Population 21,129 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Hercules
Household size in Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.96 | 2.74 | 3.04 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.08 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.10 | 2.83 | 3.09 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.90 | 2.75 | 3.01 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | +0.01 | −0.03 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Hercules holds 2.90 people, more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.96, as it has nationally. Households are largest in the east and smallest in the west.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.4 | 38.6 | 35.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 38.3 | 39.4 | 36.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.6 | 40.1 | 37.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.6 | 41.3 | 39.0 | 40.1 |
| Change | +6.2 | +2.7 | +3.1 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.6, Hercules is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 38.4 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the northwest and oldest in the south.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.1% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.6% | 9.9% | 13.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 8.8% | 12.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Hercules (9.4%), below the national share of 11.6%. The San Francisco area as a whole looks much the same. The single-parent share has fallen 2.7 points since 2006–10, a much bigger shift than 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 Hercules
Renters in Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 43.7% | 42.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 21.2% | 46.2% | 45.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.1% | 45.3% | 45.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 21.0% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.1 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Hercules is largely a place of homeowners: only 21.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. More than a quarter of owners (27.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well below the national share of 39.8%. The renter share is up 1.1 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.4% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.9% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.3 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Empty homes are scarce in Hercules: just 3.4% sit vacant, compared with 9.6% nationally, a sign of a tight housing market. Vacancy is down 4.3 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country. Only 28 of the 689 California cities with 5,000+ people have a lower vacancy rate.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1989 | 1964 | 1972 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1988 | 1965 | 1973 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1966 | 1974 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1990 | 1968 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +4 | +4 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Hercules is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1990, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the east has the oldest housing. Hercules has newer homes than the great majority of California cities.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,507 | $1,452 | $1,298 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,564 | $1,551 | $1,379 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $2,389 | $2,139 | $1,721 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,890 | $2,666 | $2,229 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$1,384 | +$1,214 | +$931 | +$606 |
The median renter in Hercules pays $2,890 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $1,384 a month from 2006–10, a 92% jump, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 35.3% of the typical renter's income, 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 Hercules
Bachelor's degrees in Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.1% | 42.5% | 29.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 42.2% | 44.1% | 30.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 43.3% | 48.9% | 32.9% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 46.3% | 52.2% | 36.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +9.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
Hercules is highly educated: 46.3% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor's degree, far above the national share of 35.6%. Still, the share is lower than in the wider San Francisco area (52.2%). Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 7.2 points, mirroring the country.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 93.6% | 86.8% | 79.9% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.5% | 87.5% | 80.7% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 88.8% | 82.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.2% | 89.1% | 84.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.4 pts | +2.3 pts | +4.3 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Hercules have finished high school (92.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has edged down 1.4 points since 2006–10, even as the national rate rose.
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 Hercules
| Period | Hercules | San Francisco area | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.3% | 7.8% | 9.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 5.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.6% | 4.6% | 6.3% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Change | +0.1 pts | −2.0 pts | −2.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Hercules than nationally: unemployment was 6.4%, against 5.4%. The San Francisco area as a whole looks much the same. 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).
Hercules 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hercules | 2.90 | 44.6 | 9.4% | 21.0% | 3.4% | 1990 | $2,890 | 46.3% | 92.2% | 6.4% |
| Rodeo | 3.19 | 41.3 | 17.7% | 39.3% | 6.6% | 1972 | $2,214 | 34.7% | 83.6% | 9.8% |
| Pinole | 2.82 | 45.5 | 8.7% | 20.4% | 7.2% | 1973 | $2,735 | 38.8% | 88.8% | 5.5% |
| Tormey | 2.79 | 26.9 | 29.5% | 60.7% | 12.9% | 1949 | $2,006 | 40.3% | 76.0% | 0.0% |
| El Sobrante | 2.92 | 42.5 | 11.1% | 26.2% | 7.8% | 1970 | $2,563 | 42.4% | 92.4% | 5.5% |
| Crockett | 2.20 | 46.3 | 8.7% | 45.3% | 12.1% | 1944 | $2,330 | 34.0% | 94.3% | 7.3% |
| San Pablo | 3.15 | 37.6 | 16.0% | 50.1% | 4.9% | 1969 | $2,238 | 23.9% | 78.5% | 8.2% |
| Port Costa | 2.07 | 55.0 | 9.7% | 26.7% | 7.3% | 1966 | $2,462 | 41.0% | 96.0% | 5.2% |
| North Richmond | 3.67 | 33.5 | 8.7% | 39.0% | 9.3% | 1983 | $1,969 | 20.5% | 69.4% | 5.8% |
| 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% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Lake Zurich, IL · Jacksonville, AL · Jacksonville, IL · Jasmine Estates, FL · Jasper, IN · Jollyville, TX · Westerly, RI · Kerman, CA · Westbury, NY · Westborough, MA
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 Hercules. 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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