Median Income
$124,469
household / year
Median Home Value
$1,129,000
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,272
gross / month
Cost of Living
116
national avg = 100

Is Albany, CA a Good Place to Live?

Albany is a small city of 20,027 in California, with a median household income of $124,469 and a 3.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 116 (US average = 100), which is 16% above the national average.

Strengths: Albany stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Albany is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Albany city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 116.1

Albany's overall cost of living index is 116.1, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Albany costs roughly 16% more than the average American city.

Metric Albany, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $1,129,000 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,272 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 50.5% 65.9%
Median Household Income $124,469 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Albany's violent crime rate is 138.8 per 100,000 residents — 63% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
138.8 /100k
Property Crime
2492.7 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Albany is served primarily by Albany City Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21.1:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Albany, CA National Avg
School District Albany City Unified —
Elementary Schools 3 —
Middle Schools 1 —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 21.1:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 75.2% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 97.2% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Albany sees average highs of 58.9°F in January and 74.2°F in July, with 22.8 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricAlbany, CA
Average High — January58.9°F
Average High — July74.2°F
Annual Precipitation22.8"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricAlbany, CANational Avg
Population20,027—
Median Age37.238.9
Unemployment Rate3.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time31.7 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)47.3%59.3%
Black or African American4.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino9.2%18.9%
Asian30.1%6.3%
Under 1824.4%22.2%
65 and over13.8%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Berkeley, CA 2 mi Kensington, CA 2 mi El Cerrito, CA 2 mi Emeryville, CA 4 mi East Richmond Heights, CA 4 mi

ZIP Codes in Albany

Albany, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

94706

Albany vs Other Cities

Albany, CA vs Berkeley, CA Albany, CA vs Kensington, CA Albany, CA vs El Cerrito, CA Albany, CA vs Emeryville, CA Albany, CA vs East Richmond Heights, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Albany's cost of living index is 116, where 100 is the national average. That puts Albany roughly 16% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $1,129,000 and median rent is $2,272/month.
Albany's violent crime rate is 138.8 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2492.7 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Albany are operated by Albany City Unified. The district has 3 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21.1:1. 75.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Albany, CA has a population of 20,027, a median household income of $124,469, and an unemployment rate of 3.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Albany averages 58.9°F in January and 74.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 22.8 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Albany, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 94706.
The population of Albany, California is 20,027 with a median age of 37.2. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Albany: cost of living index 116 (100 = US average), median home $1,129,000, median household income $124,469, crime index 69 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Albany side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.