CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

37.91° N · 122.03° W · GEOID 0671362

Shell Ridge

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

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_gross_rent

CaliforniaShell Ridge, CAShell RidgeShell Ridge

The short answer

Shell Ridge is home to 746 people. Median household income is $250,001 a year and median rent is $2,375 a month, 11.4% 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 $1,912,000, about 7.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$2,375
74% above the median place
Median household income
$250,001
211% above the median place
Median home value
$1,912,000
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 Shell Ridge

  • 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 652 California places.
  • The median household earns $250,001 a year, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 655 California places.
  • The median rent takes only 11.4% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 97% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 655 California places.
  • The median home is valued at $1,912,000, more than in 99% of places its size.
  • 83% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 99% of places its size.

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.

01

Moving to Shell Ridge

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
5.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
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
$95,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,375 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,912,000.
Getting to work
35 minutes each way on average; 28.0% work from home; 5.4% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Cherry Hills Village, CO matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
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
MeasureShell RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.0%14% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
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

Vacant homes is 0.0%, below the median place (median 7.1%).

Shell Ridge11.4%
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
$95,000
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
11.4%
44% below the median place
Home price to income
7.7x
101% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
11%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$222,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Shell Ridge, $2,375 a month, and local prices for everything else (99.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Shell Ridge? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
0.0%
below the median place (median 7.1%)
Homeownership1
100.0%
51% above the median place
Median home value1
$1,912,000
above the median place (median $319,400)
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureShell RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$2,37574% above
Rent to income111.4%44% below
Property tax rate10.4%58% below
Home price to income17.7x101% 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$7,250122% above
Median home value1$1,912,000above (median $319,400)
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-0.0%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure30.5%41% below
Homeownership1100.0%51% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure56.1%11% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes10.0%below (median 7.1%)
Median year built119581% below
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $180,214, 350% above the median place.

Income per person1
$180,214
350% above the median place
Median household income1
$250,001
211% above the median place
Works from home1
28.0%
125% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureShell RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$250,001211% above
Income per person1$180,214350% 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 commute1County figure35 min42% above
Works from home128.0%125% above
Commutes by transit1County figure5.4%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 0.0%, below the median place (median 6.4%).

No health insurance1
0.0%
below the median place (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
82.5%
157% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher97.5% +6%
Median age46.6 +19%
Household size3.0 +22%
All 8 people measures
MeasureShell RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17466646th largest
Median age146.619% above
Bachelor's or higher182.5%157% above
High school or higher197.5%6% above
Household size13.022% above
Born abroad1County figure26.6%201% above
No health insurance10.0%below (median 6.4%)
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in Shell Ridge

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

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.

Shops per 10k8
20.2
33% below the median place
Public schools10
279
above the median place (median 9)
Students per teacher10
22.5
46% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureShell RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure279above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure167,423above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County 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
National Register listings9County 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 Shell Ridge. Larger places are fetched first.

Natural hazard risk12
99.5
8% above the median place
Wildfire risk12
97.6
59% above the median place
Annual precipitation11
19.3 in
56% below the median place
All 8 weather and risk measures
MeasureShell RidgeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure86°F1% below
January average low11County figure40°F60% above
Average temperature11County figure60°F10% above
Annual precipitation11County figure19.3 in56% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure99.58% above
Tornado risk12County figure49.939% below
Wildfire risk12County figure97.659% above
Heat wave risk12County figure98.39% above
08

Shell Ridge in 2030: where the trends point

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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$250,001 (2024)$315,500$266,500 to $373,500+4.0%
Median home value$1,912,000 (2024)$2,955,000$2,145,000 to $4,070,000+7.5%

The median home would be worth 9.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.6 now.

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

09

Places like Shell Ridge

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

PlaceRentIncome
Cherry Hills Village, CO$2,191$250,001Compare
Kentfield, CA$2,741$249,896Compare
Mercer Island, WA$2,502$219,069Compare
Highland Park, TX$1,940$250,001Compare
Highland Park, TXMercer Island, WAKentfield, CACherry Hills Village, COShell Ridge, CAShell RidgeCherry Hills VillageMercer IslandHighland ParkShell RidgeCherry Hills VillageMercer IslandHighland Park

Common questions

Is Shell Ridge a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 652 California places. The median household earns $250,001 a year, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 655 California places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Shell Ridge expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 11.4% 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 $1,912,000.

What salary do you need to live in Shell Ridge?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $95,000 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Shell Ridge?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Cherry Hills Village, CO, Kentfield, CA, Mercer Island, WA and Highland Park, TX.

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. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. 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); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

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

Citytistics. “Shell Ridge, California.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/shell-ridge-california/

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