Clayton, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Clayton

Contra Costa County · San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley · population 10,933

Small-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
44
Cooling
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Clayton stands

Steady, no major recent move.

Median home $1,055,703
1-year -2.3%
5-yr CAGR +2.0%
vs 5-yr peak -10.3%
Population -0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-06$1056k$660k$848k$1036k$1224k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
24/100
Poor remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
38 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
47 · w22%
Distance from peak
44 · w18%
Population growth
40 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
54 · w10%
Long thesis

Clayton has held up across the cycle: home values at $1,055,703 with +2.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Clayton carries a $1,055,703 median home with only -2.3% YoY. Premium pricing in a flat tape is the bear setup — you're paying for the trend that already ran while new buyers can't afford to extend it.

About Clayton

Clayton is a city in Contra Costa County, California, with an estimated population of 10,933. It anchors the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley metro area. The median home value in Clayton is $1,055,703 as of 2026-04, down 2.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.0% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 10% below its 5-year peak. The composite momentum score is 44 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.

▲ Bull case

○The data is the data: Clayton has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $1,055,703 with only -2.3% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
●Cooling: -2.3% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
●10% off recent peak — buyers are getting through-the-cycle pricing, not the peak.
●Flat or shrinking population: -0.3% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it.

Seller

Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.

Investor

Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Contra Costa County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Contra Costa County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Clayton

Healdsburg, CA45 · CoolingCotati, CA47 · CoolingAmerican Canyon, CA50 · StablePleasant Hill, CA46 · Cooling

Run the numbers for Clayton

ToolCan I afford Clayton?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Clayton rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Clayton to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolClayton cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Clayton listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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