Living in Walnut Creek, CA
Suburb in California
Walnut Creek is a suburb in California, home to about 70,000 people, with 4.1 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 mostly apartments.
Is Walnut Creek a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Strong healthcare: 18 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
- Easy flying: OAK is 16 mi away
- Big job market: about 4.1 million people live within 31 mi
- Highly educated: 69% 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 $1.16M, and rent is $3,720 a month
- Few dog parks: 16 within 9 mi
- Higher taxes: about $3,279 state income tax per resident, 0.67% property tax
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Walnut Creek ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Walnut Creek: common questions
What is the cost of living in Walnut Creek?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.16M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,720 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 105, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Walnut Creek?
California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.67% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Walnut Creek safe?
Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.4× in FBI 2019 data).
What is the weather like in Walnut Creek?
Walnut Creek has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 87°F.
Does Walnut Creek 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 1.3 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Walnut Creek?
The nearest major airport is OAK, about 16 mi away.
How Walnut Creek scores
Each bar compares Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.