercules a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 19 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Easy flying: OAK is 21 mi away
- Great outdoors: coast or a lake close by
- Safe: violent crime is 0.3× the US rate (FBI 2019)
👎 Cons
- Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.98% property tax
- Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $683k, and rent is $3,720 a month
- Few dog parks: 9 within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Hercules ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Hercules: common questions
What is the cost of living in Hercules?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $683k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,720 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 108, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Hercules?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.98% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Hercules safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.3× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Hercules?
Public schools in Hercules test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 26 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Hercules?
Hercules has mild winters: winter days average around 59°F and summer days around 85°F.
Does Hercules get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.42 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Hercules?
The nearest major airport is OAK, about 21 mi away.
How Hercules scores
Each bar compares Hercules with the other 1,990 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).
Places like Hercules
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in California.
Is Hercules right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.