Berkeley is a relatively large coastal city (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of California. With a population of 118,962 people and 36 associated neighborhoods, Berkeley is the 51st largest community in California. Berkeley has a large stock of pre-World War II architecture, making it one of the older and more historic cities in the country.

Berkeley home prices are not only among the most expensive in California, but Berkeley real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Berkeley has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, Berkeley is also a city of artists. Berkeley has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Berkeley’s character.

And if you like science, one thing you'll find is that Berkeley has lots of scientists living in town - whether they be life scientists, physical scientists (like astronomers), or social scientists (like geographers!). So, if you're scientific-minded, you might like it here too.

A relatively large number of people in Berkeley telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 28.14% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Berkeley is a nice balance between life in a moderately big city and the interesting diversions and culture that come from having a big college student population. The thousands of students who arrive on campus every fall will find that Berkeley has plenty of amenities and opportunities for them, while residents of Berkeley enjoy the lectures, music, art, and economic trickle-down that colleges typically provide. "Town and Gown" complement each other in Berkeley.

Not only is Berkeley a city with many college students, but it also retains many recent graduates who are looking to start new careers, shaping the character of the city into a place that is geared toward, and considered attractive to, many single, educated people. Many singles consider Berkeley a good place to live without being in a really big city, with opportunities for friendships and fun with others like themselves.

Berkeley is also nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Such areas are often places that visitors and locals go for waterfront activities or taking in the scenery.

Although the majority of commuting trips in the city are by private automobile, Berkeley is somewhat unusual for a city of its size for having a substantial number of people who use public transportation. For a lot of people, the subway helps to get to and from their jobs every morning, which benefits everyone in the Berkeley area by reducing both traffic and air pollution.

Do you have a 4-year college degree or graduate degree? If so, you may feel right at home in Berkeley. 73.75% of adults here have a 4-year degree or graduate degree, whereas the national average for all cities and towns is just 21.84%.

The per capita income in Berkeley in 2022 was $63,310, which is wealthy relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $253,240 for a family of four. However, Berkeley contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

Berkeley is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Berkeley home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Berkeley residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Berkeley also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 12.07% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in Berkeley include English, German, Irish, Italian, and European.

Berkeley also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 21.49%.

The most common language spoken in Berkeley is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.