Census-designated place · Contra Costa County, California

Bethel Island, California

Bethel Island is a census-designated place in Contra Costa County, California, part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area. It has 1,864 residents. Bethel Island, California has a quality-of-life score of 34 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,270 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #570 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on comfortable days (high), drought exposure (low) and average weekly wage (high). It ranks worst on unemployment rate (high), rent as share of income (high) and home price to income ratio (high).

34Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,270 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #570 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 1,864 (2020-2024)
Land area: 5 mi²
Density: 355.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 0606210

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety43#8,934/15,637
Economy37#9,826/15,631
Housing0#14,935/14,977
Health72#4,446/15,609
Healthcare78#3,431/15,650
Environment29#10,917/15,453
Education10#14,082/15,649
Infrastructure48#8,208/15,650
Community44#8,694/15,651
Leisure & amenities56#6,799/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Bethel Island, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Contra Costa County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Comfortable days · high42.8%
97/100California 34.8%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationContra Costa County value
Drought exposure · low0%
97/100California 9%United States 43%Nov 2025–Oct 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAContra Costa County value
Average weekly wage · high$1,677
93/100California $1,865United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsContra Costa County value
Food environment index · high9.2
92/100California 8.7United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteContra Costa County value
Life expectancy · high81.4 yrs
92/100California 79.7 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteContra Costa County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
91/100California 10 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauContra Costa County value

Weaknesses

Unemployment rate · high35.5%
0/100California 5.5%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Rent as share of income · high51.0%
2/100California 32.8%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Home price to income ratio · high9.1×
2/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Students per teacher · high22.3×
2/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsContra Costa County value
High school diploma or higher · low67.7%
4/100California 84.7%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Natural hazard risk · high91.9
8/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyContra Costa County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationFalling
2,161 (2015-2019) → 1,864 (2020-2024)
−14%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.9% (2015-2019) → 35.5% (2020-2024)
+31 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$33,583 (2015-2019) → $74,972 (2020-2024)
+123%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
67.3% (2015-2019) → 84.0% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
5.0× (2015-2019) → 9.1× (2020-2024)
+81%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
23.6% (2015-2019) → 34.6% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Bethel Island, California improved on 1 of 9 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 7 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Household income+123%$33,583 → $74,972

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 9 measures

Change of every measure of Bethel Island, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.0%2015-2019	18.9%2020-2024	+7.9 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Broadband subscriptions	67.3%2015-2019	84.0%2020-2024	+17 points	Within the margin of error	84%
Effective property tax rate	0.90%2015-2019	0.91%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	14%
High school diploma or higher	73.8%2015-2019	67.7%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Home price to income ratio	5.0×2015-2019	9.1×2020-2024	+4.1×	Within the margin of error	0%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5212015-2019	0.4982020-2024	−0.023	Within the margin of error	70%
Median household income	$33,5832015-2019	$74,9722020-2024	+123%	Improved	99%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	51.0%2015-2019	51.0%2020-2024	0 points	Little change	55%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Bethel Island, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Bethel Island, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Bethel Island, California itself moved +6.1 points in standing on average over the same 8 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,864 residents (±570)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−8.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,864 residents (±570)

Bethel Island, California
California share

White53%†995
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino42%†777

Education

1,519 residents (±444)

Bethel Island, California
California share

No high school diploma32%†490
High school or GED33%†500
Some college8.6%

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

863 households (±264)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Under $25k30%†258
$25k–50k8.1%†70
$50k–75k12%†104
$75k–100k27%†235
$100k–150k7.5%†65
$150k–200k5.4%†47
$200k or more9.7%†84

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−20.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

863 households (±264)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Own64%†554
Rent36%†309

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

309 households (±171)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,50044%†135

Home values

554 homes (±250)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Under $150k0.0%0
$150k–250k7.9%†44
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

1,038 homes (±265)

Bethel Island, California
California share

2010 or later9.7%†101
2000–20096.1%†63
1980–199918%†

Size of homes

1,038 homes (±265)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Studio6.2%†64
1 bedroom24%†252
2 bedrooms21%†221

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

400 workers (±264)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Drive alone75%†299
Carpool11%†42
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home15%†59
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

341 workers (±233)

Bethel Island, California
California share

Under 15 min54%†185
15–29 min2.1%†7
30–44 min5.9%†20

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Contra Costa County, the county holding most of Bethel Island's residents.

Contra Costa County has 25,932 employer establishments, 223 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248; 0.85× California's), with 343,690 paid employees at an average annual pay of $81,636. The Census Bureau also counts 106,014 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 25,932; 106,014 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 223; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 343,690
Average annual pay: $81,636; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Contra Costa County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	2,480	21.3	1.02×About typical	29,672	$96,732	5,061
Restaurants and other eating places	1,977	17	0.93×About typical	32,379	$28,533	409
Lessors of real estate	1,625	14	1.14×About typical	6,259	$82,116	11,002
Specialty trade contractors	1,621	14	0.90×About typical	18,022	$94,438	3,963
Construction of buildings	1,092	9.4	1.24×About typical	7,353	$91,337	2,910
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,050	9	1.35×More than typical	5,844	$108,221	5,664
Limited-service restaurants	843	7.3	0.90×About typical	13,597	$25,317	175
Full-service restaurants	798	6.9	0.89×About typical	14,325	$33,302	143
Services to buildings and dwellings	791	6.8	1.01×About typical	7,550	$50,853	5,818
Real estate agents and brokers	742	6.4	1.31×More than typical	1,706	$92,203	3,320
Offices of dentists	732	6.3	1.56×More than typical	4,713	$60,554	208
Offices of physicians	683	5.9	0.91×About typical	6,324	$132,792	832

Rank places for an industry Open Contra Costa County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,161,953 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Bethel Island, California: $0 per resident (US $2,007).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $2,007
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.7%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

3.9KFY2017
55.5KFY2020
8.3KFY2021
47KFY2022
17.6KFY2023
19.4KFY2024

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 9, 2026, loaded Oct 9, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Bethel Island, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Bethel Island, California's figures are part of those of Contra Costa County, CA ($781.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Bethel Island is mostly in Contra Costa County.

See federal money in Contra Costa County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Bethel Island, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).