It’s hard to make a case for any city in the Bay Area as having affordable housing but the median home price of ~768k in May of 2023 is low for anywhere near a major city in California. Much of the housing stock is older, which accounts in part for the lower prices, but the city is also not as “hot” as neighboring cities like Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek which have more developed city centers. What this means is that you’re next to cities with active city centers that you can visit but you then get to retreat to a quieter, and less expensive community in Concord.  

 Affordable Housing?

The Best Thing About Concord

There are cities in the east bay that people rave about: Alameda, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, etc. Generally these raves come from locals who appreciate the robust commercial districts that drive active social lives and strong community bonds. Since Concord has a quieter downtown scene it gets some knocks for being an “unremarkable” place for those who want their city to provide a local cultural and social center. 

Unremarkable?

The Worst Thing About Concord

Concord is a suburban city that serves families that appreciate the lower cost of housing compared to neighboring cities. Hence a lifestyle that is driven by family activities. Todos Santos Plaza in the downtown district is the community gathering place of Concord. It plays host to summer concerts, a farmer’s market and events throughout the year. The Plaza also has a public park at its center with picnicking, and a large children’s playground pulling in families during the big events and just for downtown visits. 

Outside of downtown the city also has a beautiful community park called Newhall. Locals flock here to hike, play with their kiddos and doggos, and families and singles also find themselves here for adult and youth soccer leagues. It also has ponds for contemplation and evening bocce and bbq’s for those in more festive moods. Concord is also home to the Pixieland Amusement Park and Six Flags/Hurricane Harbor, the Bay Area’s largest water park so while the city can be quiet, there is a ton to do with the kiddos. 


Lifestyle of Concord

The Concord school system rates a B+ on [**niche.com**](https://www.niche.com/k12/d/mt-diablo-unified-school-district-ca/) and is called the [**Mt. Diablo Unified School District**](mdusd.org) for those who go searching and can’t find a Concord, CA district. The general consensus among locals about the schools here is that it is hit or miss depending on the school with generally the southern side of the city, that borders Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill offering the best options. These schools perform better in testing but of course those go hand-in-hand with the more expensive homes. The rise in charter schools has impacted Concord, with Clayton Valley a relatively new charter school, now the highest ranked public high school in the city. Concord is also home to De La Salle, a well-known parochial high school, with an excellent sports program and an A rating for academics. 


Schools of Concord

Concord is in development mode, building more restaurants, shopping, and cafes in a growing downtown, and more outdoor rec and activity space in the undeveloped naval station area. It is however, in an earlier stage of this growth relative to neighbors like Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. What that means is you’re getting in on the ground floor if you buy in to Concord before it grows its commercial districts and outdoor rec areas to match those of other popular Bay Area cities.  

On the rise!

Why You Should Move Here Now?

Downtown Concord is not as built out as neighboring Pleasant Hill or Walnut Creek so its far less a hot spot for young professionals or couples but there is a growing set of living options here. Some comes from the older homes that were the original housing in the city and some from the newer condo/apartment buildings, like [**The Grant**](https://thegrant.com/) or [**Renaissance Square**](https://www.liverensquare.com/), that have emerged in recent years to support professionals who want to live in a downtown, be near a BART stop, and enjoy a short walk to the bars, restaurants and community opportunities the city offers. As noted above, Concord is in development mode of its downtown so if you want to get in before it gets too pricey this is a good choice. 

Young Professionals/DINKs/Retirees 

Downtown

The Dana Estates neighborhood is a great spot for young families or retirees looking for a tight community. Housing prices are more reasonable than in some other neighborhoods, with primarily single-family single-story ranch style homes. Many have been updated, remodeled and expanded but if you can get your hands on one pre-update its a good value with a median price of $745k. 
It’s a relatively short two-mile commute to a BART stop and downtown and the neighborhood has one of the largest community pools and parks in the area, Gehringer Park and Swim Club, which families flock to in the summer heat. 

Dana Estates is notable for its [Neighborhood Alliance](**https://www.danaestates.org/**), a non-profit dedicated to improving community activities, supporting locals in ensuring safe streets and making sure the neighborhood has a unified voice in working with the city of Concord on community needs. 
Finally, neighborhoods like Dana Estates that are near the undeveloped former Concord Naval Weapons Station, are viewed as a great choice for what is coming in the future. The master plan for the 5,000 acres of undeveloped land include a green belt adjacent to Dana Estates and a large park and open space, basically in your backyard. 


Young Families

Dana Estates

Another interesting option in Concord is Clayton Valley Highlands. It has a great mix of homes built in the 50’s and 60’s with much bigger yards than other neighborhoods. Which makes it great for kids and doggos to get some rec time in the yard. Given the homes were built just after WWII means it’s not a cookie-cutter development neighborhood and that variety of small and larger homes just makes it a more interesting place to live. You also get the biggest swing in pricing, with smaller homes in the 600k’s and larger in the high $800/$900k’s.


Young Families/Families

Clayton Valley Highlands

Crystal ranch is a high-end development nestled in the hills of Mount Diablo. It is one of the true luxury neighborhoods that give locals a sense of being removed from the city and living in a quiet, protected space with large homes, big yards and tons of community amenities. This includes parks and plenty of outdoor trail hiking and biking, a beautiful community pool and clubhouse, and most importantly to many some of the best public schools in the area. Homes are in the $1.2m to $1.5m+ range so expect some sticker shock. 

Families

Crystal Ranch

Concord

**moving to concord?**

I love living in Concord! There’s a ton of good restaurants, nice walking trails (Lime Ridge & Iron Horse), we have two Bart stations and are a stones throw from Walnut Creek.

There’s people from all walks of life, cultures, and socioeconomic statuses, and just an overall lack of pretentiousness more noticeable in nearby affluent areas.

Granted, concord is pretty big. My advice is to narrow your search down to neighborhoods you like.

But all in all, buying a house in Concord was one of the best decisions I ever made and I’m grateful (almost) every day for being able to live in the Bay Area in a town that I genuinely enjoy.

For context, I live near Treat Blvd and Cowell Rd.

**How is living in Concord?**

I live nearby, and to be honest it's tough to distinguish many of the central county cities from one another...in places you can't tell if you've crossed Martinez—P Hill—Concord—WC borders, or unincorp areas or Clayton etc. All sort of a piece, same Mt Diablo school district, etc.

That being said it's decent working class community, and remarkable for being unremarkable hereabouts.

Some of the rec activity is great, however. Lots of paved hiking biking trails, and a regional park always not far away. Better than where I lived in Rockridge in that respect. Several pools. Always has seemed to have very active softball clubs for some reason. Bowling in Clayton Valley if it's still going.

Monument is a cultural mashup with everything from various Mexican flavors to Korean to Slavic and Middle Eastern. Park and Shop too. Take a look on Google. Todos Santos is pretty fun on a busy summer night, good beer pubs. But other than that Concord doesn't have a real restaurant district; folks go to WC for that and for the more frou frou dining. But tons of ethnic restaurants if you know where to look. In fact, I like it because it does resist becoming a $14 cocktail town.

Some areas do get crime. Off Monument at Four Corners eg.

The big music attraction is of course the Concord Pavilion. And once the Concord Jazz Festival, one of the oldest in the Bay Area (and home of Concord Jazz Records). It was supposed to be back in 2020 but I don't know what's going on now. Concord was the home of Dave Brubeck.

**How is living in Concord?**

Moved from San Jose, last year. Compared to the other affordable nearby Bay Area cities (Vallejo, Bay Point, Pittsburgh, Antioch), it's way more safe and clean. It feels a bit old in some parts but the city seems well managed. I am really coming to like the city more, even more than my time in San Jose, having been here almost a year now. Love being able to shop at Sam Club as an alternative to Costco. Lots of hiking and walking trails nearby too!

**How is living in Concord?**

We moved to Concord from SF last November because both my husband and I were wfh and my son was remote learning we needed more space. I had honestly never really spent any time here before looking for a house.

There are some good places to eat, for sure Mexican. Most houses have big lots so you'll have plenty of space to BBQ. I haven't experienced the summer yet, which is one thing I'm dreading. Our PG&E is also way more expensive than in the city because there are real seasons here.

Coming from the city I definitely appreciate the parking and the convenience of everything being about a ten minute drive away.

There are also lots of hiking spots.

Some downsides.... Our mail has been stolen and a few neighbors have had their catalytic converters stolen from their cars. There are also a ton of homeless people here and in P. Hill.

Concord, California

Todos Santos

Looklyloo Score: 82

We're on it!