HomeCaliforniaContra Costa County
Contra Costa County, California: commercial real estate data.
Contra Costa County, California has a population of 1,165,012 across 716 square miles, up 0.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $96.58 bn in 2024, 25,932 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,158 7(a) approvals worth $630.6 m.
129 sourced county values · tier FULL · 12 sections
Contra Costa County
How many people live in Contra Costa County
- Population1,165,012
- Households414,417
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$127,229
- Median age40.5
- Median gross rent$2,375 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$866,800
- Home value to household income6.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income22.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher45.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree17.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over816,152
- Population under 18256,000
- Share under 1822.0 percent
- Population 65 and over199,270
- Share 65 and over17.1 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64709,742
- Civilian labor force608,620
- Unemployment rate6.5 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over67.0 percent
- Rank by population among California counties9th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents39th
Contra Costa County is the 9th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 6.8 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 22.0 percent against 17.1 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Contra Costa County
Is Contra Costa County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.57 percent
- Census 2020 base population1,165,983
- Births, 202411,185
- Deaths, 20248,420
- Natural change, 20242,765
- Net domestic migration, 2024-4,692
- Net international migration, 202412,286
- Total net migration, 20247,594
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-37,004
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1621st
The county has grown 0.57 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Contra Costa County
Where people moving to Contra Costa County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving27,074
- People arriving, from those returns48,153
- Adjusted gross income arriving$4.41 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$162,744
- Largest single originContra Costa County Non-migrants (450,543 households)
- Largest single destination (450,543 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contra Costa County Non-migrants | 450,543 | 922,646 | $72.37 bn |
| Alameda County | 8,244 | 15,271 | $1.42 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,677 | 4,682 | $344.0 m |
| San Francisco County | 2,513 | 4,431 | $603.9 m |
| Santa Clara County | 1,873 | 3,884 | $497.0 m |
| San Mateo County | 1,686 | 3,292 | $326.9 m |
| Solano County | 1,326 | 2,146 | $89.9 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,036 | 1,873 | $130.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Contra Costa County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Contra Costa County
What the Contra Costa County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$96.58 bn
- County GDP, 2023$95.19 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20241.5 percent
- GDP change over five years32.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among California counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents58th
- GDP per resident$82,900
Output grew 1.5 percent in the latest year and 32.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Contra Costa County
Who employs people in Contra Costa County
- Covered employment, annual average373,992
- Establishments reporting39,474
- Average annual pay$86,234
- Average weekly wage$1,658
- Sector 62, employment76,021
- Sector 62, average annual pay$78,791
- Sector 44-45, employment40,398
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$51,458
- Sector 72, employment33,545
- Sector 72, average annual pay$33,009
- Sector 23, employment27,400
- Sector 23, average annual pay$99,886
- Sector 54, employment25,151
- Sector 56, employment22,451
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 76,021 | 15,958 | $78,791 |
| Sector 44-45 | 40,398 | 2,250 | $51,458 |
| Sector 72 | 33,545 | 2,220 | $33,009 |
| Sector 23 | 27,400 | 2,842 | $99,886 |
| Sector 54 | 25,151 | 4,288 | $132,280 |
| Sector 56 | 22,451 | 1,618 | $70,083 |
| Sector 52 | 15,592 | 1,507 | $161,712 |
| Sector 31-33 | 13,307 | 620 | $124,631 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 76,021 jobs, 20.3 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Contra Costa County
What businesses operate in Contra Costa County
- Establishments, all industries25,932
- Employment at those establishments343,690
- Annual payroll$28.06 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents22.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Contra Costa County
What is being built in Contra Costa County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,155
- Declared construction value permitted$627.2 m
- Single family units authorised1,251
- Multifamily units authorised904
- Multifamily share of units41.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$291,046
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.2
Multifamily is 41.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Contra Costa County
How much SBA lending happens in Contra Costa County
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,158
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$630.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$544,542
- Median 7(a) approval$250,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,455,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)11,873
- Jobs per approval10.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active110
- Distinct industries receiving approvals269
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer16.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms190
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter909
- Franchise loans134
- Franchise share of approvals11.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (47)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (160)
- 504 approvals recorded487
- 504 gross approval dollars$435.8 m
- Average 504 approval$894,920
- Median 504 approval$616,000
- Distinct CDCs active12
- 504 jobs per approval8.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved9.8
- Most active CDCBay Area Employment Development Company (189)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals70.4 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$1.07 bn
The average approval of $544,542 sits well above the median of $250,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 16.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Contra Costa County
Do SBA loans in Contra Costa County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded208
- Paid in full186
- Charged off22
- Charge off rate on resolved loans10.6 percent
- Status: Paid in full186
- Status: Exempt from disclosure727
- Status: Cancelled158
- Status: Charged off22
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed65
| NAICS | Industry | Resolved loans | Charged off | Charge off rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 236118 | Residential Remodelers | 10 | 2 | 20.0% |
Of the 208 loans that have reached a final outcome, 10.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong. Among industries with at least ten resolved loans, Residential Remodelers carries the highest charge off rate at 20.0 percent.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Contra Costa County
Which parts of Contra Costa County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending36
- Concord, approvals195
- WALNUT CREEK, approvals184
- ANTIOCH, approvals86
- BRENTWOOD, approvals83
- SAN RAMON, approvals80
- MARTINEZ, approvals59
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Concord | 195 | $114,352,700 |
| WALNUT CREEK | 184 | $103,325,300 |
| ANTIOCH | 86 | $44,879,900 |
| BRENTWOOD | 83 | $33,025,000 |
| SAN RAMON | 80 | $46,248,600 |
| MARTINEZ | 59 | $34,366,900 |
| Richmond | 58 | $36,560,400 |
| DANVILLE | 57 | $42,729,500 |
Concord accounts for 195 approvals against 184 in WALNUT CREEK. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Contra Costa County
How big is Contra Costa County
- Land area716 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties51st of 58
- Width, east to west48.8 mi
- Height, north to south25.9 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land1,627
- Establishments per square mile36.22
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Contra Costa County
What hazards affect Contra Costa County
- EPA radon zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
- Communities in the NFIP Community Status Book20
- Of those, participating in the NFIP20
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class7
The EPA places the county in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The best Community Rating System class in the county is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for properties in the participating community.
US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001. FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book, Community Status Book, as retrieved.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Contra Costa County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Contra Costa County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population1,165,012
- Households414,417
- Average household size2.81
- Median household income$127,229
- Median age40.5
Common questions
Contra Costa County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Contra Costa County, California?
1,165,012, in 414,417 households, ranking 9th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Contra Costa County growing?
The population has grown 0.57 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 11,185 births against 8,420 deaths, with net migration of 7,594. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Contra Costa County?
$127,229. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $866,800, which is 6.8 times income, and median gross rent is $2,375 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Contra Costa County?
25,932 establishments, employing 343,690 people with an annual payroll of $28.06 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Contra Costa County?
Average annual pay is $86,234, or $1,658 a week, across 373,992 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Contra Costa County?
1,158 7(a) approvals totalling $630.6 m since FY2020, across 110 lenders, with a median approval of $250,000, plus 487 504 approvals worth $435.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Contra Costa County get paid back?
Of the 208 loans that have reached a final outcome, 186 were paid in full and 22 charged off, a charge off rate of 10.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Contra Costa County?
2,155 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $627.2 m. Multifamily was 41.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Contra Costa County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Contra Costa County come from?
The largest single origin is Contra Costa County Non-migrants, with 450,543 households. Arriving households report an average income of $162,744 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Contra Costa County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Contra Costa County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.