What it's like to live in Concord
Concord is a mid-size city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Concord deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
How Concord compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Concord
Based on Concord's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,548
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $90,960 a year
- 57% of Concord renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$159,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $79,760
- Homes cost 7.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 61% above US
$2,274/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,274 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 $797,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $797,600 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 28% above US
420 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2784/100k · Concord Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 25% above US
33 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.6 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; 6% take public transit; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 87°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 42°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 4.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
38% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
28 public schools inside the boundary
There are 28 public schools inside the boundary and 19 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial (6 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Concord's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,274/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Concord
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