What to know before you move: cost, market timing, who it fits.
If you're considering a move to Castro Valley, CA, the most important variables are the local housing market, the cost structure (taxes, insurance, utilities), and how well the city fits your day-to-day life. This page summarizes the housing market read; pair it with the cost of living page for the full picture.
Castro Valley is a city in Alameda County, California, with an estimated population of 66,441. It anchors the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. The median home value in Castro Valley is $1,125,729 as of 2026-04, down 2.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.6% annual growth (-8.4% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Castro Valley average $2,713 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.7%). The composite momentum score is 49 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
Sideways market (-2.4% YoY). No urgency to time the macro trend — focus on the home and neighborhood.
Reasons people move here
- The data is the data: Castro Valley has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.
- Data is sourced from public datasets (Zillow, US Census) with full citations on the methodology page.
Things to know first
- Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,125,729 with only -2.4% YoY. You're paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
- Cooling: -2.4% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
More about Castro Valley
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.