CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.81° N · 121.91° W · GEOID 0606928

Blackhawk

Contra Costa County, California · part of the San Francisco, CA metro

CaliforniaBlackhawk, CABlackhawkBlackhawk

The short answer

Blackhawk is home to 10,137 people. Median household income is $245,208 a year and median rent is $3,501 a month, 17.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $2,000,001, about 8.2x annual median household income.

What sets Blackhawk apart is how far household money goes. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $204,400 a year, more than in 98% of places its size. Also notable: OpenStreetMap shows 0 parks per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

39OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

Blackhawk scores better than 39% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 196th of 654 in California.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%41
Economy 20%62
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%26
Education 10%95
Commute 10%5
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$3,501
156% above the median place
Median household income
$245,208
205% above the median place
Median home value
$2,000,001
above the median place (median $319,400)
Unemployment
6.5%
33% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Blackhawk

  • Value for moneyRent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 99 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.
  • HousingThe median home costs 8.2 years of the median household's income, more than in 96% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Blackhawk

Contra Costa County loses about 5.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in42,982
Moved out48,284
Net−5,302

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Alameda County, CA12,8317,605+5,226
Solano County, CA2,1473,871−1,724
San Francisco County, CA3,5542,309+1,245
Santa Clara County, CA3,2451,540+1,705
San Mateo County, CA2,4281,317+1,111
San Joaquin County, CA1,3661,931−565
Sacramento County, CA1,0661,960−894
Los Angeles County, CA1,3061,396−90

Within California, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within CaliforniaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$133K
Leavers$131K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Contra Costa County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
3.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.9% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Contra Costa County report $133,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $131,300.
Income you would need
$140,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $3,501 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $2,000,001.
Getting to work
36 minutes each way on average; 37.6% work from home; 4.5% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Belmont, VA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
3.5%
39% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$131,341
87% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$133,160
89% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBlackhawkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year13.5%39% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.9%54% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-5.4below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$133,16089% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$131,34187% above
02

What it costs to live here

High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 99% of places we track, yet 56% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent.

Blackhawk17.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$140,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
17.1%
16% below the median place
Home price to income
8.2x
115% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
17%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$204,200
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Blackhawk, $3,501 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Blackhawk, but easier on the budget

Places that match Blackhawk on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Belmont, VA7214.0% vs 17.1%$3,800Compare
Lake Forest, IL709.3% vs 17.1%$5,000Compare
Bellaire, TX6913.1% vs 17.1%$13,100Compare
Wyndham, VA6811.5% vs 17.1%$8,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Blackhawk.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Blackhawk? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$2,000,001
above the median place (median $319,400)
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
Homeownership1
89.3%
35% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBlackhawkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$3,501156% above
Rent to income117.1%16% below
Home price to income18.2x115% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure115.615% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,80574% above
HUD area median income4County figure$162,80052% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$2,000,001above (median $319,400)
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-0.0%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure30.5%41% below
Homeownership189.3%35% above
Renters paying 30%+156.1%11% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes1County figure3.5%51% below
Median year built119881% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $130,578, 226% above the median place.

Income per person1
$130,578
226% above the median place
Median household income1
$245,208
205% above the median place
Works from home1
37.6%
202% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBlackhawkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$245,208205% above
Income per person1$130,578226% above
Unemployment1County figure6.5%33% above
Average annual pay6County figure$87,20032% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure1.1%70% below
Jobs6County figure374,448149% above
Poverty rate1County figure8.4%22% below
Mean commute136 min45% above
Works from home137.6%202% above
Commutes by transit14.5%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 98.7%, 7% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
98.7%
7% above the median place
High school or higher1
98.6%
7% above the median place
Median age1
50.3
29% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher69.7% 2.2×
Born abroad22.3% 2.5×
Household size2.6 +6%
All 8 people measures
MeasureBlackhawkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population110,1374127th largest
Median age150.329% above
Bachelor's or higher169.7%117% above
High school or higher198.6%7% above
Household size12.66% above
Born abroad122.3%152% above
No health insurance1County figure4.6%28% below
Homes with broadband198.7%7% above
05

Life in Blackhawk

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 655 California places we track.

51 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k19.7 2.1×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9.9 −12%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails1 km −55%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.0 5.0×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site 7 miles
  • John Muir National Historic Site 17 miles
  • Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial 18 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars18.8 −10%
Shops20.2 −33%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.0 −2%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.3 +5%
Child care centers3.3 +43%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
6.7
78% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
20.2
33% below the median place
Public schools12
279
above the median place (median 9)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBlackhawkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure279above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure167,423above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure22.546% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure18.810% below
Shops per 10k8County figure20.233% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure4.02% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure21.35% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.343% above
Parks per 10k90.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k919.7110% above
Grocery stores per 10k90.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k99.912% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.955% below
Transit stops per sq mi91.0395% above
Nearest National Park Service site106.778% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles109350% above
National Register listings11County figure51292% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Natural hazard risk is 99.5, 8% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Blackhawk. Larger places are fetched first.

Natural hazard risk14
99.5
8% above the median place
Wildfire risk14
97.6
59% above the median place
Annual precipitation13
19.3 in
56% below the median place
All 8 weather and risk measures
MeasureBlackhawkAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure86°F1% below
January average low13County figure40°F60% above
Average temperature13County figure60°F10% above
Annual precipitation13County figure19.3 in56% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure99.58% above
Tornado risk14County figure49.939% below
Wildfire risk14County figure97.659% above
Heat wave risk14County figure98.39% above
08

Blackhawk in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 17% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 17% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Blackhawk does better than 41% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 61%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$3,501/mo (2024)$4,370/mo$3,590 to $5,330/mo+3.8%
Median household income$245,208 (2024)$311,500$263,000 to $368,500+4.1%
Median home value$2,000,001 (2024)$2,888,000$2,097,000 to $3,979,000+6.3%

The median home would be worth 9.3 years of the median income in 2030, against 8.2 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Blackhawk

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Alamo, CA$3,501$250,001Compare
Montecito, CA$3,501$231,005Compare
Saratoga, CA$3,501$250,001Compare
Tiburon, CA$3,501$232,969Compare
Tiburon, CASaratoga, CAMontecito, CAAlamo, CABlackhawk, CABlackhawkAlamoMontecitoBlackhawkAlamoMontecito

Places built like Blackhawk

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Blackhawk performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Blackhawk, CA17.1%2.7%/yrn/a
Gold River, CA16.8%8.0%/yrn/aCompare
Alamo, CA16.8%0.9%/yrn/aCompare
Topanga, CA26.8%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Westlake Village, CA23.3%5.0%/yr-6.5%Compare
Agoura Hills, CA22.5%6.8%/yr-5.2%Compare
Coto de Caza, CA17.2%4.1%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Blackhawk a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 39 out of 100, better than 39% of the places we rate and 196th of 654 in California. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 99 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. The median home costs 8.2 years of the median household's income, more than in 96% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Blackhawk expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 17.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $2,000,001.

What salary do you need to live in Blackhawk?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $140,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Blackhawk?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Alamo, CA, Montecito, CA, Saratoga, CA and Tiburon, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Blackhawk with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Blackhawk itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/blackhawk-california

Citytistics. “Blackhawk, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/blackhawk-california/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.