View source for Contra Costa County, California

{{short description|County in California, United States}}
{{For|the California wine region|Contra Costa AVA}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Contra Costa County
| settlement_type    = [[List of counties in California|County]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
  | total_width        = 280
  | border             = infobox
  | perrow             = 1/2/2/1
  | caption_align      = center
  | image1             = Mount Diablo Panoramic From Newhall.jpg
  | caption1           = [[Mount Diablo]]
  | image2             = Las Trampas Wilderness Regional Preserve 2 (cropped).jpg
  | caption2           = [[Las Trampas Regional Wilderness|Las Trampas]]
  | image3             = TodoSantos (cropped).JPG
  | caption3           = [[Concord, California|Concord]]
  | image4             = Moraga, California (cropped).jpg
  | caption4           = [[Moraga, California|Moraga]]
  | image5             = Carquinez Strait aerial 2022.jpg 
  | caption5           = [[Carquinez Strait]]
  | image6             = Richmond California aerial (cropped2).jpg
  | caption6           = [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] and [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]]
  }}
| image_seal         = Seal of Contra Costa County, California.png
| seal_size          = 
| image_shield       = Logo of Contra Costa County, California.svg
| shield_alt         =  
| image_blank_emblem  = Wordmark of Contra Costa County, California.png
| blank_emblem_type   = Wordmark 
| blank_emblem_size   = 100px
| blank_emblem_alt    =  
| blank_emblem_link   = List of U.S. county and city insignia
| named_for          = "Opposite coast" ({{langx|es|Contra costa}}) of the [[San Francisco Bay]]
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[California]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Regions of California|Region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]]
| seat_type          = [[County seat]]
| seat               = [[Martinez, California|Martinez]]
| parts_type         = Largest city
| parts              = [[Concord, California|Concord]] (population and land area)<br />[[Richmond, California|Richmond]] (total area)
| unit_pref          = US
| area_total_sq_mi   = 804
| area_land_sq_mi    = 715.94
| area_water_sq_mi   = 81
<!-- Elevation ------------>
| elevation_max_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=1211|title=Mount Diablo|publisher=Peakbagger.com|access-date=February 6, 2015|archive-date=May 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502055423/http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=1211|url-status=live}}</ref>
| elevation_max_ft   = 3852
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 1,165,927
| pop_est_as_of      = 2024
| population_est     = 1,172,607 {{gain}}
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
<!-- GDP ----------->
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="bea.gov">{{cite web |url = https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDPALL06013 |title = Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Contra Costa County, CA |website = fred.stlouisfed.org}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = $94.802 billion (2022)
| established_title  = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]]
| established_date   = February 18, 1850<ref name=csac>{{cite web |url= http://www.counties.org/general-information/chronology |title= Chronology |publisher= California State Association of Counties |access-date= February 6, 2015 |archive-date= January 29, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160129193152/http://www.counties.org/general-information/chronology |url-status= live }}</ref>
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council–CAO]]
| governing_body     = [[Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors|Board of Supervisors]]
| leader_title1      = Chair
| leader_name1       = Candace Andersen
| leader_title2      = Vice Chair
| leader_name2       = Diane Burgis
| leader_title3      = Board of Supervisors<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/7418/District-Offices | title=District Offices &#124; Contra Costa County, CA Official Website }}</ref>
| leader_name3       = {{Collapsible list
| title = Supervisors
| frame_style = border:none; padding:0;
| list_style  = text-align:left;
| 1  = John Gioia
| 2  = Candace Andersen
| 3  = Diane Burgis
| 4  = Ken Carlson
| 5  = Shanelle Scales-Preston
}}
| leader_title4      = County Administrator Office<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/94/County-Administration | title=County Administrator's Office &#124; Contra Costa County, CA Official Website }}</ref>
| leader_name4       = Monica Nino
| timezone           = [[Pacific Time Zone]]
| utc_offset         = &minus;8
| timezone_DST       = [[Pacific Daylight Time]]
| utc_offset_DST     = &minus;7
| postal_code_type   = <!--[[ZIP Code]]-->
| postal_code        = 
| area_code_type     = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
| area_code          = [[Area codes 510 and 341|510, 341]], [[Area code 925|925]]
| image_map          = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-width=250|frame-align=center|type=shape-inverse|stroke-color=#808080|fill=#808080|fill-opacity=0.4|zoom=8}}
| map_caption        = Interactive map of Contra Costa County
| image_map1         = Map of California highlighting Contra Costa County.svg
| mapsize1           = 200px
| map_caption1       = Location in the state of California
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS]] code
| blank_info_sec1    = 06-013
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info_sec1   = {{GNIS 4|1675903}}
| blank_name_sec2    = Congressional districts
| blank_info_sec2    = [[California's 8th congressional district|8th]], [[California's 9th congressional district|9th]], [[California's 10th congressional district|10th]]
| website            = {{URL|https://contracosta.ca.gov}}
}}

'''Contra Costa County''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|ɒ|n|t|r|ə|_|ˈ|k|ɒ|s|t|ə|audio=En-us-contra costa.ogg}}; ''Contra Costa'', [[Spanish language|Spanish]] for 'Opposite Coast') is a [[U.S. county|county]] located in the U.S. state of [[California]], in the [[East Bay]] of the [[San Francisco Bay Area]]. As of the [[2020 United States census]], the population was 1,165,927.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contra Costa County, California|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US06013|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=January 30, 2022}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Martinez, California|Martinez]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/ | title=Contra Costa County, California Official Website | access-date=January 24, 2009 | archive-date=June 18, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618175236/http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011  }}</ref> It occupies the northern portion of the [[East Bay]] region of the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] and is primarily [[suburb]]an. The county's name refers to its position on the other side of the bay from [[San Francisco]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/index.asp?NID=9 |title=Contra Costa County, California Official Website - Visiting |access-date=January 24, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227031632/http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/index.asp?NID=9 |archive-date=February 27, 2009  }}</ref> Contra Costa County is included in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area]].

==History==

===Pre-human===
In prehistoric times, particularly the [[Miocene]] [[epoch (geology)|epoch]], portions of the landforms now in the area (then marshy and grassy [[savanna]]) were populated by a wide range of now extinct [[mammals]], known in modern times by the [[fossil]] remains excavated in the southern part of the county. In the northern part of the county, significant coal and sand deposits were formed in even earlier [[Geologic timescale|geologic eras]]. Other areas of the county have ridges exposing ancient but intact (not fossilized) seashells, embedded in [[sandstone]] layers alternating with [[limestone]]. Layers of volcanic ash ejected from geologically recent but now extinct [[volcanoes]], compacted and now tilted by compressive forces, may be seen at the site of some road excavations. This county is an agglomeration of several distinct geologic [[terrane]]s, as is most of the greater [[San Francisco Bay Area]], which is one of the most geologically complex regions in the world. The great local mountain [[Mount Diablo State Park|Mount Diablo]] has been formed and continues to be elevated by compressive forces resulting from the action of [[plate tectonics]] and at its upper reaches presents ancient [[Franciscan Assemblage|seabed rocks]] scraped from distant oceanic sedimentation locations and accumulated and lifted by these great forces. Younger deposits at middle altitudes include [[pillow lava]]s, the product of undersea volcanic eruptions.

=== Native American period ===
The [[Bay Miwok]], [[Yokut]] and [[Ohlone]] people lived in the area now known as Contra Costa County before the arrival of Spanish colonists.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kroeber |first=Alfred L. |date=1925 |title=Handbook of the Indians of California |location=Washington, D.C |publisher=Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin |number=78 |url=http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/kroeber}}</ref> The Volvon triblet of the Miwok lived on Tuyshtak ([[Mount Diablo]] near present day [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]) until they were forcibly moved from their land into the Spanish missions in the early 1800s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://savemountdiablo.org/blog/a-brief-history-of-native-peoples-around-mount-diablo-and-treating-their-cultural-artifacts-with-respect/ |title=A Brief History of Native Peoples around Mount Diablo, and Treating Their Cultural Artifacts with Respect |first=Queenie |last=Li |publisher=Save Mount Diablo |date=8 June 2022}}</ref>

The [[Saklan tribe]] lived between [[Moraga, California|Moraga]], along [[San Leandro Creek]], to [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]].<ref name="MoragaHistory">{{cite web |title=The Saclan Indians |publisher=Historic Moraga California |url=http://www.moragahistory.org/tour/index.html}}</ref> Beginning in 1772, expeditions of Spanish missionaries and soldiers from [[Mission San José (California)|Mission San José]] entered the [[San Ramon Valley]]. Early contact was fleeting and mostly peaceful, however, in the late 1700s, Spanish cattle were grazed the territory of the Saklan and their neighbors. The Saklans were one of the few groups who mounted resistance against the efforts of the Spanish to convert them to Christianity. Christian natives were sent to the Saklans to convince them to give up their culture and come to Mission San Jose; they were killed by the Saklans who wanted nothing to do with the Spanish way of life. A punitive expedition was sent to the area in 1797 to repress the Saklans, and a battle was fought in modern-day Lafayette. In the early 1800s, many Saklan fled to the mission as a result of societal collapse from disease. By the 1810s the Saklan's tribal range was essentially devoid of inhabitants.

===Spanish colonial===
Early interaction of these Native Americans with Europeans came with the Spanish colonization via the establishment of [[Spanish Missions of California|missions]] in this area, with the missions in San Jose, Sonoma, and San Francisco and particularly the establishment of a [[Presidio of San Francisco|Presidio]] (a military establishment) in 1776. Although there were no missions established within this county, Spanish influence here was direct and extensive, through the establishment of land grants from the King of Spain to favored settlers.

=== Mexican land grants ===

[[File:Salvio Pacheco.jpg|thumb|[[Salvio Pacheco|Don Salvio Pacheco]]]]

[[File:Don Víctor Castro.jpg|thumb|[[Víctor Castro (landowner)|Don Víctor Castro]]]]

In 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain. While little changed in ranchero life, the [[Mexican War of Independence]] resulted in the secularization of the missions with the re-distribution of their lands, and a new system of land grants under the Mexican Federal Law of 1824. Mission lands extended throughout the Bay Area, including portions of Contra Costa County. Between 1836 and 1846, during the era when California was a province of independent Mexico, the following 15 land grants were made in Contra Costa County.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/ContraCostaRanchos.html |title=Contra Costa County Mexican Land Grants |publisher=Lib.berkeley.edu |date=June 16, 2003 |access-date=September 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124025403/http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/ContraCostaRanchos.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{|
|- valign ="top"
|width=30%|
* [[Rancho Acalanes|Acalanes]]
* [[Rancho Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones|Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones]]
* [[Rancho Boca de la Canada del Pinole|Boca de la Cañada del Pinole]]
* [[Rancho Canada del Hambre y Las Bolsas|Cañada del Hambre y Las Bolsas]]
* [[Rancho Canada de los Vaqueros|Cañada de los Vaqueros]]
|width=30%|
* [[Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados|Laguna de los Palos Colorados]]
* [[Rancho Las Juntas|Las Juntas]]
* [[Rancho Los Medanos|Los Medanos]]
* [[Rancho Los Meganos|Los Meganos]]
* [[Rancho Monte del Diablo]] was granted to [[Salvio Pacheco|Don Salvio Pacheco]] in 1834. He founded [[Concord, California|Concord]]. Nearby [[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]] is named after him.
|width=30%|
* [[Rancho El Pinole|El Pinole]]
* [[Rancho San Pablo|San Pablo]] was granted to [[Víctor Castro (landowner)|Don Víctor Castro]] in 1834 and [[Rancho El Sobrante]] in 1841.
* [[Rancho San Ramon (Amador)|San Ramon (Amador)]]
* [[Rancho San Ramon (Pacheco-Castro)|San Ramon (Pacheco-Castro)]]
* [[Rancho El Sobrante|El Sobrante]]
|}

The smallest unit was one square league, or about seven square miles, or {{convert|4400|acre|km2|1|abbr=off|sp=us}}, maximum to one individual was eleven leagues, or {{convert|48400|acre|km2|1}}, including no more than {{convert|4428|acre|km2|1}} of irrigable land. Rough surveying was based on a map, or ''diseño'', measured by streams, shorelines, and/or horseman who marked it with rope and stakes. Lands outside rancho grants were designated ''el sobrante'', as in surplus or excess, and considered common lands. The law required the construction of a house within a year. Fences were not required and were forbidden where they might interfere with roads or trails. Locally a large family required roughly 2000 head of cattle and two square leagues of land (fourteen square miles) to live comfortably. Foreign entrepreneurs came to the area to provide goods that Mexico could not, and trading ships were taxed.<ref group=note>For a collection of observations of the Mexican provincial culture and trading practice (most notably in the acquisition of cattle hides for eastern U.S. shoe manufacturies) see portions of ''[[Two Years Before the Mast]]'', a first-person narrative of a seaman's voyage to California starting in 1834.</ref>
* [[Rancho Cañada de los Vaqueros]] was granted to Francisco Alviso, Antonio Higuera, and Manuel Miranda ({{convert|26660|acre|km2|1}} confirmed in 1889 to heirs of Robert Livermore).
* Two ranchos, both called Rancho San Ramon, were granted by the Mexican government in the San Ramon Valley. In 1833, Bartolomé Pacheco (southern San Ramon Valley) and Mariano Castro (northern San Ramon Valley) shared the two square league [[Rancho San Ramon (Pacheco-Castro)|Rancho San Ramon]]. José María Amador was granted a four square league [[Rancho San Ramon (Amador)|Rancho San Ramon]] in 1834.
* In 1834 [[Rancho Monte del Diablo]] (present day [[Concord, California]]) was confirmed with {{convert|17921|acre|km2|1}} to Salvio Pacheco (born July 15, 1793, died 1876). The Pacheco family settled at the Rancho in 1846 (between the [[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]] shipping port townsite and [[Clayton, California|Clayton]] area, and including much of Lime Ridge). The boundary lines were designated with stone markers. Clayton was later located on [[Rancho El Sobrante|El Sobrante]]'s lands just east of Rancho Monte del Diablo ([[Mount Diablo]]).
* In 1834, [[Rancho Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones]], aka [[Rancho San Miguel]] (present day [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]), was granted to Juana Sanchez de Pacheco, in recognition of the service of Corporal Miguel Pacheco 37&nbsp;years earlier (confirmed 1853, patented to heirs 1866); the grant was for two leagues, but drawn free hand on the ''diseño''/map, and reading "two leagues, more or less" as indicated in the ''diseño'', but actually including and confirmed for nearly four leagues or nearly {{convert|18000|acre|km2|1}}, but only {{convert|10000|acre|km2|1}} were ever shown as having once belonged to Juana Sanchez.
* 'Meganos' means 'sand dunes.' A "paraje que llaman los Méganos" 'place called the sand dunes' (with a variant spelling) is mentioned in Durán's diary on May 24, 1817. Two Los Meganos Ranchos were granted, later differentiated as [[Rancho Los Meganos]] (1835, three leagues or at least {{convert|13285|acre|km2|1}}) in what is now the [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]] area, to Jose Noriega then acquired by [[John Marsh (Pioneer)|John Marsh]]; and [[Rancho Los Medanos]] (to Jose Antonio Mesa and Jose Miguel Garcia, Pittsburg area, dated November 26, 1839).
[[File:Historic American Buildings Survey Gleason Collection - S.F. College for Women Taken about- 1870 TOWER RESTORED AFTER EARTHQUAKE OF 1868 - John Marsh House, Marsh Creek Road, HABS CAL,7-BRENT.V,1-2.tif|thumb|left|Much of [[Rancho Los Meganos]] is now part of Marsh Creek State Park. The [[John Marsh (Pioneer)|John Marsh]] Stone House still stands, but is in need of restoration.]]

===Bear Flag Republic and statehood===
{{Main|Bear Flag Revolt}}
The exclusive land ownership in California by [[Hispanic]]s in California would soon end. [[John Marsh (pioneer)|John Marsh]], owner of [[Rancho Los Meganos]] in Contra Costa County, sent letters to influential people in the eastern United States extolling the climate, soil, and potential for agriculture in California, with the purpose of encouraging Americans to immigrate to California and lead to its becoming part of the United States. His letters were published in newspapers throughout the East which started the first wagon trains to California. He invited the settlers to stay on his ranch, and Rancho Los Meganos became the terminus of the California trail.<ref>Lyman, George D.  ''John Marsh, Pioneer: The Life Story of a Trail-blazer on Six Frontiers,'' pp. 237–49, The Chautauqua Press, Chautauqua, New York, 1931.</ref>

This led to the [[Bear Flag Revolt]] in 1846 when about 30 settlers originally from the United States declared a [[republic]] in June 1846 and were enlisted and fighting under the U.S. flag by July 1846. Following the [[Mexican–American War]] of 1846–48, California was controlled by U.S. settlers organized under the [[California Battalion]] and the [[U.S. Navy]]'s [[Pacific Squadron]]. After some minor skirmishes, California was under U.S. control by January 1847 and formally annexed and paid for by the U.S. in 1848. By 1850, California's population of over 100,000 was rapidly growing due to the [[California gold rush|gold rush]] and the large amount of gold being exported east, which gave California enough clout to choose its own boundaries, write its own constitution, and be admitted to the Union as a free state in 1850 without going through territorial status as required for most other states.

In 1850 California had a non-Indian population of over 100,000.<ref>U.S. 1850 California Census counts 92,597 residents but omits the residents of San Francisco (estimated at 21,000) whose census records were destroyed by fire. Contra Costa County (estimated at 2,000 residents) and Santa Clara County (estimated at 4,000 residents) 1850 records were "lost" and also not included.</ref> The number of Indians living in California in 1850 has been estimated to be from 60,000 to 100,000. By 1850 the Mission Indian populations had largely succumbed to disease and abuse and only numbered a few thousand. California's 1852 state Census gives 31,266 Indian residents, but this is an under-count since there was little incentive and much difficulty in getting it more correct.<ref>''Historical Statistics of the United States--1850-California,'', which includes a summary of the state's 1852 state census</ref>

===County creation===
[[File:Opposite Coast from San Francisco.jpg|thumb|left|Alameda and Contra Costa counties on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, opposite San Francisco in the foreground.]]
Contra Costa County was one of the original 27 counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. The county was originally to be called Mt. Diablo County, but the name was changed prior to incorporation as a county. The county's [[Spanish language]] name means  ''opposite coast'', because of its location opposite San Francisco, in an easterly direction, on [[San Francisco Bay]]. Southern portions of the county's territory, including all of the bayside portions opposite San Francisco and northern portions of [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]], were given up to form [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] effective March 25, 1853.

[[File:06903-Martinez-1906-Courthouse of Contra Costa Co.-Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag.jpg|thumb|right|Postcard showing the Contra Costa County Courthouse in 1906.]]
The land titles in Contra Costa County may be traced to multiple subdivisions of a few original land grants. The grantee's family names live on in a few city and town names such as ''[[Martinez, California|Martinez]]'', ''[[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]]'' and ''[[Moraga, California|Moraga]]'' and in the names of streets, residential subdivisions, and business parks. A few mansions from the more prosperous farms have been preserved as museums and cultural centers and one of the more rustic examples has been preserved as a working demonstration ranch, [https://web.archive.org/web/20151016130947/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/header.asp?genericId=1&catId=4&subCatId=246 Borges Ranch].

In the 1860 United States Census, Contra Costa County had a population of 4,381.<ref>{{cite United States census
 | url = https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1860/population/1860a-06.pdf
 | title = Population of the United States in 1860: California
 | year = 1860
 | page = 22
 | accessdate = June 17, 2021
}}</ref>

===1941–1945===
During World War II, [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] hosted one of the two Bay Area sites of [[Kaiser Shipyards]] and wartime pilots were trained at what is now [[Concord/Buchanan Field Airport]]. Additionally, a large Naval Weapons Depot and munitions ship loading facilities at [[Port Chicago, California|Port Chicago]] remain active to this day, but with the inland storage facilities recently declared surplus, extensive redevelopment is being planned for this last large central-county tract. The loading docks were the site of [[Port Chicago disaster|a devastating explosion]] in 1944. Port Chicago was bought out and demolished by the Federal Government to form a safety zone near the Naval Weapons Station loading docks. At one time the Atlas Powder Company (subsequently closed) produced gunpowder and dynamite. The site of the former Atlas Powder Company is located at [[Point Pinole Regional Shoreline]],<ref name="ptp">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/ptpinole.htm |title=Point Pinole |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609050609/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/ptpinole.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2007 }}</ref> part of the [[East Bay Regional Parks District]].<ref name="rpd">{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org |title=East Bay Regional Parks &#124; Embrace Life! |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=September 22, 2012 |archive-date=October 19, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041019074650/http://www.ebparks.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1945-present day===
With the postwar [[baby boom]] and the desire for suburban living, large [[tract housing]] developers would purchase large central county farmsteads and develop them with roads, utilities and housing. Once mostly rural walnut orchards and cattle ranches, the area was first developed as low-cost, large-lot suburbs, with a typical low-cost home being placed on a "quarter-acre" (1,000&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup>) lot &mdash; actually a little less at {{convert|10,000|ft2|m2|abbr=off}}. Some of the expansion of these suburban areas was clearly attributable to [[white flight]] from decaying areas of [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] and the [[consolidated city-county]] of [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], but much was due to the postwar [[Post-World War II baby boom|baby boom]] of the era creating demand for three- and four-bedroom houses with large yards that were unaffordable or unavailable in the established bayside cities.

A number of large companies followed their employees to the suburbs, filling large business parks. The establishment of a large, prosperous population in turn fostered the development of large shopping centers and created demand for an extensive supporting infrastructure including roads, schools, libraries, police, firefighting, water, sewage, and flood control.

The establishment of the [[Bay Area Rapid Transit]] (BART) system, the modernization of [[California State Route 24|Highway 24]], and the addition of a fourth [[Caldecott Tunnel]] bore all served to reinforce the demographic and economic trends in the [[Diablo Valley]] area, with cities such as [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]] and [[Concord, California|Concord]] becoming [[edge city|edge cities]].

The central county cities have in turn spawned their own suburbs within the county, extending east along the county's estuarine north shore; with the older development areas of [[Bay Point, California|Bay Point]] and [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]] being augmented by extensive development in [[Antioch, California|Antioch]], [[Oakley, California|Oakley]], and [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]].

The effects of the housing value crash (2008–2011) varied widely throughout the county. Values of houses in prosperous areas with good schools declined only modestly in value, while houses recently built in outlying suburbs in the eastern part of the county experienced severe reductions in value, accelerated by high unemployment and consequent mortgage foreclosures, owner ''strategic walk-aways'', and the too-rapid conversion of neighborhoods from owner-occupancy to rentals. Home values rebounded as the economy recovered from the recession.

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|804|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|716|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|88|sqmi}} (11%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_06.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 24, 2015|date=August 22, 2012|title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files|archive-date=September 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925144550/http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_06.txt|url-status=live}}</ref>

Contra Costa County's physical geography is dominated by the bayside alluvial plain, the [[Oakland Hills, Oakland, California|Oakland Hills]]&ndash;[[Berkeley Hills]], several inland valleys, and [[Mount Diablo State Park|Mount Diablo]], an isolated {{convert|3,849|ft|m|adj=on}} upthrust peak at the north end of the Diablo Range of hills. The summit of Mount Diablo is the origin of the Mount Diablo [[Principal Meridian|Meridian]] and [[Baseline (surveying)|Base Line]], on which the [[Public Land Survey System|surveys]] of much of California and western Nevada are based.

The [[Hayward Fault Zone]] runs through the western portion of the county, from Kensington to Richmond. The [[Calaveras Fault]] runs in the south-central portion of the county, from Alamo to San Ramon. The [[Concord Fault]] runs through part of Concord and Pacheco, and the [[Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville Fault]] runs from Clayton at its north end to near Livermore. These strike-slip [[Fault (geology)|fault]]s and the [[Diablo Fault|Diablo thrust fault]] near [[Danville, California|Danville]] are all considered capable of significantly destructive earthquakes and many lesser related faults are present in the area that cross critical infrastructure such as water, natural gas, and petroleum product pipelines, roads, highways, railroads, and BART rail transit.

===Sub-areas===
Contra Costa County is broadly divided into three sub-areas:<ref name="GenPlan">{{cite web |url=http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/30912/Ch2-Planning-Framework?bidId= |publisher=Contra Costa County |access-date=April 22, 2019 |date=July 2010| title=Planning Framework}}</ref>
* West County, including of the cities of El Cerrito, Richmond, San Pablo, Pinole, and Hercules, as well as the unincorporated communities of Kensington, El Sobrante, North Richmond, Rodeo, Crockett, and Port Costa.
* Central County, which is itself further divided into three areas:
** Lamorinda, including of the cities of Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda (the name being a portmanteau of the three cities' names), as well as the unincorporated area of Canyon.
** North Central County, including of the cities of Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Concord, Clayton, and Martinez, as well as the unincorporated areas of Pacheco, Vine Hill, Clyde, the Pleasant Hill BART station, and Saranap.
** San Ramon Valley, including the cities of Danville and San Ramon, and the unincorporated communities of Alamo, Blackhawk, and Tassajara.
* East County, on the western edge of the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]], including of the cities of Pittsburg, Antioch, Oakley, and Brentwood, as well as the unincorporated communities of Bay Point, Bethel Island, Knightsen, Discovery Bay, and Byron.

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Solano County, California|Solano County]] - north
* [[Sacramento County, California|Sacramento County]] - northeast
* [[San Joaquin County, California|San Joaquin County]] - east
* [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] - south

===National protected areas===
*[[Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge]]
*[[Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site]]
*[[John Muir National Historic Site]]
*[[Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial]]
*[[Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park]]

=== Mount Diablo ===

[[File:Mount Diablo from Quarry Hill in Shell Ridge Open Space.jpg|thumb|Mount Diablo from Shell Ridge Open Space]]

{{Main|Mount Diablo}}
The most notable natural landmark in the county is the {{convert|3849|ft|m|0|adj=on}} [[Mount Diablo]], at the northerly end of the [[Diablo Range]]. Mount Diablo and its neighboring North Peak are the centerpiece of [[Mount Diablo State Park|Mt. Diablo State Park]] (MDSP), created legislatively in 1921 and rededicated in 1931 after land acquisitions had been completed. At the time this park comprised a very small portion of the mountain.

In the 1960s, suburban development expanding from the surrounding valleys began to threaten the open space of the mountain. In 1971, MDSP consisted of {{convert|6788|acre|km2|1}}. That year, concerned residents formed the non-profit organization Save Mount Diablo to raise funds and awareness to protect more open space. In addition to encouraging acquisition by the state and local authorities, SMD started fundraising and acquiring properties to transfer to the park. MDSP was the first of twenty-nine Diablo-area parks and preserves that have been created around the peaks; today these preserves protect more than {{convert|89000|acre|km2|-1}}.

These Diablo public lands stretch southeast and include the [[Concord Naval Weapons Station]], [[Shell Ridge Open Space]] and [[Lime Ridge Open Space]]s near Walnut Creek, to the State Park, and east to the [[Los Vaqueros Reservoir]] watershed and four surrounding East Bay Regional Park District preserves, including [[Morgan Territory Regional Preserve]], [[Brushy Peak Regional Preserve]], [[Vasco Caves Regional Preserve]], and [[Round Valley Regional Preserve]]. The new [[Marsh Creek State Park (California)|Marsh Creek State Park]], formerly known as Cowell Ranch State Park, and [[Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve]], are among the open spaces that stretch to the north. The open spaces controlled by cities, the East Bay Regional Park District, Mount Diablo State Park, and various regional preserves now adjoin and protect most of the elevated regions of the mountain.

The name Mount Diablo is said to originate from an incident involving Spanish soldiers who christened a thicket as ''Monte del Diablo'' when natives they were pursuing apparently disappeared into the thicket. Anglo settlers later misunderstood the use of the word 'monte' (which can mean 'mountain', or 'thicket'), and applied the name to the most obvious local landmark.

According to the ''Contra Costa Times'', in 2011, there were rumors that Contra Costa County was going to rename the mountain as "Mt. Ronald Reagan" or "Mt. Reagan", after the former US president and California governor. Residents have generated multiple petitions to change the name of the mountain, one in 2005 and another in 2011, but these were not successful.

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
| 1860 = 5328
| 1870 = 8461
| 1880 = 12525
| 1890 = 13515
| 1900 = 18046
| 1910 = 31674
| 1920 = 53889
| 1930 = 78608
| 1940 = 100450
| 1950 = 298984
| 1960 = 409030
| 1970 = 558389
| 1980 = 656380
| 1990 = 803732
| 2000 = 948816
| 2010 = 1049025
| 2020 = 1165927
|estyear=2024
|estimate=1172607
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 9, 2025}}</ref>
| align-fn = center
| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing from 1790-2000|publisher=[[US Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 24, 2015|archive-date=August 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|url-status=live}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ca190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|editor-last=Forstall|editor-first=Richard L.|date=March 27, 1995|access-date=September 24, 2015|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924115745/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/ca190090.txt|url-status=live}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|date=April 2, 2001|access-date=September 24, 2015|archive-date=December 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218203824/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2/> 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2/>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Contra Costa County, California – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 1980<ref>{{Cite web |title=California: 1980, General Social and Economic Characteristics, Part 1|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_caCs1-01.pdf|access-date=}}</ref>
!Pop 1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=California: 1990, Part 1 |website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cp-1/cp-1-6-1.pdf |access-date=July 14, 2024}}</ref>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Contra Costa County, California|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US06013&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Contra Costa County, California|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US06013&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" | Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Contra Costa County, California|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US06013&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!% 1980
!% 1990
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|503,978
|560,146
|549,409
|500,923
|style='background: #ffffe6; |455,421
|76.78%
|69.69%
|57.90%
|47.75%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |39.06%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|59,498
|72,799
|86,851
|93,604
|style='background: #ffffe6; |97,994
|9.06%
|9.06%
|9.15%
|8.92%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8.40%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|3,890
|4,441
|3,648
|2,984
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,553
|0.59%
|0.55%
|0.38%
|0.28%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.22%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|30,563
|73,810
|102,681
|148,881
|style='background: #ffffe6; |214,520
|4.66%
|9.18%
|10.82%
|14.19%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |18.40%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census</ref>
|x <ref>included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census</ref>
|3,157
|4,382
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5,720
|x
|x
|0.33%
|0.42%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.49%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|2,631
|1,254
|2,636
|3,122
|style='background: #ffffe6; |8,366
|0.40%
|0.16%
|0.28%
|0.30%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.72%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|x <ref>not an option in the 1980 Census</ref>
|x <ref>not an option in the 1990 Census</ref>
|32,658
|39,569
|style='background: #ffffe6; |66,453
|x
|x
|3.44%
|3.77%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |5.70%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|55,820
|91,282
|167,776
|255,560
|style='background: #ffffe6; |314,900
|8.50%
|11.36%
|17.68%
|24.36%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |27.01%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''656,380'''
|'''803,732'''
|'''948,816'''
|'''1,049,025'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''1,165,927 '''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

=== 2011 ===

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
! colspan="6" | Population, race, and income
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Total population<ref name="US-CB-B02001">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B02001. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref>
| colspan="2" | 1,037,817
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 656,311
| 63.2%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Black or African American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 94,782
| 9.1%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;American Indian or Alaska Native<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 4,375
| 0.4%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 147,948
| 14.3%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 4,727
| 0.5%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Some other race<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 79,498
| 7.7%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Two or more races<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| 50,176
| 4.8%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;Hispanic or Latino (of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B03003. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 26, 2013.</ref>
| 248,089
| 23.9%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19301. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>
| colspan="2" | $38,141
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19013. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>
| colspan="2" | $79,135
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B19113. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>
| colspan="2" | $93,437
|}
[[File:Ethnic Origins in Contra Costa County, CA.png|thumb|330x330px|Ethnic origins in Contra Costa County]]

==== Places by population, race, and income ====

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="9" | Places by population and race
|-
! Place
! Type<ref name="US-CB">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | White<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Other<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/><br /><ref name="other" group=note>Other = Some other race + Two or more races</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Asian<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Black or African<br />American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Native American<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/><br /><ref name="na" group=note>Native American = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander + American Indian or Alaska Native</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Hispanic or Latino<br />(of any race)<ref name="US-CB-B03003"/>
|-
| [[Acalanes Ridge, California|Acalanes Ridge]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,431 || 71.6% || 14.0% || 11.8% || 0.0% || 2.6% || 4.8%
|-
| [[Alamo, California|Alamo]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 15,531 || 88.6% || 3.4% || 7.1% || 0.6% || 0.2% || 3.6%
|-
| [[Alhambra Valley, California|Alhambra Valley]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 910 || 98.6% || 0.0% || 1.4% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 0.0%
|-
| [[Antioch, California|Antioch]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 101,118 || 51.7% || 19.2% || 9.8% || 17.5% || 1.8% || 32.1%
|-
| [[Bay Point, California|Bay Point]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 21,987 || 51.0% || 28.5% || 7.6% || 12.1% || 0.8% || 54.1%
|-
| [[Bayview, Contra Costa County, California|Bayview]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,168 || 55.5% || 9.7% || 18.2% || 15.3% || 1.3% || 29.6%
|-
| [[Bethel Island, California|Bethel Island]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,882 || 92.2% || 5.6% || 2.2% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 11.8%
|-
| [[Blackhawk, California|Blackhawk]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 9,186 || 72.2% || 4.9% || 19.0% || 4.0% || 0.0% || 5.8%
|-
| [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 48,582 || 73.7% || 13.1% || 6.7% || 5.5% || 1.0% || 28.6%
|-
| [[Byron, California|Byron]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,287 || 84.8% || 10.4% || 0.4% || 4.4% || 0.0% || 13.8%
|-
| [[Camino Tassajara, California|Camino Tassajara]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,813 || 51.9% || 2.5% || 45.6% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 8.3%
|-
| [[Castle Hill, California|Castle Hill]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,369 || 89.5% || 6.6% || 3.9% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 8.2%
|-
| [[Clayton, California|Clayton]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 10,856 || 85.3% || 4.6% || 7.6% || 2.2% || 0.3% || 8.2%
|-
| [[Clyde, California|Clyde]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 529 || 78.8% || 9.8% || 11.3% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 37.4%
|-
| [[Concord, California|Concord]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 121,989 || 69.2% || 15.0% || 11.8% || 3.1% || 1.0% || 27.9%
|-
| [[Contra Costa Centre, California|Contra Costa Centre]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 5,773 || 69.2% || 8.2% || 20.6% || 2.0% || 0.0% || 10.3%
|-
| [[Crockett, California|Crockett]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,921 || 85.6% || 7.6% || 4.9% || 1.0% || 0.9% || 11.7%
|-
| [[Danville, California|Danville]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|Town]] || 41,994 || 81.7% || 5.7% || 11.6% || 0.8% || 0.1% || 5.9%
|-
| [[Diablo, California|Diablo]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,083 || 70.0% || 16.6% || 11.0% || 0.0% || 2.4% || 0.0%
|-
| [[Discovery Bay, California|Discovery Bay]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 12,506 || 86.2% || 5.1% || 2.0% || 5.7% || 1.0% || 10.1%
|-
| [[East Richmond Heights, California|East Richmond Heights]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,157 || 66.0% || 4.6% || 9.8% || 18.9% || 0.7% || 7.9%
|-
| [[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 23,482 || 58.3% || 9.3% || 24.9% || 7.2% || 0.3% || 12.0%
|-
| [[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 13,823 || 62.6% || 11.0% || 14.6% || 11.4% || 0.5% || 23.4%
|-
| [[Hercules, California|Hercules]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 23,556 || 28.3% || 9.0% || 43.8% || 16.7% || 2.1% || 12.2%
|-
| [[Kensington, California|Kensington]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 5,117 || 78.6% || 7.7% || 12.3% || 1.0% || 0.4% || 4.3%
|-
| [[Knightsen, California|Knightsen]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,484 || 78.3% || 19.6% || 0.6% || 1.1% || 0.3% || 30.6%
|-
| [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 23,863 || 86.7% || 4.6% || 8.1% || 0.6% || 0.0% || 6.3%
|-
| [[Martinez, California|Martinez]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 35,808 || 79.7% || 7.4% || 7.6% || 4.6% || 0.6% || 13.6%
|-
| [[Montalvin Manor, California|Montalvin Manor]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,614 || 68.4% || 11.0% || 11.1% || 3.6% || 5.9% || 49.5%
|-
| [[Moraga, California|Moraga]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|Town]] || 16,033 || 78.8% || 3.5% || 14.8% || 2.1% || 0.7% || 7.3%
|-
| [[Mountain View, Contra Costa County, California|Mountain View]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,032 || 89.7% || 4.7% || 1.5% || 2.3% || 1.8% || 18.7%
|-
| [[Norris Canyon, California|Norris Canyon]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 941 || 65.9% || 1.2% || 32.9% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 0.0%
|-
| [[North Gate, California|North Gate]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 387 || 92.5% || 0.0% || 7.5% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 0.0%
|-
| [[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,214 || 31.5% || 17.8% || 16.5% || 34.2% || 0.0% || 43.9%
|-
| [[Oakley, California|Oakley]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 34,410 || 65.3% || 20.0% || 5.8% || 7.8% || 1.2% || 39.7%
|-
| [[Orinda, California|Orinda]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 17,599 || 82.0% || 6.0% || 10.1% || 1.7% || 0.3% || 3.8%
|-
| [[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 4,022 || 76.2% || 7.4% || 11.9% || 2.2% || 2.3% || 13.9%
|-
| [[Pinole, California|Pinole]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 18,470 || 49.8% || 16.8% || 23.0% || 10.1% || 0.3% || 21.7%
|-
| [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 62,528 || 40.6% || 24.6% || 15.1% || 17.8% || 1.9% || 41.7%
|-
| [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 33,045 || 75.4% || 9.0% || 13.5% || 2.0% || 0.2% || 14.0%
|-
| [[Port Costa, California|Port Costa]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 274 || 90.5% || 4.7% || 4.7% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 0.0%
|-
| [[Reliez Valley, California|Reliez Valley]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,141 || 85.6% || 4.2% || 9.7% || 0.5% || 0.0% || 11.2%
|-
| [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 103,161 || 43.8% || 14.4% || 14.7% || 26.5% || 0.6% || 37.9%
|-
| [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 8,786 || 50.1% || 12.3% || 22.8% || 14.2% || 0.5% || 21.4%
|-
| [[Rollingwood, California|Rollingwood]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,790 || 53.3% || 17.0% || 25.2% || 3.0% || 1.5% || 57.8%
|-
| [[San Miguel, Contra Costa County, California|San Miguel]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,382 || 92.9% || 1.7% || 4.3% || 0.9% || 0.1% || 2.4%
|-
| [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 29,224 || 53.7% || 14.4% || 15.9% || 14.7% || 1.3% || 55.8%
|-
| [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 69,241 || 53.4% || 7.8% || 35.9% || 2.3% || 0.5% || 9.9%
|-
| [[Saranap, California|Saranap]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 4,486 || 85.2% || 3.8% || 5.8% || 5.1% || 0.0% || 6.4%
|-
| [[Shell Ridge, California|Shell Ridge]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,123 || 80.1% || 10.2% || 9.7% || 0.0% || 0.0% || 19.0%
|-
| [[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 4,565 || 59.6% || 13.2% || 10.5% || 14.9% || 1.8% || 37.3%
|-
| [[Vine Hill, California|Vine Hill]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,620 || 69.7% || 11.9% || 8.6% || 7.3% || 2.4% || 31.7%
|-
| [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 64,168 || 80.7% || 4.7% || 12.0% || 2.3% || 0.3% || 10.2%
|}

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="6" | Places by population and income
|-
! Place
! Type<ref name="US-CB"/>
! Population<ref name="US-CB-B01003">U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, Table B01003. [https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |date=December 27, 1996 }}  . Retrieved October 21, 2013.</ref>
! data-sort-type="currency" | Per capita income<ref name="US-CB-B19301"/>
! data-sort-type="currency" | Median household income<ref name="US-CB-B19013"/>
! data-sort-type="currency" | Median family income<ref name="US-CB-B19113"/>
|-
| [[Acalanes Ridge, California|Acalanes Ridge]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,431 || $61,205 || $138,672 || $146,708
|-
| [[Alamo, California|Alamo]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 15,531 || $73,964 || $149,601 || $161,953
|-
| [[Alhambra Valley, California|Alhambra Valley]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 910 || $67,774 || $124,547 || $170,583
|-
| [[Antioch, California|Antioch]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 101,118 || $25,264 || $66,479 || $73,491
|-
| [[Bay Point, California|Bay Point]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 21,987 || $18,844 || $45,389 || $48,020
|-
| [[Bayview, Contra Costa County, California|Bayview]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,168 || $28,092 || $78,385 || $77,260
|-
| [[Bethel Island, California|Bethel Island]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,882 || $27,443 || $30,409 || $57,292
|-
| [[Blackhawk, California|Blackhawk]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 9,186 || $83,440 || $167,778 || $181,955
|-
| [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 48,582 || $32,030 || $87,642 || $96,433
|-
| [[Byron, California|Byron]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,287 || $29,723 || $71,483 || $70,800
|-
| [[Camino Tassajara, California|Camino Tassajara]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,813 || $54,858 || $164,773 || $197,159
|-
| [[Castle Hill, California|Castle Hill]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,369 || $60,700 || $119,688 || $137,350
|-
| [[Clayton, California|Clayton]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 10,856 || $51,854 || $131,991 || $142,671
|-
| [[Clyde, California|Clyde]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 529 || $36,408 || $99,375 || $115,795
|-
| [[Concord, California|Concord]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 121,989 || $31,338 || $65,769 || $74,205
|-
| [[Contra Costa Centre, California|Contra Costa Centre]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 5,773 || $48,300 || $78,176 || $90,495
|-
| [[Crockett, California|Crockett]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,921 || $44,115 || $76,023 || $89,844
|-
| [[Danville, California|Danville]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|Town]] || 41,994 || $61,002 || $133,360 || $152,368
|-
| [[Diablo, California|Diablo]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,083 || $161,436 || $154,191 || $250,001
|-
| [[Discovery Bay, California|Discovery Bay]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 12,506 || $46,867 || $102,527 || $104,522
|-
| [[East Richmond Heights, California|East Richmond Heights]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,157 || $39,283 || $92,750 || $99,024
|-
| [[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 23,482 || $43,529 || $83,933 || $98,727
|-
| [[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 13,823 || $29,706 || $58,706 || $72,177
|-
| [[Hercules, California|Hercules]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 23,556 || $38,687 || $94,493 || $99,548
|-
| [[Kensington, California|Kensington]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 5,117 || $63,253 || $124,010 || $148,063
|-
| [[Knightsen, California|Knightsen]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,484 || $29,772 || $63,359 || $77,596
|-
| [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 23,863 || $66,492 || $134,871 || $159,834
|-
| [[Martinez, California|Martinez]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 35,808 || $38,311 || $79,705 || $94,479
|-
| [[Montalvin Manor, California|Montalvin Manor]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,614 || $23,930 || $46,924 || $63,287
|-
| [[Moraga, California|Moraga]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|Town]] || 16,033 || $54,830 || $121,875 || $151,467
|-
| [[Mountain View, Contra Costa County, California|Mountain View]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,032 || $25,798 || $46,660 || $50,423
|-
| [[Norris Canyon, California|Norris Canyon]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 941 || $72,940 || $250,001 || $250,001
|-
| [[North Gate, California|North Gate]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 387 || $57,244 || $84,781 || $97,500
|-
| [[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,214 || $19,697 || $40,714 || $44,681
|-
| [[Oakley, California|Oakley]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 34,410 || $27,742 || $78,102 || $82,037
|-
| [[Orinda, California|Orinda]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 17,599 || $76,830 || $157,500 || $183,279
|-
| [[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 4,022 || $28,155 || $58,036 || $64,814
|-
| [[Pinole, California|Pinole]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 18,470 || $32,649 || $80,042 || $92,035
|-
| [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 62,528 || $23,344 || $57,965 || $64,788
|-
| [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 33,045 || $42,497 || $78,765 || $108,403
|-
| [[Port Costa, California|Port Costa]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 274 || $36,439 || $91,429 || $91,714
|-
| [[Reliez Valley, California|Reliez Valley]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,141 || $80,471 || $120,144 || $154,813
|-
| [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 103,161 || $25,358 || $54,554 || $62,477
|-
| [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 8,786 || $27,048 || $65,906 || $72,675
|-
| [[Rollingwood, California|Rollingwood]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 2,790 || $15,724 || $49,522 || $58,125
|-
| [[San Miguel, Contra Costa County, California|San Miguel]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,382 || $71,225 || $129,375 || $142,422
|-
| [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 29,224 || $17,044 || $45,305 || $49,955
|-
| [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 69,241 || $50,962 || $124,014 || $139,709
|-
| [[Saranap, California|Saranap]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 4,486 || $54,996 || $77,708 || $103,977
|-
| [[Shell Ridge, California|Shell Ridge]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 1,123 || $69,676 || $182,500 || $205,962
|-
| [[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 4,565 || $26,773 || $58,542 || $64,607
|-
| [[Vine Hill, California|Vine Hill]] || [[Census-designated place|CDP]] || 3,620 || $24,205 || $53,561 || $55,592
|-
| [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]] || [[List of cities and towns in California|City]] || 64,168 || $52,727 || $84,722 || $114,726
|}

===2010 Census===
The [[2010 United States census]] reported that Contra Costa County had a population of 1,049,025. The racial makeup of Contra Costa County was 614,512 (58.6%) [[White (U.S. Census)|White]]; 97,161 (9.3%) [[African American (U.S. census)|African American]]; 6,122 (0.6%) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]; 151,469 (14.4%) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]] (4.6% Filipino, 3.8% Chinese, 2.1% Indian); 4,845 (0.5%) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]; 112,691 (10.7%) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]]; and 62,225 (5.9%) from two or more races. There were 255,560 people (24.4%) of [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] ancestry, of any race; 17.1% of Contra Costa County's population was of [[Mexican American|Mexican]] ancestry, while 1.9% was of [[Salvadoran American|Salvadoran]] heritage.<ref>{{USCensus2010CA}}</ref>
{|
|-
|align="left" |
{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed" style="margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align: right;font-size: 90%;"
! Demographic profile<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 27, 1996|title=Demographic Profile Bay Area Census}}</ref>
! 2010
|-
|align="left" | Total Population || 1,049,025 - 100.0%
|-
|align="left" | One Race || 986,800 - 94.1%
|-
|align="left" | Not Hispanic or Latino || 793,465 - 75.6%
|-
|align="left" | White alone || 500,923 - 47.8%
|-
|align="left" | Black or African American alone || 93,604 - 8.9%
|-
|align="left" | American Indian and Alaska Native alone || 2,984 - 0.3%
|-
|align="left" | Asian alone || 148,881 - 14.2%
|-
|align="left" | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone || 4,382 - 0.4%
|-
|align="left" | Some other race alone || 3,122 - 0.3%
|-
|align="left" | Two or more races alone || 39,569 - 3.8%
|-
|align="left" | Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 255,560 - 24.4%
|}
|}

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
!colspan="10"|Population reported at [[2010 United States census]]
|-
|{{center|'''The County'''}} ||{{center|'''Total<br/>Population'''}}||{{center|'''[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]'''}} ||{{center|'''[[African American (U.S. census)|African<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific<br/>Islander]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Race (United States Census)|other<br/>races]]'''}} || {{center|'''two or<br/>more races'''}} ||{{center|'''[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]]<br/>or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]<br/>(of any race)'''}}
|-
|''' Contra Costa County'''
|align="right"|1,049,025||align="right"|614,512||align="right"|97,161||align="right"|6,122||align="right"|151,469||align="right"|4,845||align="right"|112,691||align="right"|62,225||align="right"|255,560
|-
|{{center|'''[[Incorporated city|Incorporated<br/>cities and towns]]'''}} ||{{center|'''Total<br/>Population'''}}||{{center|'''[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]'''}} ||{{center|'''[[African American (U.S. census)|African<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific<br/>Islander]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Race (United States Census)|other<br/>races]]'''}} || {{center|'''two or<br/>more races'''}} ||{{center|'''[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]]<br/>or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]<br/>(of any race)'''}}
|-
|''' [[Antioch, California|Antioch]]'''
|align="right"|102,372||align="right"|50,083||align="right"|17,667||align="right"|887||align="right"|10,709||align="right"|817||align="right"|14,310||align="right"|7,899||align="right"|32,436
|-
|''' [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]]'''
|align="right"|51,481||align="right"|34,969||align="right"|3,389||align="right"|333||align="right"|4,051||align="right"|202||align="right"|4,964||align="right"|3,573||align="right"|13,779
|-
|'''[[Clayton, California|Clayton]]'''
|align="right"|10,897||align="right"|9,273||align="right"|146||align="right"|34||align="right"|717||align="right"|16||align="right"|234||align="right"|477||align="right"|982
|-
|'''[[Concord, California|Concord]]'''
|align="right"|122,067||align="right"|78,767||align="right"|4,371||align="right"|852||align="right"|13,538||align="right"|816||align="right"|15,969||align="right"|7,754||align="right"|37,311
|-
|'''[[Danville, California|Danville]]'''
|align="right"|42,039||align="right"|34,942||align="right"|372||align="right"|67||align="right"|4,417||align="right"|68||align="right"|509||align="right"|1,664||align="right"|2,879
|-
|'''[[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]]'''
|align="right"|23,549||align="right"|12,543||align="right"|1,819||align="right"|107||align="right"|6,439||align="right"|37||align="right"|1,079||align="right"|1,525||align="right"|2,621
|-
|'''[[Hercules, California|Hercules]]'''
|align="right"|24,060||align="right"|5,302||align="right"|4,547||align="right"|102||align="right"|10,956||align="right"|101||align="right"|1,564||align="right"|1,488||align="right"|3,508
|-
|'''[[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]]'''
|align="right"|23,893||align="right"|20,232||align="right"|166||align="right"|66||align="right"|2,162||align="right"|27||align="right"|240||align="right"|1,000||align="right"|1,388
|-
|'''[[Martinez, California|Martinez]]'''
|align="right"|35,824||align="right"|27,603||align="right"|1,303||align="right"|255||align="right"|2,876||align="right"|121||align="right"|1,425||align="right"|2,241||align="right"|5,258
|-
|'''[[Moraga, California|Moraga]]'''
|align="right"|16,016||align="right"|12,201||align="right"|277||align="right"|31||align="right"|2,393||align="right"|25||align="right"|281||align="right"|808||align="right"|1,123
|-
|'''[[Oakley, California|Oakley]]'''
|align="right"|35,432||align="right"|22,641||align="right"|2,582||align="right"|314||align="right"|2,236||align="right"|142||align="right"|4,998||align="right"|2,519||align="right"|12,364
|-
|'''[[Orinda, California|Orinda]]'''
|align="right"|17,643||align="right"|14,533||align="right"|149||align="right"|22||align="right"|2,016||align="right"|24||align="right"|122||align="right"|777||align="right"|807
|-
|'''[[Pinole, California|Pinole]]'''
|align="right"|18,390||align="right"|8,488||align="right"|2,458||align="right"|147||align="right"|4,220||align="right"|64||align="right"|1,741||align="right"|1,272||align="right"|4,005
|-
|'''[[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]]'''
|align="right"|63,264||align="right"|23,106||align="right"|11,187||align="right"|517||align="right"|9,891||align="right"|645||align="right"|13,270||align="right"|4,648||align="right"|26,841
|-
|'''[[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]]'''
|align="right"|33,152||align="right"|24,846||align="right"|686||align="right"|127||align="right"|4,516||align="right"|66 ||align="right"|1,079||align="right"|1,832||align="right"|4,009
|-
|'''[[Richmond, California|Richmond]]'''
|align="right"|103,701||align="right"|32,590||align="right"|27,542||align="right"|662||align="right"|13,984||align="right"|537||align="right"|22,573||align="right"|5,813||align="right"|40,921
|-
|'''[[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]]'''
|align="right"|29,139||align="right"|9,391||align="right"|4,600||align="right"|244||align="right"|4,353||align="right"|172||align="right"|8,812||align="right"|1,567||align="right"|16,462
|-
|'''[[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]]'''
|align="right"|72,148||align="right"|38,639||align="right"|2,043||align="right"|205||align="right"|25,713||align="right"|156||align="right"|1,536||align="right"|3,856||align="right"|6,250
|-
|'''[[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]'''
|align="right"|64,173||align="right"|50,487||align="right"|1,035||align="right"|155||align="right"|8,027||align="right"|125||align="right"|1,624||align="right"|2,720||align="right"|5,540
|-
|{{center|'''[[Census-designated place|Census-designated<br/>places]]'''}} ||{{center|'''Total<br/>Population'''}}||{{center|'''[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]'''}} ||{{center|'''[[African American (U.S. census)|African<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific<br/>Islander]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Race (United States Census)|other<br/>races]]'''}} || {{center|'''two or<br/>more races'''}} ||{{center|'''[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]]<br/>or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]<br/>(of any race)'''}}
|-
|'''[[Acalanes Ridge, California|Acalanes Ridge]] '''
|align="right"|1,137||align="right"|951||align="right"|5||align="right"|8||align="right"|126||align="right"|2||align="right"|8||align="right"|37||align="right"|50
|-
|''' [[Alamo, California|Alamo]] '''
|align="right"|14,570||align="right"|12,662||align="right"|73||align="right"|18||align="right"|1,190||align="right"|22||align="right"|126||align="right"|479||align="right"|839
|-
|''' [[Alhambra Valley, California|Alhambra Valley]] '''
|align="right"|924||align="right"|838||align="right"|3||align="right"|0||align="right"|42||align="right"|5||align="right"|17||align="right"|19||align="right"|81
|-
|''' [[Bay Point, California|Bay Point]] '''
|align="right"|21,349||align="right"|8,848||align="right"|2,469||align="right"|225||align="right"|2,121||align="right"|147||align="right"|6,154||align="right"|1,385||align="right"|11,730
|-
|''' [[Bayview, Contra Costa County, California|Bayview]] '''
|align="right"|1,754||align="right"|871||align="right"|186||align="right"|18||align="right"|369||align="right"|9||align="right"|179||align="right"|122||align="right"|521
|-
|''' [[Bethel Island, California|Bethel Island]] '''
|align="right"|2,137||align="right"|1,843||align="right"|40||align="right"|15||align="right"|46||align="right"|4||align="right"|119||align="right"|70||align="right"|280
|-
|''' [[Blackhawk, California|Blackhawk]] '''
|align="right"|9,354||align="right"|6,882||align="right"|172||align="right"|15||align="right"|1,801||align="right"|8||align="right"|75||align="right"|401||align="right"|464
|-
|''' [[Byron, California|Byron]] '''
|align="right"|1,277||align="right"|911||align="right"|61||align="right"|11||align="right"|4||align="right"|11||align="right"|224||align="right"|55||align="right"|503
|-
|''' [[Camino Tassajara, California|Camino Tassajara]] '''
|align="right"|2,197||align="right"|876||align="right"|53||align="right"|4||align="right"|1,117||align="right"|1||align="right"|33||align="right"|113||align="right"|138
|-
|''' [[Castle Hill, California|Castle Hill]] '''
|align="right"|1,299||align="right"|1,112||align="right"|29||align="right"|1||align="right"|110||align="right"|2||align="right"|9||align="right"|36||align="right"|78
|-
|''' [[Clyde, California|Clyde]] '''
|align="right"|678||align="right"|530||align="right"|11||align="right"|4||align="right"|58||align="right"|3||align="right"|25||align="right"|47||align="right"|99
|-
|''' [[Contra Costa Centre, California|Contra Costa Centre]] '''
|align="right"|5,364||align="right"|3,488||align="right"|216||align="right"|18||align="right"|1,155||align="right"|17||align="right"|171||align="right"|299||align="right"|560
|-
|''' [[Crockett, California|Crockett]] '''
|align="right"|3,094||align="right"|2,468||align="right"|146||align="right"|31||align="right"|108||align="right"|24||align="right"|123||align="right"|194||align="right"|490
|-
|''' [[Diablo, California|Diablo]] '''
|align="right"|1,158||align="right"|1,065||align="right"|1||align="right"|2||align="right"|55||align="right"|0||align="right"|5||align="right"|30||align="right"|39
|-
|''' [[Discovery Bay, California|Discovery Bay]] '''
|align="right"|13,352||align="right"|10,909||align="right"|550||align="right"|86||align="right"|522||align="right"|51||align="right"|468||align="right"|766||align="right"|2,074
|-
|''' [[East Richmond Heights, California|East Richmond Heights]] '''
|align="right"|3,280||align="right"|1,995||align="right"|395||align="right"|13||align="right"|407||align="right"|8||align="right"|187||align="right"|275||align="right"|465
|-
|''' [[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante]] '''
|align="right"|12,669||align="right"|6,405||align="right"|1,673||align="right"|127||align="right"|1,986||align="right"|113||align="right"|1,384||align="right"|981||align="right"|3,036
|-
|''' [[Kensington, California|Kensington]] '''
|align="right"|5,077||align="right"|3,963||align="right"|131||align="right"|15||align="right"|610||align="right"|2||align="right"|58||align="right"|298||align="right"|263
|-
|''' [[Knightsen, California|Knightsen]] '''
|align="right"|1,568||align="right"|1,268||align="right"|14||align="right"|8||align="right"|28||align="right"|3||align="right"|162||align="right"|85||align="right"|454
|-
|''' [[Montalvin Manor, California|Montalvin Manor]] '''
|align="right"|2,876||align="right"|1,295||align="right"|222||align="right"|36||align="right"|306||align="right"|27||align="right"|855||align="right"|135||align="right"|1,800
|-
|''' [[Mountain View, Contra Costa County, California|Mountain View]] '''
|align="right"|2,372||align="right"|1,896||align="right"|60||align="right"|30||align="right"|70||align="right"|20||align="right"|155||align="right"|141||align="right"|524
|-
|''' [[Norris Canyon, California|Norris Canyon]] '''
|align="right"|957||align="right"|476||align="right"|41||align="right"|1||align="right"|372||align="right"|1||align="right"|28||align="right"|38||align="right"|42
|-
|''' [[North Gate, California|North Gate]] '''
|align="right"|679||align="right"|566||align="right"|1||align="right"|0||align="right"|65||align="right"|0||align="right"|19||align="right"|28||align="right"|56
|-
|''' [[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]] '''
|align="right"|3,717||align="right"|634||align="right"|1,239||align="right"|23||align="right"|431||align="right"|18||align="right"|1,191||align="right"|181||align="right"|1,862
|-
|''' [[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]] '''
|align="right"|3,685||align="right"|2,814||align="right"|78||align="right"|27||align="right"|366||align="right"|11||align="right"|201||align="right"|188||align="right"|619
|-
|''' [[Port Costa, California|Port Costa]] '''
|align="right"|190||align="right"|172||align="right"|2||align="right"|2||align="right"|7||align="right"|0||align="right"|0||align="right"|7||align="right"|10
|-
|''' [[Reliez Valley, California|Reliez Valley]] '''
|align="right"|3,101||align="right"|2,693||align="right"|31||align="right"|4||align="right"|233||align="right"|2||align="right"|30||align="right"|108||align="right"|192
|-
|''' [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]] '''
|align="right"|8,679||align="right"|3,823||align="right"|1,410||align="right"|53||align="right"|1,762||align="right"|62||align="right"|885||align="right"|684||align="right"|2,134
|-
|''' [[Rollingwood, California|Rollingwood]] '''
|align="right"|2,969||align="right"|1,130||align="right"|220||align="right"|28||align="right"|534||align="right"|22||align="right"|907||align="right"|128||align="right"|1,836
|-
|''' [[San Miguel, Contra Costa County, California|San Miguel]] '''
|align="right"|3,392||align="right"|2,986||align="right"|31||align="right"|3||align="right"|190||align="right"|3||align="right"|38||align="right"|141||align="right"|200
|-
|''' [[Saranap, California|Saranap]] '''
|align="right"|5,202||align="right"|4,275||align="right"|70||align="right"|15||align="right"|451||align="right"|10||align="right"|113||align="right"|268||align="right"|437
|-
|''' [[Shell Ridge, California|Shell Ridge]] '''
|align="right"|959||align="right"|821||align="right"|5||align="right"|2||align="right"|73||align="right"|6||align="right"|8||align="right"|44||align="right"|59
|-
|''' [[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]] '''
|align="right"|5,126||align="right"|2,212||align="right"|682||align="right"|31||align="right"|869||align="right"|18||align="right"|1,018||align="right"|296||align="right"|1,947
|-
|''' [[Vine Hill, California|Vine Hill]] '''
|align="right"|3,761||align="right"|2,568||align="right"|111||align="right"|33||align="right"|196||align="right"|35||align="right"|561||align="right"|257||align="right"|1,169
|-
|{{center|'''Other<br>[[unincorporated area]]s'''}} ||{{center|'''Total<br/>Population'''}}||{{center|'''[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]'''}} ||{{center|'''[[African American (U.S. census)|African<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native<br/>American]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific<br/>Islander]]'''}} || {{center|'''[[Race (United States Census)|other<br/>races]]'''}} || {{center|'''two or<br/>more races'''}} ||{{center|'''[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]]<br/>or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]<br/>(of any race)'''}}
|-
|All others not CDPs (combined)
|align="right"|9,882||align="right"|7,630||align="right"|391||align="right"|88||align="right"|475||align="right"|17||align="right"|825||align="right"|456||align="right"|2,025
|}

===2000===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR8">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 14, 2011 |title=U.S. Census website  |archive-date=December 27, 1996 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961227012639/http://www.census.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> of 2000, there were 948,816 people, 344,129 households, and 242,266 families residing in the county. The population density was {{convert|1,318|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 354,577 housing units at an average density of {{convert|492|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}.

Of residents who identified with European ethnicities, 9.0% were German, 7.7% Irish, 7.3% English, and 6.5% Italian ancestry according to [[Census 2000]]. 74.1% spoke English, 13.1% Spanish, and 2.6% [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]].

By 2005, 53.2% of Contra Costa County's population were non-Hispanic whites. African Americans made up 9.6% of the population, while ethnic Asians constituted 13.1%. Latinos, representing people of Spanish, Portuguese, indigenous and mestizo populations of the Western hemisphere, comprised 21.1% of the county population.

In 2000, there were 344,129 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65&nbsp;years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the county, the population was spread out, with:

* 26.5% under the age of 18
* 7.7% from 18 to 24
* 30.6% from 25 to 44
* 23.9% from 45 to 64
* 11.3% who were 65&nbsp;years of age or older.

The median age was 36&nbsp;years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $63,675, and the median income for a family was $73,039 (these figures had risen to $75,483 and $87,435 respectively as of a 2007 estimate).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US06001&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US06%7C05000US06001&_street=&_county=contra+costa&_cityTown=contra+costa&_state=04000US06&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=050&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210232030/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=05000US06001&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US06%7C05000US06001&_street=&_county=contra+costa&_cityTown=contra+costa&_state=04000US06&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=050&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null:null&_keyword=&_industry= |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 10, 2020 |title=Contra Costa County, California - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder |publisher=Factfinder.census.gov |access-date=September 22, 2012 }}</ref>

Males had a median income of $52,670 versus $38,630 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $30,615. About 5.4% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

In 2000, the largest denominational groups were [[Catholics]] (with 204,070 adherents) and [[Evangelical Protestant]]s (with 74,449 adherents).<ref name="thearda">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/06013_2000.asp |title=County Membership Reports |access-date=August 22, 2011 |work=thearda.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511202011/http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/06013_2000.asp |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The largest religious bodies were the Catholic Church (with 204,070 members) and The [[Baptist General Conference]] (with 24,803 members).<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/06013_2000.asp |title=County Membership Reports |access-date=August 22, 2010 |work=thearda.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511202011/http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/counties/06013_2000.asp |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  The [[Rohr Jewish Learning Institute]] teaches courses in the county.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Berkowitz|first1=Dovber|title=Where Does the Soul Go After It Departs This World?|url=http://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue0917/Where-Does-the-Soul-Go-After-It-Departs-This-World.html|date=October 21, 2015}}</ref>

==Politics==
Since 1932, Contra Costa County has been a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] stronghold in presidential elections. It temporarily leaned toward the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in the 1970s and 1980s, with successive presidential wins by [[Richard Nixon]] in 1972, [[Gerald Ford]] in 1976, and [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1980 and 1984. Reagan was the last Republican presidential candidate to win the county.

{{PresHead|place=Contra Costa County, California|source=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/index.html|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=August 31, 2018|archive-date=November 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131117062533/http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|155,308|356,008|17,671|California}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|152,877|416,386|12,053|California}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|115,956|319,287|37,771|California}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|136,517|290,824|11,804|California}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|136,436|306,983|9,825|California}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|150,608|257,254|5,166|California}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|141,373|224,338|15,767|California}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|123,954|196,512|32,136|California}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|112,965|194,960|74,898|California}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|158,652|169,411|3,448|California}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|172,331|140,994|2,993|California}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|144,112|107,398|36,035|California}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|126,598|123,742|6,194|California}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|139,044|111,718|6,122|California}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|97,486|101,668|19,763|California}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|65,011|113,071|163|California}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|82,922|93,622|579|California}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|74,971|71,733|347|California}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|70,094|70,416|786|California}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|36,958|50,277|4,141|California}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|26,816|47,831|138|California}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|18,627|30,900|513|California}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|9,604|26,007|364|California}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|10,907|17,218|1,089|California}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|13,495|8,573|281|California}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|9,061|1,114|6,398|California}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|9,041|3,483|1,658|California}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|5,731|6,092|1,188|California}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|40|3,290|5,020|California}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|3,336|1,599|569|California}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,833|1,257|439|California}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,165|1,549|83|California}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|1,834|1,381|54|California}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|1,631|1,332|186|California}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|1,518|1,177|63|California}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|1,496|1,114|68|California}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Republican|1,302|1,010|0|California}}

In the [[United States House of Representatives]], Contra Costa County is split among three congressional districts:<ref>{{Cite web
 |url          = http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_cd_finaldraft_splits.zip
 |title        = Counties by County and by District
 |publisher    = California Citizens Redistricting Commission
 |access-date   = September 24, 2014
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130930184128/http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/meeting_handouts_072011/handouts_20110729_q2_cd_finaldraft_splits.zip
 |archive-date = September 30, 2013
|url-status     = dead
 |df           = mdy-all
}}</ref>
* {{Representative|cacd|8|fmt=district}}
* {{Representative|cacd|9|fmt=district}}
* {{Representative|cacd|10|fmt=district}}

In the [[California State Assembly|State Assembly]], Contra Costa County is split among four districts:
* {{Representative|caad|11|fmt=adistrict}}
* {{Representative|caad|14|fmt=adistrict}}
* {{Representative|caad|15|fmt=adistrict}}
* {{Representative|caad|16|fmt=adistrict}}

In the [[California State Senate|State Senate]], the county is split among three districts:
* {{Representative|casd|3|fmt=sdistrict}}
* {{Representative|casd|7|fmt=sdistrict}}
* {{Representative|casd|9|fmt=sdistrict}}

Democrats hold wide advantages in voter registration numbers in all political subdivisions in Contra Costa County. The Democrats' largest registration advantage in Contra Costa is in the cities of [[Richmond, California|Richmond]], where there is a 60.3% registration advantage with 3,192 Republicans (6.2%) out of 51,395 registered voters compared to 34,159 Democrats (66.5%) and 12,095 voters who have no party preference (23.5%); [[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]], where there is a 59.0% registration advantage with 1,169 Republicans (7.4%) out of 15,877 registered voters compared to 10,543 Democrats (67.6%) and 3,654 voters who have no party preference (23.0%); and [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]], where there is a 58.3% registration advantage with 641 Republicans (6.1%) out of 10,550 registered voters compared to 6,793 Democrats (64.4%) and 2,746 voters who have no party preference (26.0%).

=== Voter registration statistics ===

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population and registered voters
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Total eligible population<ref name="2022reg">{{cite web |title=Statement of Vote, November 8, 2022, General Election |url=https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2022-general/sov/complete.pdf |website=California Secretary of State |access-date=May 5, 2023}}</ref>
| colspan="2" | 803,842
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Registered voters<ref name="2022reg"/><ref name="PCT-RV" group=note>Percentage of registered voters with respect to total population. Percentages of party members with respect to registered voters follow.</ref>
| 701,969
| 87.3%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Democratic<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 377,431
| 53.7%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Republican<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 127,353
| 18.1%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Democratic–Republican spread<ref name="2022reg"/>
| <span style="color:#00f;">'''+250,078'''</span>
| <span style="color:#00f;">'''+35.6%'''</span>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;American Independent<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 24,325
| 3.4%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Libertarian<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 6,412
| 0.9%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Green<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 3,064
| 0.4%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Peace and Freedom<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 3,219
| 0.4%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unknown<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 2,787
| 0.3%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Other<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 1,462
| 0.2%
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No party preference<ref name="2022reg"/>
| 155,916
| 22.2%
|}

==== Cities by population and voter registration ====

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed sortable" style="width: 100%;" style="text-align:right"
|-
! colspan="8" | Cities by population and voter registration
|-
! City
! data-sort-type="number" | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Registered Voters<ref name="CA-CCC">Contra Costa County Elections Division. [http://www.cocovote.us/wp-content/uploads/pdmr010_voterregistrationsos-1.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130190418/http://www.cocovote.us/wp-content/uploads/pdmr010_voterregistrationsos-1.pdf|date=November 30, 2016}}. Retrieved November 29, 2016.</ref><br /><ref name="PCT-RV" group=note/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Democratic<ref name="CA-CCC"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Republican<ref name="CA-CCC"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | D&ndash;R Spread<ref name="CA-CCC"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Other<ref name="CA-CCC"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | No Party Preference<ref name="CA-CCC"/>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Antioch, California|Antioch]]
| 111,502 || 54,528 (48.9%) || 28,784 (52.8%) || 8,096 (14.8%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+38.0%'''</span> || 2,647 (4.9%) || 15,012 (27.5%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]] 
| 64,474 || 34,774 (53.9%) || 13,974 (40.2%) || 9,710 (27.9%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+12.3%'''</span> || 1,714 (4.9%) || 9,376 (27.0%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Clayton, California|Clayton]]
| 12,265 || 8,078 (65.9%) || 3,128 (38.7%) || 2,685 (33.2%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+5.3%'''</span> || 377 (4.7%) || 1,888 (23.4%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Concord, California|Concord]]
| 129,295 || 66,218 (51.2%) || 31,054 (46.9%) || 13,277 (20.0%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+26.9%'''</span> || 3,433 (5.2%) || 18,454 (27.9%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Danville, California|Danville]]
| 44,510 || 30,076 (67.6%) || 10,412 (34.6%) || 10,381 (34.5%) || <span style="color: #800080;">'''+0.1%'''</span> || 1,320 (4.6%) || 7,963 (26.5%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]]
| 25,508 || 16,304 (63.9%) || 10,560 (64.8%) || 1,020 (6.3%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+58.5%'''</span> || 568 (3.5%) || 4,156 (25.5%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Hercules, California|Hercules]]
| 26,276 || 14,871 (56.6%) || 8,291 (55.7%) || 1,646 (11.1%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+44.6%'''</span> || 490 (3.3%) || 4,444 (29.9%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]]
| 26,638 || 18,087 (67.9%) || 8,492 (47.0%) || 4,198 (23.2%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+23.8%'''</span> || 723 (4.0%) || 4,674 (25.8%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Martinez, California|Martinez]]
| 38,297 || 24,261 (63.3%) || 11,712 (48.3%) || 5,020 (20.7%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+27.6%'''</span> || 1,335 (5.5%) || 6,194 (25.5%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Moraga, California|Moraga]]
| 17,783 || 11,024 (62.0%) || 4,737 (43.0%) || 2,766 (25.1%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+17.9%'''</span> || 416 (3.7%) || 3,105 (28.2%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Oakley, California|Oakley]]
| 42,543 || 21,468 (50.5%) || 9,868 (46.0%) || 4,743 (22.1%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+23.9%'''</span> || 1045 (4.8%) || 5,812 (27.1%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Orinda, California|Orinda]]
| 19,926 || 14,020 (70.4%) || 6,692 (47.7%) || 3,176 (22.7%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+25.0%'''</span> || 490 (3.5%) || 3,662 (26.1%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Pinole, California|Pinole]]
| 19,250 || 11,347 (58.9%) || 6,365 (56.1%) || 1,525 (13.4%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+42.7%'''</span> || 464 (4.1%) || 2,993 (26.4%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]]
| 72,588 || 33,751 (46.5%) || 18,644 (55.2%) || 3,817 (11.3%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+43.9%'''</span> || 1,402 (4.2%) || 9,888 (29.3%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]]
| 34,839 || 21,697 (62.3%) || 10,345 (47.7%) || 4,274 (19.7%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+28.0%'''</span> || 1104 (5.1%) || 5,974 (27.5%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Richmond, California|Richmond]]
| 110,567 || 52,364 (47.4%) || 33,166 (63.3%) || 2,979 (5.7%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+57.6%'''</span> || 2,111 (4.1%) || 14,108 (26.9%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]]
| 30,990 || 11,121 (35.9%) || 6,756 (60.7%) || 626 (5.6%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+55.1%'''</span> || 458 (4.2%) || 3,281 (29.5%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]]
| 75,995 || 41,872 (55.1%) || 16,518 (39.4%) || 8,908 (21.3%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+18.1%'''</span> || 1,388 (3.5%) || 12,267 (30.8%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]
| 70,166 || 46,149 (65.8%) || 21,391 (46.4%) || 10,708 (23.2%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+23.2%'''</span> || 1,903 (4.1%) || 12,147 (26.3%)
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left" | Unincorporated Areas
| 180,114 || 99,030 (55.0%) || 44,972 (45.4%) || 22,810 (23.0%) || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+22.4%'''</span> || 4,595 (4.6%) || 26,653 (26.9%)
|-
! scope="row" | TOTAL
| '''1,153,526''' || '''631,040 (54.7%)''' || '''305,850 (48.5%)''' || '''122,364 (19.4%)''' || <span style="color: #0000ff;">'''+29.1%'''</span> || '''28,140 (4.4%)''' || '''174,686 (27.7%)'''
|}

== Crime ==

The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed"
|-
! colspan="3" | Population and crime rates
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Population<ref name="US-CB-B02001"/>
| colspan="2" | 1,037,817
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Violent crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11">{{Cite web |url=http://stats.doj.ca.gov/cjsc_stats/prof09/00/11.pdf |title=Table 11: Crimes &ndash; 2009 |work=Office of the Attorney General, Department of Justice, State of California. |access-date=November 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222315/http://stats.doj.ca.gov/cjsc_stats/prof09/00/11.pdf |archive-date=December 2, 2013 }}</ref>
| 4,257 || 4.10
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Homicide<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 89 || 0.09
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Forcible rape<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 200 || 0.19
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Robbery<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 1,733 || 1.67
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 2,235 || 2.15
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Property crime<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 19,843 || 19.12
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Burglary<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 7,361 || 7.09
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Larceny-theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/><ref name="LT-note group=note">Only larceny-theft cases involving property over $400 in value are reported as property crimes.</ref>
| 17,212 || 16.58
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | &nbsp;&nbsp;Motor vehicle theft<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 6,492 || 6.26
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align: left;" | Arson<ref name="CA-DOJ-T11"/>
| 213 || 0.21
|}

=== Cities by population and crime rates (2019) ===

{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-
! colspan="9" | Cities by population and crime rates (2019)
|-
! City
! data-sort-type="number" | Population<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8">United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. [https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/table-8/table-8-state-cuts/california.xls Crime in the United States, 2019, Table 8 (California)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201019230411/https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/table-8/table-8-state-cuts/california.xls |date=October 19, 2020 }}. Retrieved January 3, 2021.</ref>
! data-sort-type="number" | Violent crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Violent crime rate<br />per 1,000 persons
! data-sort-type="number" | Property crimes<ref name="FBI-UCR-T8"/>
! data-sort-type="number" | Property crime rate<br />per 1,000 persons
|-
| [[Antioch, California|Antioch]] || 112,641 || 648 || 5.75 || 3,199 || 28.4
|-
| [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]] || 65,483 || 166 || 2.54 || 1,335 || 20.39
|-
| [[Clayton, California|Clayton]] || 12,356 || 1 || 0.08 || 155 || 12.54
|-
| [[Concord, California|Concord]] || 130,615 || 541 || 4.14 || 4,560 || 34.91
|-
| [[Danville, California|Danville]] || 44,997 || 23 || 0.51 || 296 || 6.58
|-
| [[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]] || 25,857 || 152 || 5.88 || 1,300 || 50.28
|-
| [[Hercules, California|Hercules]] || 25,789 || 31 || 1.2 || 341 || 13.22
|-
| [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]] || 26,872 || 4 || 0.15 || 358 || 13.32
|-
| [[Martinez, California|Martinez]] || 38,692 || 83 || 2.15 || 570 || 14.73
|-
| [[Moraga, California|Moraga]] || 17,908 || 23 || 1.28 || 124 || 6.92
|-
| [[Oakley, California|Oakley]] || 43,014 || 51 || 1.19 || 497 || 11.55
|-
| [[Orinda, California|Orinda]] || 20,071 || 17 || 0.85 || 195 || 9.72
|-
| [[Pinole, California|Pinole]] || 19,439 || 59 || 3.04 || 866 || 44.55
|-
| [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]] || 73,637 || 446 || 6.06 || 1,660 || 22.54
|-
| [[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]] || 35,125 || 88 || 2.51 || 1,484 || 42.25
|-
| [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] || 110,988 || 1,034 || 9.32 || 4,188 || 37.73
|-
| [[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]] || 31,336 || 194 || 6.19 || 1,009 || 32.2
|-
| [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]] || 84,605 || 58 || 0.69 || 1,099 || 12.99
|-
| [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]] || 70,546 || 120 || 1.7 || 2,496 || 35.38
|}

==Economy==

===Agriculture===
The great rancheros of the Spanish period were divided and sold for agricultural uses, with intensively irrigated farming made possible in some areas by the development of canals that brought water from the eastern riverside portions of the county to the central portion. Other areas could use the more limited water available from local creeks and from wells. Orchards dominated where such water was available, while other, seasonally dry areas were used for cattle ranching. In central parts of the county walnuts were an especially attractive orchard crop, using the thin-shelled English Walnut branches grafted to the hardy and disease-resistant American Walnut root stock. In the [[Moraga, California|Moraga]] region, pears dominated, and many old (but untended) roadside trees are still picked seasonally by passers-by. In eastern county, stone fruit, especially cherries, is still grown commercially, with seasonal opportunities for people to pick their own fruit for a modest fee.

===Irrigation canals===
The [[Contra Costa Canal]], a concrete-lined and fenced irrigation canal still makes a loop through central county and provided industrial and agricultural grade water to farms and industry. While no longer used for extensive irrigation, it is still possible for adjoining landowners (now large suburban lot owners) to obtain pumping permits. Most of this water is destined for the heavy industry near Martinez. As with the railroad rights of way there is now an extensive public trail system along these canals.

===Commuter railroads===
The development of commuter railroads proceeded together with the subdivision of farms into parcels. In some cases, such as the development of [[Saranap]], the same developer controlled both the railroad ([[Sacramento Northern]]) and the development. These early suburbanization developments were an extension of the earlier development of [[Streetcar suburb|trolley car suburb]]s in what are now considered the highly urban environments of the near East Bay.

===Heavy industry===
[[Image:ShellMartinez-refi.jpg|right|thumb|View of the Shell Martinez oil refinery]]
Owing to its extensive waterfront on [[San Francisco Bay|San Francisco]], [[San Pablo Bay|San Pablo]], and [[Suisun Bay|Suisun]] bays the northwestern and northern segments have long been sites for heavy industry, including a number of still active [[Oil refinery|oil refineries]] (particularly [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron]] in Richmond, Phillips 66 in [[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]], Shell Oil (now PBF) and Tesoro (now Marathon)- in Martinez), chemical plants ([[Dow Chemical]]) and a once substantial integrated steel plant, [[United States Steel]], now reduced to secondary production of strip sheet and wire. The [[San Joaquin River]] forms a continuation of the northern boundary turns southward to form the eastern boundary of the county. Some substantial [[Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta]] "islands" (actually leveed former marshes) are included in this corner of the county.

===Housing===

====West County====
The West County is the area near or on San Francisco and San Pablo bays. The housing stock in the region was extensively developed after the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Much of the housing stock in these areas is becoming quite expensive. As an alternative to moving to either the expensive central county, or the too-distant East County, this area is becoming [[gentrification|gentrified]], with a mix of races and income levels &mdash; a character actively sought by some housing purchasers. The downside of this is a corresponding lack of affordable housing for those working lower-paying service jobs &mdash; a problem endemic throughout the region. There has recently been a housing boom or tract housing in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] and also in the [[Hercules, California|Hercules]] areas. These gentrifying areas are the most diverse in Contra Costa County. {{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

====Central county====
{{wide image|DinoHillPano2731x505.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|Central county scene — [[Mount Diablo State Park|Mount Diablo]], Concord, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek}}
{{Clear}}
The central part of the county is a valley traversed by Interstate 680 and Highway 24. The towns east of the hills, on or near Highway 24 and their surrounding areas ([[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]], [[Moraga, California|Moraga]] and [[Orinda, California|Orinda]]) are collectively known as ''Lamorinda''. The major central county cities along Interstate 680 are Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Danville, San Ramon, and unincorporated Alamo. Owing to the high quality of its public schools (due largely to both demographics and added support from prosperous parents), this area has become a magnet for well&ndash;off families with children. During the real estate boom, housing prices were driven to astounding levels. From 2007, home prices in the region have seen substantial decreases and the affordability rate has risen. During the real estate boom, the high price of homes and scarcity of land resulted in many speculators purchasing older, smaller homes and partially or completely tearing them down to construct larger homes.

In this way the central county region has become a mix of older suburbs, newer developments, small lot "infill" developments, and extensive shopping areas.
[[Image:Lafayette Reservoir.JPG|thumb|right|[[Lafayette Reservoir]]]]

====East County====
Lower cost modern tract developments continue along [[Suisun Bay]] in the "East County" towns of [[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]], [[Antioch, California|Antioch]], and [[Oakley, California|Oakley]] - new "bedroom" communities" to serve the now "edge cities". The median income of a family in the two relatively affluent East County towns of [[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]] and [[Discovery Bay, California|Discovery Bay]] is approaching $100k/yr. placing them in the top fifteen percent of affluent towns in the United States. California Distinguished Schools, golf courses, vineyards, and upscale homes are found in Brentwood and Discovery Bay. Discovery Bay is based on a waterfront community of 3,500+ homes with private docks with access to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Discovery Bay also features gated and non-gated "off-water" communities with homes from {{convert|1,400|ft2|m2|abbr=off}} up to {{convert|4,700|ft2|m2|abbr=off}}.

From 2010 to 2018 Highway 4 underwent multimillion-dollar improvements from that added lanes through Brentwood, Antioch and Pittsburg to reduce driving time between East County and Concord/Walnut Creek, as this commute at one time was the 10th worst in the nation.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2012/05/23/highway-4-commute-pegged-as-one-of-nations-worst/ | title=Highway 4 commute pegged as one of nation's worst | date=May 23, 2012 |website=East Bay Times}}</ref> [[Vasco Road]] is also an important link between East County/Brentwood and Livermore. Additionally, a county road from Brentwood to Tracy has received Federal Funds to be upgraded to a highway link between the areas.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/01/19/ebt-l-hwy239/ | title=Long-sought highway would connect East Contra Costa to the south | date=January 19, 2022 |author-first1=Judith|author-last1=Prieve|website=East Bay Times}}</ref>

===County budget problems===
Across 30 years, two forces combined to create county budget problems, peaking in 2008. First, rather than compensate police, medical, and firefighting personnel directly, health and retirement benefits were granted without proper actuarial examination, leading to unexpected but predictable high costs as personnel aged and ultimately retired with continued "first class" health and retirement benefits. Second, the collapse of the "housing bubble" enabled purchasers of distressed properties — many of which were owned by banks and other mortgage holders — to petition for lower property assessments, in many cases reducing by half the revenue to the county for specific parcels. Continuing downturns in employment prospects further increased the needs for various social services. These deficits and demands, combined with a lack of support from a similarly stressed California state government and the United States Federal government, required county supervisors and service providers to allocate limited resources in a time of increasing demand. The projected budget deficit was $45 million as of early 2011.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/01/31/contra-costa-county-supervisors-look-to-close-45-million-deficit/ | title=CBS News article | access-date=March 2, 2011 |  date=January 31, 2011}}</ref>  Perhaps more significantly, the total unfunded liability for retiree benefits is $2.4 billion.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_19889561?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com | title=CCTimes article | access-date=February 5, 2012 | date=February 5, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904083801/http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_19889561?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com | archive-date=September 4, 2015 | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

===Technical innovators===
In the 1970s and 1980s, many small and innovative technical firms started in Contra Costa. Most of these are no longer present, either failing, being absorbed into larger corporations, or outgrowing their original location and moving elsewhere in the Bay Area. {{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}

===Corporate headquarters===
By the early 1990s, 22 million square feet of office space had been built<ref name="Banister2003">{{cite book|author=David Banister|title=Transport and Urban Development|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NGKQAgAAQBAJ|date=December 16, 2003|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-81992-7|page=145|access-date=August 29, 2019|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728044728/https://books.google.com/books?id=NGKQAgAAQBAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> along the ''680 corridor'', that segment of Interstate Highway 680 that extends from [[Concord, California|Concord]] in the north to [[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]] in the south, continuing into inland [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]] from [[Dublin, California|Dublin]] to [[Pleasanton, California|Pleasanton]]. During the 1980s and early 1990s, many corporations that were formerly housed in the more central metropolitan area followed their employees by moving to these large suburban and edge city office areas and office parks.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}

===Redevelopment===
There are currently political fights over the potential redevelopment of the county seat ([[Martinez, California|Martinez]]), with long-term residents and many elsewhere in the county concerned that it will lose its remaining small-town charm and utility in an effort to become more like the county's major recreational shopping center of [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}

The inland portions of the [[Concord Naval Weapons Station]] have been declared surplus by the Federal government and this area is expected to provide what is likely the last opportunity to plan and build city-sized development within the central county.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}} This area will become a portion of the city of Concord, and planners expect that development will be confined to the lower and flatter portions of the depot, with the remainder becoming a substantial addition to the county's [[Urban open space|open space]]. Much of the land to be developed is relatively flat grassland and the most prominent structures are ammunition bunkers that will be removed, so future uses of the property are largely unconstrained by previous uses.<ref name="CNWS About">{{Cite web |url=http://www.concordreuseproject.org/about/ |title=Concord Community Reuse Project &#124; About |access-date=November 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213134108/http://www.concordreuseproject.org/about/ |archive-date=February 13, 2017 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

==Education==
The [[Contra Costa Community College District]] is a community college district that encompasses three community colleges: [[Contra Costa College]], [[Diablo Valley College]], and [[Los Medanos College]].

The [[Contra Costa County Library]] is the county's library system.

K-12 school districts in the county:<ref name=SDMap2020>{{cite map|author=Geography Division|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06013_contra_costa/DC20SD_C06013.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Contra Costa County, CA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|place=[[Suitland, Maryland]]|date=December 18, 2020 |access-date=2025-01-24}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st06_ca/schooldistrict_maps/c06013_contra_costa/DC20SD_C06013_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Antioch Unified School District]]
* [[John Swett Unified School District]]
* [[Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District]]
* [[Martinez Unified School District]]
* [[Mount Diablo Unified School District]]
* [[Pittsburg Unified School District]]
* [[San Ramon Valley Unified School District]]
* [[West Contra Costa Unified School District]]
{{div col end}}

Secondary school districts in the county:<ref name=SDMap2020/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Acalanes Union High School District]]
* [[Liberty Union High School District]]
{{div col end}}

Elementary school districts in the county:<ref name=SDMap2020/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Brentwood Union Elementary School District]]
* [[Byron Union Elementary School District]]
* [[Canyon Elementary School District]]
* [[Knightsen Elementary School District]]
* [[Lafayette Elementary School District]]
* [[Moraga Elementary School District]]
* [[Oakley Union Elementary School District]]
* [[Orinda Union Elementary School District]]
* [[Walnut Creek Elementary School District]]
{{div col end}}

==Media==
Contra Costa County receives [[Media in the San Francisco Bay Area|media from the rest of the Bay Area]].

The City of Concord is served by the daily newspaper, the ''[[Contra Costa Times|East Bay Times]]'' published by the Bay Area News Group-East Bay (part of the [[Media News Group]], Denver, Colorado), with offices in [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]. The paper was originally a paper run and owned by the [[Dean Lesher|Lesher]] family. Since the death of Dean Lesher in 1993, the paper has had several owners.<ref>Hall, Carl (August 25, 2005) [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1995/08/29/MN68001.DTL&hw=Lesher&sn=001&sc=1000 "East Bay Newspaper Chain Sold"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406094908/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F1995%2F08%2F29%2FMN68001.DTL&hw=Lesher&sn=001&sc=1000 |date=April 6, 2012 }}, ''S.F. Chronicle''. Retrieved August 16, 2007.</ref> The publisher also issues weekly local papers, such as the ''Concord Transcript,'' which is the local paper for Concord and nearby [[Clayton, California|Clayton]].

In December 2019, there was a flurry of reports from reliable sources including the [[Associated Press]] and the [[San Francisco Chronicle]] that the 161-year-old Martinez News-Gazette, one of the longest-running newspapers in California, may have to cease publication. But as of late May 2020, the threatened cessation did not materialize and the newspaper appears to have weathered that storm. The newspaper did cease publication of a print edition effective April 2, 2020, but this was characterized as a temporary measure arising from a lack of advertising revenue. Since March 2020, this in turn arose as many local businesses were forced to suspended operations or even ceased to exist, when the area was under [[shelter-in-place]] regulations arising from [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]]. The newspaper plans to resume a full print edition when the local shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-san-francisco-idUSKBN2133ED|title=San Francisco counties to order three-week 'shelter in place' - San Francisco Chronicle|date=March 16, 2020|work=Reuters|access-date=March 16, 2020|language=en}}</ref>

==Transportation==

{{update|date=May 2015}}

Prior to 1903, most travel to central Contra Costa County was by boat or rail to [[Martinez, California|Martinez]] on the northern waterfront and from there to the industrial areas east along the waterfront as well as farming regions to the south.

In 1903, the first tunnel through the Oakland hills (now Old Tunnel Road) was built, principally as a means of bringing [[hay]] by horse-, mule-, or ox-drawn wagons from central and eastern agricultural areas to feed the [[draft animal]]s that provided the power to public and private transportation in the East Bay at the time. The tunnel exited in the hills high above the crossroads of [[Orinda, California|Orinda]] with the road continuing on to [[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]], [[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]], and [[Danville, California|Danville]]. The road was just wide enough for one car in each direction and had no shoulders.

In 1937, the two-bore [[Caldecott Tunnel]] for road vehicles was completed, making interior Contra Costa County much more accessible. After World War II, the tunnels allowed waves of development to proceed, oriented toward [[Oakland]] rather than the northern shoreline, and the northern shoreline cities began to decline. The tunnel has since been augmented with a third bore, completed in 1964, and a fourth, completed in 2013.

===Major highways===
<!-- Do not add any county routes or highway names here without discussion. -->
* {{jct|state=CA|I|80}}
* {{jct|state=CA|I|580}}
* {{jct|state=CA|I|680}}
* {{jct|state=CA|SR|4}}
* {{jct|state=CA|SR|24}}
* {{jct|state=CA|SR|123|location1=former [[U.S. Route 40 in California|US&nbsp;40]]}}
* {{jct|state=CA|SR|160}}
* {{jct|state=CA|SR|242}}

===Mass transit===

*[[Amtrak]] runs its ''[[Gold Runner]]'' line to [[Southern California]] and its ''[[Capitol Corridor]]'' line to [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] and [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] through stations in Richmond, Martinez, and Antioch-Pittsburg.
*[[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]], a high-speed [[commuter rail]] system, functions as the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area's]] metro system.
**[[eBART]] (East Contra Costa County BART extension) is designed to bring [[rapid transit]] services along the Highway 4 corridor.
*[[AC Transit]] provides local service in West County and in Orinda, in addition to western Alameda County, Transbay commuter services to [[San Francisco]], [[bus rapid transit]] lines and the bulk of All Nighter service for the [[East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area)|East Bay]].
*[[County Connection]] provides local service in Central C.C. County and connecting services to Dublin and Pittsburg.
*[[Tri-Delta Transit]] provides local bus service in East C.C. County and connecting regional services to Martinez, Livermore, and Stockton.
*[[WestCAT]] provides local bus service in northern West C.C. County with connecting service to BART and transbay service to the city (San Francisco).
*[[Golden Gate Transit]] provides connecting transbay service between [[Marin County]] and [[Richmond Station (California)|Richmond]] and [[El Cerrito del Norte]] BART stations via the [[Richmond-San Rafael Bridge]].
*[[Vallejo Transit]] and [[Fairfield and Suisun Transit]] provide regional feeder service to El Cerrito del Norte BART from [[Solano County, California|Solano County]].
*[[Benicia Transit]] provides commuter service between the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and BART in Concord through [[Benicia, California|Benicia]] in Solano County.

=== Airports ===

The county has two general aviation airports:
*[[Buchanan Field Airport]], located in [[Concord, California|Concord]]
*[[Byron Airport]], located {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} south of [[Byron, California|Byron]]

[[JSX (airline)|JetSuiteX]] provides four times weekly service from Concord Airport (CCR) to Las Vegas, Burbank, and Santa Ana.

===Railroads===

The western termini of several original transcontinental railroad routes have been located in [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], in [[Alameda County]], including [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]], [[Southern Pacific Railroad|Southern Pacific]], and [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe]] railroads. From Oakland, there are two primary routes east:
*The former Southern Pacific (originally [[Central Pacific Railroad]]) line north through [[Richmond, California|Richmond]], closely hugging the [[San Pablo Bay]] coastline to [[Martinez, California|Martinez]], where it crosses [[Suisun Bay]] on a drawbridge before proceeding to [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] and the crossing of the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] via [[Donner Pass|Donner]]
*The former [[Western Pacific Railroad]] line, which runs east through Niles Canyon, [[Livermore, California|Livermore]] and over [[Altamont Pass]], en route in a north-easterly direction to [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] and the [[Feather River]] canyon/[[Beckwourth Pass]] crossing of the Sierra Nevada

Formed in 1909, the Oakland Antioch Railway was renamed the ''Oakland Antioch & Eastern Railway'' in 1911. It extended through a {{convert|3400|ft|m|adj=on}} tunnel in the Oakland Hills, from Oakland to Walnut Creek, Concord and on to Bay Point.

The current owner of the Santa Fe Railroad's assets, [[BNSF Railway]], has the terminus of its transcontinental route in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]]. Originally built by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad in 1896, the line was purchased by the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] shortly thereafter. The line leaves Richmond through industrial and residential parts of West County before striking due east through Franklin Canyon and [[Martinez, California|Martinez]] on its way to [[Stockton, California|Stockton]], [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]], and [[Barstow, California|Barstow]].

These railroads spurred the development of industry in the county throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly driving development of the [[Standard Oil]] (now [[Chevron Corporation|Chevron]]) [[Chevron Richmond Refinery|refinery]] and port complex in Richmond.

There were a large number of short lines in the county between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. The rights of way of a number of these railroads also served as utility rights of way, particularly for water service, and so were preserved and in the late 20th century enhanced as walking, jogging, and bicycle riding trails in the central portion of the county.

==Attractions==
*[[Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve]]
*[[Blackhawk Museum]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blackhawkmuseum.org/ |title=blackhawkmuseum.org |publisher=blackhawkmuseum.org |date=November 17, 2012 |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928185649/http://www.blackhawkmuseum.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  (This site also contains a [[paleontology|paleontological]] museum of the [[University of California, Berkeley]])
*[[Stone House of John Marsh|John Marsh House]] (not open to the public) <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.johnmarshhouse.com/marsh_hs.htm |title=The John Marsh House
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051018204428/http://www.johnmarshhouse.com/marsh_hs.htm |archive-date=October 18, 2005 }}</ref>
*[[Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site]]
*[[John Muir National Historic Site]]
*[[Lindsay Wildlife Museum]]
*[[Don Francisco Galindo House]]
*[[Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe]]
*[[Martinez Adobe]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/john_muir_national_historic_site/martinez_adobe.aspx|title=The Martinez Adobe - John Muir National Historic Site - John Muir Exhibit (John Muir Education Project, Sierra Club California)|first=harvey|last=chinn|access-date=June 1, 2014|archive-date=June 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140602200432/http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/john_muir_national_historic_site/martinez_adobe.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[San Ramon Valley Museum]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museumsrv.org |title=Museum of the San Ramon Valley |publisher=museumsrv.org |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808223527/https://museumsrv.org/ |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Borges Ranch]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/header.asp?genericId=1&catId=4&subCatId=246 |title=" Welcome to City of WALNUT CREEK California " |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606211840/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/header.asp?genericId=1&catId=4&subCatId=246 |archive-date=June 6, 2008 }}</ref>
*[[Richmond Museum of History]]
*[[Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park]]
*[[Vasco Caves Regional Preserve]]

==Parks and recreation==
*[[Briones Regional Park]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/briones.htm |title=Briones Regional Park |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=September 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041011124408/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/briones.htm |archive-date=October 11, 2004 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
*[[Diablo Foothills]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/diablo_foothills |title=Diablo Foothills Regional Park |publisher=Ebparks.org |date=September 27, 2012 |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112095218/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/diablo_foothills |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Howe Homestead Park]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/oshowe_homestead.htm |title=Howe Homestead Park |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312135830/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/oshowe_homestead.htm |archive-date=March 12, 2005 }}</ref>
*[[Marsh Creek State Park (California)|Marsh Creek State Park]] - not open to the public
*[[Mount Diablo State Park]]
*[[Las Trampas Regional Wilderness]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/las_trampas |title=Las Trampas Regional Wilderness |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112095209/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/las_trampas |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Shell Ridge Open Space]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/shell_ridge.htm |title=Shell Ridge Open Space |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051203151914/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/shell_ridge.htm |archive-date=December 3, 2005 }}</ref>
*[[Lime Ridge Open Space]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/oslime_ridge.htm |title=Lime Ridge Open Space |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050927101742/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/oslime_ridge.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2005 }}</ref>
*[[San Pablo Recreation Area]] ([[San Pablo Dam Reservoir]])<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ebmud.com/services/recreation/east_bay/san_pablo/default.htm |title=San Pablo Recreation Area |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060104020115/http://www.ebmud.com/services/recreation/east_bay/san_pablo/default.htm |archive-date=January 4, 2006 }}</ref>
*[[Sugarloaf Open Space]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/sugarloafpage.htm |title=Sugarloaf Open Space Recreation Area |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050818044323/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/sugarloafpage.htm |archive-date=August 18, 2005}}</ref>
*[[Acalanes Open Space]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/osacalanes.htm |title=Acalanes Ridge Open Space |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051211202828/http://www.ci.walnut-creek.ca.us/openspace/osacalanes.htm |archive-date=December 11, 2005 }}</ref>
*[[Point Isabel Regional Shoreline]] in [[Richmond, California|Richmond]] is the largest dog park in the country.
*Adjoining or nearby these parks are lands of the [[East Bay Municipal Utility District]]. These require special annual permits for hiking, bicycle riding and horse riding, available for a small fee. At least one member of a party traversing these areas must have such a permit.

===Trails===
*[[Iron Horse Regional Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/iron_horse |title=Iron Horse Regional Trail |publisher=Ebparks.org |date=October 17, 2012 |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112092839/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/iron_horse |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[California State Riding and Hiking Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/california |title=California Riding and Hiking Trail |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321042421/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/california |archive-date=March 21, 2018 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
*[[Contra Costa Canal Regional Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/contra_costa |title=Contra Costa Canal Trail |publisher=Ebparks.org |date=September 13, 2012 |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122042248/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/contra_costa |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Delta de Anza Regional Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/delta_deanza |title=Delta de Anza Regional Trail |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112093327/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/delta_deanza |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Briones-Mount Diablo Regional Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/briones_mtdiablo |title=Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112091359/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/briones_mtdiablo |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/lafayette_moraga |title=Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail |publisher=Ebparks.org |access-date=November 22, 2012 |archive-date=December 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208211033/http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails/lafayette_moraga |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Marsh Creek (California)|Marsh Creek Regional Trail]]
*[[American Discovery Trail]]
*[http://wikispot.org/?action=gotowikipage&v=walnutcreek:Hiking Hiking trails in Contra Costa County]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

==Utilities==
*[[Central Contra Costa Sanitary District]]
*[[Contra Costa Water District]]
*[[East Bay Municipal Utility District]]

==Communities==
[[Image:Contra Costa County Hall of Records (Martinez, CA).jpg|thumb|right|Martinez Court House]]

===Cities===
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
*[[Antioch, California|Antioch]]
*[[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]]
*[[Clayton, California|Clayton]]
*[[Concord, California|Concord]]
*[[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]]
*[[Hercules, California|Hercules]]
*[[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]]
*[[Martinez, California|Martinez]] (county seat)
*[[Oakley, California|Oakley]]
*[[Orinda, California|Orinda]]
*[[Pinole, California|Pinole]]
*[[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]]
*[[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]]
*[[Richmond, California|Richmond]]
*[[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]]
*[[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]]
*[[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]
{{div col end}}

===Towns===
*[[Danville, California|Danville]]
*[[Moraga, California|Moraga]]

===Census-designated places===
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
*[[Acalanes Ridge, California|Acalanes Ridge]]
*[[Alamo, California|Alamo]]
*[[Alhambra Valley, California|Alhambra Valley]]
*[[Bay Point, California|Bay Point]]
*[[Bayview, Contra Costa County, California|Bayview]]
*[[Bethel Island, California|Bethel Island]]
*[[Blackhawk, California|Blackhawk]]
*[[Byron, California|Byron]]
*[[Camino Tassajara, California|Camino Tassajara]]
*[[Castle Hill, California|Castle Hill]]
*[[Clyde, California|Clyde]]
*[[Contra Costa Centre, California|Contra Costa Centre]]
*[[Crockett, California|Crockett]]
*[[Diablo, California|Diablo]]
*[[Discovery Bay, California|Discovery Bay]]
*[[East Richmond Heights, California|East Richmond Heights]]
*[[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante]]
*[[Kensington, California|Kensington]]
*[[Knightsen, California|Knightsen]]
*[[Montalvin Manor, California|Montalvin Manor]]
*[[Mountain View, Contra Costa County, California|Mountain View]]
*[[Norris Canyon, California|Norris Canyon]]
*[[North Gate, California|North Gate]]
*[[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]]
*[[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]]
*[[Port Costa, California|Port Costa]]
*[[Reliez Valley, California|Reliez Valley]]
*[[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]]
*[[Rollingwood, California|Rollingwood]]
*[[Saranap, California|Saranap]]
*[[San Miguel, Contra Costa County, California|San Miguel]]
*[[Shell Ridge, California|Shell Ridge]]
*[[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]]
*[[Vine Hill, California|Vine Hill]]
{{div col end}}

===Unincorporated communities===
*[[Canyon, California|Canyon]]
*Hasford Heights

===Former communities===
*[[Bayview-Montalvin, California|Bayview-Montalvin]]
*[[Port Chicago, California|Port Chicago]]

Ohmer was a rail station located on the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern Railroad {{convert|6|mi|km}} east of Martinez, which still appeared on maps as of 1947. Though primarily just a rail station, it was sometimes referred to as a community.<ref name="ohmer">Purcell, Mae Fisher. [https://books.google.com/books?id=6PSvegqcV4EC&q=%22Ohmer%22 History of Contra Costa County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728044726/https://books.google.com/books?id=6PSvegqcV4EC&dq=%22Ohmer%22+%22Contra+Costa+County%22&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=%22Ohmer%22 |date=July 28, 2020 }}, p. 309 (1940)</ref>

===Ghost towns===
*[[Judsonville, California|Judsonville]]
*[[Nortonville, California|Nortonville]]
*[[Point of Timber|Point of Timber Landing]]
*[[Somersville, California|Somersville]]
*[[Stewartville, California|Stewartville]]
*[[West Hartley, California|West Hartley]]

===Other places===
* [[Livorna, California|Livorna]]
* [[Rossmoor, Walnut Creek, California|Rossmoor]] - a senior development incorporated into Walnut Creek (not to be confused with the Southern California [[Rossmoor, California|Rossmoor]]).

===Population ranking===

The population ranking of the following table is based on the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]] of Contra Costa County.<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2020.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529154911/https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.2020.html |archive-date=May 29, 2023 |access-date=July 2, 2023 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] }}</ref>

'''†''' ''county seat''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Rank
!City/Town/etc.
!Municipal type
!Population (2020 Census)

|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 1
|'''[[Concord, California|Concord]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 125,410
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 2
|'''[[Richmond, California|Richmond]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 116,448
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 3
|'''[[Antioch, California|Antioch]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 115,291
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 4
|'''[[San Ramon, California|San Ramon]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 84,605
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 5
|'''[[Pittsburg, California|Pittsburg]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 76,416
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 6
|'''[[Walnut Creek, California|Walnut Creek]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 70,127
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 7
|'''[[Brentwood, California|Brentwood]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 64,292
|- style="background-color:#F0F8FF;"
| 8
|'''[[Danville, California|Danville]]''' 
| Town
| style="text-align:right;" | 43,582
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 9
|'''[[Oakley, California|Oakley]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 43,357
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 10
|'''†''' '''[[Martinez, California|Martinez]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 37,287
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 11
|'''[[Pleasant Hill, California|Pleasant Hill]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 34,613
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 12
| '''[[San Pablo, California|San Pablo]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 32,127
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 13
|'''[[Hercules, California|Hercules]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 26,016
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 14
|'''[[El Cerrito, California|El Cerrito]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 25,962
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 15
| '''[[Lafayette, California|Lafayette]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 25,391
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 16
|'''[[Bay Point, California|Bay Point]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 23,896
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 17
|'''[[Orinda, California|Orinda]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 19,514
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 18
|'''[[Pinole, California|Pinole]]'''
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 19,022
|- style="background-color:#F0F8FF;"
| 19
|'''[[Moraga, California|Moraga]]''' 
| Town
| style="text-align:right;" | 16,870
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 20
|'''[[El Sobrante, Contra Costa County, California|El Sobrante]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 15,524
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 21
|'''[[Discovery Bay, California|Discovery Bay]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 15,358
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 22
|'''[[Alamo, California|Alamo]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 15,314
|- style="background-color:#FFFACD;"
| 23
|'''[[Clayton, California|Clayton]]''' 
| City
| style="text-align:right;" | 11,070
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 24
|'''[[Rodeo, California|Rodeo]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 9,653
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 25
|'''[[Blackhawk, California|Blackhawk]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 9,637
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 26
|'''[[Contra Costa Centre, California|Contra Costa Centre]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 6,808
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 27
|'''[[Saranap, California|Saranap]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,830
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 28
|'''[[Kensington, California|Kensington]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,428
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 29
|'''[[Tara Hills, California|Tara Hills]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 5,364
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 30
|'''[[Camino Tassajara, California|Camino Tassajara]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 4,951
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 31
|'''[[Vine Hill, California|Vine Hill]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 4,323
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 32
|'''[[Pacheco, California|Pacheco]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 4,183
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 33
|'''[[North Richmond, California|North Richmond]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 4,175
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 34
|'''[[San Miguel, Contra Costa County, California|San Miguel]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,591
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 35
|'''[[East Richmond Heights, California|East Richmond Heights]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,460
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 36
|'''[[Reliez Valley, California|Reliez Valley]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,354
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 37
|'''[[Crockett, California|Crockett]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,242
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 38
|'''[[Montalvin Manor, California|Montalvin Manor]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,099
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 39
|'''[[Rollingwood, California|Rollingwood]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 3,015
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 40
|'''[[Mountain View, Contra Costa County, California|Mountain View]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 2,622
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 41
|'''[[Bethel Island, California|Bethel Island]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 2,131
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 42
|'''[[Bayview, Contra Costa County, California|Bayview]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,782
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 43
|'''[[Knightsen, California|Knightsen]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,596
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 44
|'''[[Castle Hill, California|Castle Hill]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,271
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 45
|'''[[Diablo, California|Diablo]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,255
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 46
|'''[[Byron, California|Byron]]'''
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,140
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 47
|'''[[Acalanes Ridge, California|Acalanes Ridge]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,285
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 48
|'''[[Shell Ridge, California|Shell Ridge]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,014
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 49
|'''[[Norris Canyon, California|Norris Canyon]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 1,313
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 50
|'''[[Alhambra Valley, California|Alhambra Valley]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 805
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 51
|'''[[North Gate, California|North Gate]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 667
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 52
|'''[[Clyde, California|Clyde]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 729
|- style="background-color:#F0FFF0;"
| 53
|'''[[Port Costa, California|Port Costa]]''' 
| CDP
| style="text-align:right;" | 190
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}

*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Contra Costa County, California]]
*[[List of museums in San Francisco Bay Area, California]]
*[[Stege, California]], former unincorporated area within the county

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Contra Costa County}}
{{commons category|Contra Costa County, California}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://ccclib.org/ Contra Costa County Library]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060412101817/http://pclab.cccoe.k12.ca.us/ Contra Costa County Office of Education - ROP]
* [http://cchealth.org/ Contra Costa Health Services]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20180920102449/http://www.contracostameansbusiness.com/ ContraCostaMeansBusiness.com - Contra Costa County's Business Portal]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930021451/http://contracostayouth.net/ Contra Costa Countywide Youth Commission (CYC)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070729224509/http://cocohistory.com/ Contra Costa County Historical Society]
{{Coord|37.93|-121.95|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-CA_source:UScensus1990}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Contra Costa County
|North     = [[Solano County, California|Solano County]]
|Northeast = [[Sacramento County, California|Sacramento County]]
|East      = [[San Joaquin County, California|San Joaquin County]]
|Southeast =
|South     = [[Alameda County, California|Alameda County]]
|Southwest = [[San Francisco County, California|San Francisco County]]
|West      = [[Marin County, California|Marin County]]
|Northwest = [[Sonoma County, California|Sonoma County]]<ref>Marin, Solano, Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties' borders come to a common point c. 6 miles into San Francisco Bay (coming from the north). Thus, Sonoma County is an adjacent county.  {{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/codesandstatute02caligoog |pages=[https://archive.org/details/codesandstatute02caligoog/page/n521 514], 515 |title=The codes and statutes of the State of California |year=1876 |publisher=A. L. Bancroft |last=Hittell |first=Theodore Henry |access-date=August 20, 2012}}</ref>
}}
{{Contra Costa County, California}}
{{East Bay}}
{{SF Bay Area}}
{{California}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Contra Costa County, California| ]]
[[Category:California counties]]
[[Category:Counties in the San Francisco Bay Area]]
[[Category:1850 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1850]]
[[Category:Majority-minority counties in California]]