On-Line Atlas of the San Francisco Bay Area

Contra Costa County Demographics

The maps below give a feel for the age composition of the communities that make up Contra Costa County.  Each community in the maps is coloured, with the colour representing the percent of the community that falls in a given age group.

For example, the first map uses a light colour to show neighbourhoods where children less than 10 years of age make up a small proportion of the population, an intermediate colour for average neighbourhoods, and a dark red for neighbourhoods where children make up a high proportion of the neighbourhood population.

Many, but not all, of the most highly urbanized communities in the county also have many children.  San Pablo and Richmond, in the eastern part of the county, and Concord/Pittsburg/Antioch, in the northern part of the county, have some of the highest concentrations of young children in the area. On the other hand, the county has a relative low proportion of seniors, in common with San Mateo County, San Jose/Santa Clara County, and Marin County.

The demographics, or age composition, of a neighbourhood are an important indicator of what the neighbourhood is like.  For example, neighbourhoods with high proportions of young people have different needs and priorities (schools, playgrounds, summer jobs) than neighbourhoods with few youth.

The bar chart below reflects the overall age structure of Contra Costa County's population, by 10-year age group.  It shows that the area has many young working people, and a substantial percentage of young families and children.