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Suburb
San Francisco

Alameda

#2,301 in Best Places to Live in America
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • Suburb of San Francisco, CA
  • 131 reviews
A
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    A
  2. Crime & Safety
    C+
  3. Housing
    C-
  4. Nightlife
    A+
  5. Good for Families
    A
  6. Diversity
    A+
  7. Jobs
    B
  8. Weather
    A+
  9. Cost of Living
    D+
  10. Health & Fitness
    A+
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A
  12. Commute
    A-
View Full Report Card
Alameda is a suburb of San Francisco with a population of 78,246. Alameda is in Alameda County and is one of the best places to live in California. Living in Alameda offers residents an urban feel and most residents rent their homes. In Alameda there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Alameda and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Alameda are highly rated.
About Alameda...
Population
78,246

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$729,100
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$1,607
National
$949
Area Feel
Urban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    53%
  • Own
    47%
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Alameda Rankings

Niche ranks thousands of places to live based on key statistics from the U.S. Census and and expert insights.

Crime & Safety

Crime & Safety
C+
Based on violent and property crime rates.
Violent Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Assault
    130.4
    282.7
  • Murder
    0
    6.1
  • Rape
    20.1
    40.7
  • Robbery
    166.7
    135.5
Property Crimes
  • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
National
  • Burglary
    274.6
    500.1
  • Theft
    2,162.7
    2,042.8
  • Motor Vehicle Theft
    505.3
    284
Home Security Options for Alameda
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  • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
  • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

Residents

Diversity
A+
Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
Age
  • <10 years
    12%
  • 10-17 years
    8%
  • 18-24 years
    6%
  • 25-34 years
    15%
  • 35-44 years
    16%
  • 45-54 years
    15%
  • 55-64 years
    14%
  • 65+ years
    15%
Education Levels
National
  • Master's degree or higher
    19%
    12%
  • Bachelor's degree
    31%
    19%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    26%
    29%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    13%
    28%
  • Less than high school diploma
    10%
    13%

Working in Alameda

Jobs
B
Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
Median Household Income
$89,045
National
$55,322
Search for Jobs in Alameda
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Alameda Reviews

131 reviews
All Categories
Alameda is a cute little suburban town/island across the water from SanFrancisco located between Oakland and San Leandro. It is a great place for families with younger children (parks, beach), senior citizens (old folks homes, 25mph speed limit), and pretty much anyone looking for a safer place to live. Alameda is growing in attractions so streets have become a little more congested but the attractions give all the more reason to come into town! Demographically, Alameda is mostly White and Asian and mixed but definitely a much lower amount of Black and brown people than the neighboring cities. All in all, Alameda is nice little town but for some it might seem too small and not diverse enough to seek permanent residency. Beautiful island town nevertheless!
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Alameda has been a great place to grow up! We have the best neighborhood where we all know each other and regularly get together for bbq's, outdoor movie night on someone's garage, and s'mores around the fire pit. It was great when I was little, playing tag at night with glow sticks and waging attacks on the boy team with our water guns, but I think that I appreciate it even more now that I am older. I always feel safe when I'm out with my friends. There are 2 shopping malls, downtown and the West-end, plus a movie theater, arcades, a pinball museum, a bowling alley and lots of bike paths, beaches, parks and even kite-surfing!

Alameda has been a great place to grow up, with the community of a small town, but only a 20 minute drive to San Francisco and Berkeley where we have enjoyed all of the benefits of a big city.
Clean, safe and a great place to raise children. There are tons of family activities to participate in including summer concerts, holiday parades and festivals. There is a great view on the beachside trail as well as kayaking, wind surfing, stand up paddle boarding and fishing. The parks in Alameda are super clean and expansive. There is a downtown strip with a popular ice cream shop, a nice moveie theatre, a wide variety of restaurants and coffee shops. Alameda is small but still offers most services you need and had excellent public safety. I recommend it for its blend of city life and family suburb.