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Living in Berkeley

Berkeley is a city in the United States. Median gross rent was US$2,133 per month, while the median home value was US$1,413,900 in July 2026. In July 2026, Berkeley had a population of 120,257. There were 7,263 physicians per 100,000 residents in 2026. The city had 17 schools in 2026.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to Berkeley?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in Berkeley.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Owner occupation was 44.2%, and the vacancy rate was 11.3% in July 2026. 55.7% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Berkeley recurring monthly costs, € per month€1879Private kindergarten€181Utilities, 85 m² flat€62Internet, 60 Mbps€57Fitness club€55Mobile plan, 10 GB€44Transport pass€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly57.03 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback Machine capture 20260213014221)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited61.82 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback Machine capture 20260213014221)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly1,879 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback Machine capture 20260213014221)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB55.14 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback Machine capture 20260213014221)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass43.54 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Numbeo — Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback capture 20241208160422)23Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home180.7 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Numbeo - Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback Machine capture 20260213014221)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$2,133/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent55.66 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct11.31 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents5,095 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
Median monthly rent1,875 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count4,899 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

20.8% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 25,389 people of 121,911 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Median household income was US$108,092 a year in July 2026.

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in Berkeley is 5.6%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10Berkeley 5.6%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd108,092 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct85.97 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct94.26 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct2.88 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct2.83 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct3.81 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary3,752 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)19Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)5,249 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov18Official
Unemployment rate5.58 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Berkeley. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Berkeley. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct95.82 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools17 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count12Official
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct37.69 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio318 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents7,263 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate2,102 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio11Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Berkeley when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesBerkeley highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Berkeley highlighted5,868Berkeley5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents5,868 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting10Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents503.3 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count772 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute27.76 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct4.35 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct12.37 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct13.63 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Destinations from nearest airport34 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights15Official
Nearest airportOAK3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official
Distance to nearest airport17 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports16Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Berkeley. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Berkeley.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Berkeley average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND25°6°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Berkeley average monthly precipitation, mm0357010514012313098462070133070135JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Berkeley annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5259.8PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in Berkeley is 9.8 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–451 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–10Berkeley 9.833 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean9.84 µg/m³31 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 202421Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by monthJan 14.94 · Feb 16.44 · Mar 18.11 · Apr 19.61 · May 21.11 · Jun 23.39 · Jul 23.44 · Aug 23.72 · Sep 24.61 · Oct 23 · Nov 18.44 · Dec 14.78 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202014Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 6.28 · Feb 6.94 · Mar 7.72 · Apr 8.17 · May 9.67 · Jun 10.94 · Jul 11.78 · Aug 12.33 · Sep 12 · Oct 10.89 · Nov 8.28 · Dec 6.22 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202014Official
Average temperature by monthJan 10.61 · Feb 11.67 · Mar 12.89 · Apr 13.89 · May 15.39 · Jun 17.17 · Jul 17.61 · Aug 18 · Sep 18.28 · Oct 16.94 · Nov 13.39 · Dec 10.5 °C1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202014Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 122.9 · Feb 130.1 · Mar 97.54 · Apr 46.48 · May 20.32 · Jun 6.6 · Jul 0.25 · Aug 1.27 · Sep 3.05 · Oct 30.23 · Nov 69.6 · Dec 135.1 mm1991–2020NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-202014Official
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M347.1 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M36.99 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count11 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm665.9 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul18 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature14.32 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan10.43 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals13Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Hartford121,981 residentsIndependence121,675 residentsThousand Oaks122,230 residentsAnn Arbor122,233 residentsLafayette122,280 residentsFairfield122,489 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Berkeley residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport79.2%Foreign residents20.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share11.4 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents25,389 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Population density4,512 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population121,911 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program17Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population121,235 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)9Official

Is Berkeley a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker59%strong on work, weak on safety · range 49–69%
Skilled employee69%strong on work, weak on safety · range 59–79%
Student54%strong on education, weak on safety · range 43–65%
Family40%strong on family, weak on cost · range 30–50%
Retirement44%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 32–56%
Foreign residents25,389 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population121,911 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent55.66 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent1,875 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents5,095 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary3,752 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd1,413,900 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes44.19 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour60.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad21.11 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct9.71 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct11.4 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct65.54 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct76.5 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct2.83 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct74.88 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics8Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct79.29 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count0 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus58,917 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct37.07 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct90.38 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

How does Berkeley compare?

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Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Berkeley?

The median gross salary is 5,249 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in Berkeley?

The unemployment rate is 5.58 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in Berkeley?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 9.84 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is above the WHO guideline but within the EU limit. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is Berkeley?

Police recorded 5,868 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in Berkeley?

The published population is 121,911 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in Berkeley?

25,389 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is Berkeley a good place to live?

Berkeley may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Berkeley (CA), United States: rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/berkeley-ca/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_berkeley-ca-united-states-rent-salary-cost-of-living_a205a736a01d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Berkeley (CA), United States: rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  snapshot = {approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/berkeley-ca/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Berkeley (CA), United States: rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/berkeley-ca/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; version approved-static-c751ebb1b4085a62; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  9. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
  10. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
Show 13 more sources
  1. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  2. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  5. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  6. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  9. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  10. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  11. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  12. Numbeo - Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback Machine capture 20260213014221) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31
  13. Numbeo — Cost of Living in Berkeley (Wayback capture 20241208160422) Numbeo · web.archive.org · checked 2026-08-01

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.