Moving to
Castro Valley.

$2,554/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,554 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,104,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

4.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Alameda County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

451 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction

Castro Valley doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs above the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.

33 min average commute

Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.7 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% take public transit; 21% work from home.

2 hospitals

There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

45% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 45% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

17 public schools inside the boundary

There are 17 public schools inside the boundary and 8 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.

The nearest national park or historic site is Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (10 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.