Berkeley receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Novato
Berkeley
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 40%
vs53 · Bottom 44%
Growth
17 · Bottom 5%
vs38 · Bottom 28%
Climate
81 · Top 15%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
33 · Bottom 26%
vs36 · Bottom 28%
Housing affordability
37 · Bottom 3%
vs42 · Bottom 5%
Access
86 · Bottom 32%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 48%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Novato | Berkeley | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,546 | 120,257 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $115,736 | $108,092 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $65,423 | $69,534 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,920/sq mi | 11,528/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,032,500 | $1,413,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,506 | $2,133 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.1% | 44.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.0% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.9% | 74.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.6% | 17.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5 | 373 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.1 | 3.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -16.7% | -3.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 79°F | 66°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 47°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 20.2" | 22.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 30.8 min | 30.2 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 47.5 | 33.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 17 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.27 | 19.32 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 45.2% | 28.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Novato
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, coastal flooding, inland flooding.
Berkeley
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Novato, CA · Berkeley, CA · How this is calculated: methodology