Places › California › Pleasant Hill

Living in Pleasant Hill, CA

Suburb in California

Pleasant Hill is a suburb in California, home to about 34,000 people, with 3.7 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, you can walk or take transit almost everywhere. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Pleasant Hill a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 18 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Easy flying: OAK is 18 mi away
  • Big job market: about 3.7 million people live within 31 mi
  • Highly educated: 56% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3 research universities are within 31 mi

👎 Cons

  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $920k, and rent is $3,720 a month
  • Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.69% property tax
  • Few dog parks: 13 within 9 mi

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Pleasant Hill ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
34,000
3.7 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
60°F / 87°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$920k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$3,720/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
108
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.69% property tax
Safety
0.7× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
5 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
18
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 24 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
56%
3 research universities within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
OAK
18 mi away

Living in Pleasant Hill: common questions

What is the cost of living in Pleasant Hill?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $920k, 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 Pleasant Hill?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.69% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Pleasant Hill safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.7× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Pleasant Hill?

Public schools in Pleasant Hill test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 24 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Pleasant Hill?

Pleasant Hill has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 87°F.

Does Pleasant Hill get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 5 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 1.56 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Pleasant Hill?

The nearest major airport is OAK, about 18 mi away.

How Pleasant Hill scores

Each bar compares Pleasant Hill 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).

🏙️City sizeBig city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundWalk & transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceFast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunitySome community feel AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingPoor
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketExcellent
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationExcellent
🧸Kids & familyGood
🐕Dog-friendlyBelow average
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CultureExcellent
👮SafetySafe
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyGood
🌤️Mild summersGood
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Pleasant Hill

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).

Martinez, CASuburb68 $727k$3,720/moVery safe Union City, CASuburb66 $1.09M$3,720/moSafe San Bruno, CASuburb72 $1.38M$4,600/moSafe Castro Valley, CASuburb73 $1.02M$3,720/moNo crime data San Jose, CABig city66 $1.29M$4,600/moSafe Whittier, CASuburb65 $809k$3,300/moSafe

Nearby

Martinez, CASuburb · 4 mi away68 $727k$3,720/moVery safe Walnut Creek, CASuburb · 4 mi away66 $1.16M$3,720/moSafe Concord, CASuburb · 4 mi away61 $708k$3,720/moModerate crime Benicia, CASuburb · 9 mi away72 $742k$2,910/moVery safe Pittsburg, CASuburb · 11 mi away57 $530k$3,720/moModerate crime Danville, CASuburb · 11 mi away79 $1.29M$3,720/moVery safe

See all the best places to live in California.

Is Pleasant Hill right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.