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Is Walnut Creek, CA a Good Place to Live?
Walnut Creek is a mid-sized city of 69,809 in California, with a median household income of $129,971 and a 4.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 118 (US average = 100), which is 18% above the national average.
Strengths: Walnut Creek 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. Whether Walnut Creek is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Walnut Creek 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: 118.2Walnut Creek's overall cost of living index is 118.2, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Walnut Creek costs roughly 18% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Walnut Creek, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $972,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,503 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 64.5% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $129,971 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWalnut Creek's violent crime rate is 280.5 per 100,000 residents — 26% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Walnut Creek is served primarily by Walnut Creek Elementary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Walnut Creek, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Walnut Creek Elementary | — |
| Elementary Schools | 6 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 23.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 69.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Walnut Creek sees average highs of 58.4°F in January and 88.3°F in July, with 20.4 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Walnut Creek, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 58.4°F |
| Average High — July | 88.3°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 20.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Walnut Creek, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,809 | — |
| Median Age | 47.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 35.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 67.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.5% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 16.5% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.5% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 29.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek, CA is covered by 4 ZIP codes: