Should I Move To
Castro Valley, California comes in at about 65,444 residents. Cost of living comes out very expensive — 49% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,383/mo, and the median household income is about $132,174. Overall, 57/100 on our composite score, which works out to a C, putting it at #228 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
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.
Cost-of-living index of 149 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very expensive territory. With median rent at $2,383/mo and median household income at $132,174, housing takes about 22% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $1,013,900.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect mild weather — summers near 72°F, winters around 43°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 19 inches annually. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests. AQI runs about 44 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Castro Valley is a tougher sell for families. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
Castro Valley is a tougher sell for retirees. The profile-weighted score is 49/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
Castro Valley is a tougher sell for remote workers. The profile-weighted score is 41/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
On the young professionals profile, Castro Valley sits squarely in the middle. The profile-weighted score is 60/100 — a C+. Its standout dimension is climate (99/100); the soft spot is affordability (2/100).
Our overall score for Castro Valley is 57/100 — a C, sitting at #228 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, Castro Valley sits at 149 — very expensive, 49% above the national average. Median renter pays around $2,383 a month.
Castro Valley runs mild on the weather. Summer's near 72°F, winter's near 43°F; 19 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 48/100. You'll need a car for most things, though the central core is more walkable than the citywide score suggests.
Roughly 65,444 people live here, with 44% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 43.
Drop Castro Valley into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
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 Castro Valley with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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