Population 27,335 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in El Sobrante
Household size in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.77 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.80 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.92 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.15 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in El Sobrante are large by national standards, averaging 2.92 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.77, even as the national average fell.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.2 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.8 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.2 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.5 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.3 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
El Sobrante skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.5, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has climbed from 41.2 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the east.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.2% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.1% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in El Sobrante as they are nationally: 11.1%, against 11.6%. Single parents are more common here than in the San Francisco area overall (8.8%). The single-parent share is down 1.2 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in El Sobrante
Renters in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.5% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.2% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 30.2% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 26.2% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.3 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over a quarter of households in El Sobrante rent their homes (26.2%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 35.3% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the north; owners are most common in the east. Since 2006–10, the renter share has edged down 1.3 points, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.6% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.5 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in El Sobrante: 7.8% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The San Francisco area as a whole looks much the same.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1971 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1971 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | −0 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
El Sobrante is a place of older homes: half were built before 1970, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the east, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,184 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,440 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,907 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,563 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,379 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
Rent in El Sobrante runs $2,563 a month at the median, utilities included, well above the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $1,379 a month since 2006–10, up 116%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 34.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the east; the most affordable are in the south.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in El Sobrante
Bachelor's degrees in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.7% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 34.4% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 40.3% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.4% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.7 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Just over four in ten adults 25 and older in El Sobrante (42.4%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, above the national share of 35.6%. Locally, though, the share is lower than in the wider San Francisco area (52.2%). The share with a degree has risen 7.7 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.8% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 92.0% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.1% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.4% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in El Sobrante is a bit above the national rate: 92.4% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 2.6 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in El Sobrante
| Period | El Sobrante | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.5% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in El Sobrante is close to the national rate: 5.5% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 2.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
El Sobrante compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Sobrante | 2.92 | 42.5 | 11.1% | 26.2% | 7.8% | 1970 | $2,563 | 42.4% | 92.4% | 5.5% |
| Pinole | 2.82 | 45.5 | 8.7% | 20.4% | 7.2% | 1973 | $2,735 | 38.8% | 88.8% | 5.5% |
| San Pablo | 3.15 | 37.6 | 16.0% | 50.1% | 4.9% | 1969 | $2,238 | 23.9% | 78.5% | 8.2% |
| Hercules | 2.90 | 44.6 | 9.4% | 21.0% | 3.4% | 1990 | $2,890 | 46.3% | 92.2% | 6.4% |
| El Cerrito | 2.40 | 42.7 | 7.7% | 40.5% | 3.9% | 1959 | $2,910 | 67.4% | 96.2% | 6.0% |
| Richmond | 3.04 | 37.4 | 15.6% | 45.9% | 6.1% | 1962 | $1,926 | 28.2% | 75.0% | 8.2% |
| North Richmond | 3.67 | 33.5 | 8.7% | 39.0% | 9.3% | 1983 | $1,969 | 20.5% | 69.4% | 5.8% |
| Rodeo | 3.19 | 41.3 | 17.7% | 39.3% | 6.6% | 1972 | $2,214 | 34.7% | 83.6% | 9.8% |
| Albany | 2.44 | 39.7 | 6.3% | 46.0% | 6.7% | 1959 | $2,608 | 78.1% | 97.7% | 3.3% |
| Tormey | 2.79 | 26.9 | 29.5% | 60.7% | 12.9% | 1949 | $2,006 | 40.3% | 76.0% | 0.0% |
| Orinda Village | 2.66 | 50.3 | 8.5% | 6.5% | 7.1% | 1989 | $3,347 | 76.0% | 97.7% | 4.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Zeeland, MI · Albemarle, NC · Westmont, IL · Wethersfield, CT · Whiting, NJ · Winona, MN · Wright, FL · Yelm, WA · York, SC · Yorkville, IL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up El Sobrante. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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