Is Clayton, CA a Good Place to Live?
Clayton is a small city of 11,070 in California, with a median household income of $164,899 and a 5.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 118 (US average = 100), which is 18% above the national average.
Strengths: Clayton stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Clayton is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Clayton 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: 118.2Clayton's overall cost of living index is 118.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Clayton costs roughly 18% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Clayton, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $924,900 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $3,501 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 90.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $164,899 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeClayton's violent crime rate is 84.5 per 100,000 residents — 78% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Clayton is served primarily by Mt. Diablo Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.2:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Clayton, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Mt. Diablo Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 31 | — |
| Middle Schools | 9 | — |
| High Schools | 9 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.2:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 57.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 98.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Clayton sees average highs of 53.7°F in January and 82.5°F in July, with 19.1 inches of annual precipitation and 0.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Clayton, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 53.7°F |
| Average High — July | 82.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 19.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Clayton, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,070 | — |
| Median Age | 44.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 39.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 72.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.6% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 11.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 23.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 16.8% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Clayton
Clayton, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: