Median Income
$137,685
household / year
Median Home Value
$960,200
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$2,419
gross / month
Cost of Living
118
national avg = 100

Is Pleasant Hill, CA a Good Place to Live?

Pleasant Hill is a small city of 34,504 in California, with a median household income of $137,685 and a 3.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 118 (US average = 100), which is 18% above the national average.

Strengths: Pleasant Hill stands out for 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 Pleasant Hill is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Pleasant Hill 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: 118.2

Pleasant Hill's overall cost of living index is 118.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Pleasant Hill costs roughly 18% more than the average American city.

Metric Pleasant Hill, CA National Avg
Median Home Value $960,200 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $2,419 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 63.5% 65.9%
Median Household Income $137,685 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

Pleasant Hill's violent crime rate is 235.5 per 100,000 residents — 38% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
235.5 /100k
Property Crime
4025.2 /100k

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

Schools & Education

Pleasant Hill is served primarily by Contra Costa County Office of Education. The student-to-teacher ratio is 7.9:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Pleasant Hill, CA National Avg
School District Contra Costa County Office of Education —
Elementary Schools N/A —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 7.9:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 56.0% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 94.8% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Pleasant Hill sees average highs of 58.4°F in January and 88.3°F in July, with 17.7 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricPleasant Hill, CA
Average High — January58.4°F
Average High — July88.3°F
Annual Precipitation17.7"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricPleasant Hill, CANational Avg
Population34,504—
Median Age42.038.9
Unemployment Rate3.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time32.3 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)63.6%59.3%
Black or African American4.4%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino8.2%18.9%
Asian16.8%6.3%
Under 1819.8%22.2%
65 and over17.4%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Reliez Valley, CA 2 mi Contra Costa Centre, CA 2 mi Pacheco, CA 2 mi Alhambra Valley, CA 3 mi Acalanes Ridge, CA 3 mi

ZIP Codes in Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

94523

Pleasant Hill vs Other Cities

Pleasant Hill, CA vs Reliez Valley, CA Pleasant Hill, CA vs Contra Costa Centre, CA Pleasant Hill, CA vs Pacheco, CA Pleasant Hill, CA vs Alhambra Valley, CA Pleasant Hill, CA vs Acalanes Ridge, CA

Frequently Asked Questions

Pleasant Hill's cost of living index is 118, where 100 is the national average. That puts Pleasant Hill roughly 18% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $960,200 and median rent is $2,419/month.
Pleasant Hill's violent crime rate is 235.5 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 4025.2 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Pleasant Hill are operated by Contra Costa County Office of Education. The district has several elementary, several middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 7.9:1. 56.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Pleasant Hill, CA has a population of 34,504, a median household income of $137,685, and an unemployment rate of 3.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Pleasant Hill averages 58.4°F in January and 88.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 17.7 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Pleasant Hill, CA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 94523.
The population of Pleasant Hill, California is 34,504 with a median age of 42.0. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Pleasant Hill: cost of living index 118 (100 = US average), median home $960,200, median household income $137,685, crime index 114 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Pleasant Hill side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.