Should I Move To
Roughly 121,385 people live in Berkeley, California. Living here costs very expensive relative to the rest of the country, 48% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,067/mo; the typical household pulls in $104,716. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 54/100 — a C-, putting it at #348 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Berkeley sits at 148 — very expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($2,067/mo against $104,716 median household income), housing eats roughly 24% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $1,280,300.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is mild: roughly 72°F in summer, 43°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 19 inches. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to. Crime statistics are on the rougher end of the US distribution; the citywide aggregate hides safer pockets but the headline number isn't great. Air quality reads good (AQI 44).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Berkeley isn't the strongest match. It earns 48/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (2/100).
For retirees, Berkeley isn't the strongest match. It earns 50/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (2/100).
For remote workers, Berkeley isn't the strongest match. It earns 42/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (2/100).
For young professionals, Berkeley is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 62/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (99/100); weakest on affordability (2/100).
Berkeley, California pulls a 54/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C-), currently ranked #348 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Berkeley's cost-of-living index is 148 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 48% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,067/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 72°F, winter averages around 43°F, with about 19 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 95/100. Walkability is exceptional — most residents can live without a car if they want to.
Berkeley has about 121,385 residents, 74% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 33.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Berkeley head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Berkeley stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Berkeley with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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