Located in California’s East Bay region is the small city of Walnut Creek, bordered by the rolling Diablo Hills and sprinkled with oak and walnut trees. Spanning just under 20 miles, the city has a population of nearly 70,000 residents. About 16 miles east of Oakland and 25 miles from San Francisco, Walnut Creek has become a haven for people who wish to live in a quieter space and commute to the bigger cities. “The proximity and location of Walnut Creek is a major highlight,” says Jennifer DeVinney, a resident and Realtor with Engel & Volkers Danville, which serves the East Bay area. “It’s only about half an hour to San Francisco; Napa Valley is about 45 minutes away, or there’s nearby Livermore, which is another wine region that’s even closer for a nice wine-tasting experience.” The city has also drawn in residents looking for an outdoor lifestyle, as it’s just west of the Diablo Range and has hundreds of miles of trails on the city's eastern side. “There are a lot of great hiking opportunities around Walnut Creek, including Lime Ridge Open Space, where you can just go to get away from it all and be in nature,” says Bay Area native Sankalan Sarkar, an almost 15-year Realtor with Keller Williams Corona and former Walnut Creek resident.
Walnut Creek's economy was stimulated by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the late 1800s. Then, when the Broadway Plaza Shopping Center opened in 1951, its population doubled from 1950 to 1960. It has continued a steady rise in population ever since and has today become a community popular with commuters and retirees. Niche, in fact, ranks Walnut Creek as the No. 9 best place to retire in California. The city also has some significant medical corporations that have helped it thrive as well. “We have such a good healthcare system here,” DeVinney says. Walnut Creek is home to the award-winning John Muir Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente, which are both some of the area’s biggest employers, along with Robert Half International.
Discover charming streets and upscale experiences in Downtown Walnut Creek.
Ranch San Miguel is a birdwatcher’s paradise filled with soothing nature sounds.
A vibrant community with parks, shops, and top-notch amenities.
Downtown Walnut Creek at night is lively with twinkling lights, bustling restaurants, and more.
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Mixed architectural homes with views of Mount Diablo
As of October 2024, the median price of a home in Walnut Creek is $875,000, just slightly below the state median average of $904,000. Over the past five years, the median price in Walnut Hill has risen 18%, with a 4% increase in price from 2023 to 2024. The city's eastern edge is home to the rolling foothills of the Diablo Range, so many of the homes are clustered on the southwest quadrant of Walnut Creek, especially in or around the notable Rossmoor neighborhood. “Rossmoor is a prominent 55 and older residential living area in Walnut Creek that has a golf course,” DeVinney says. “It’s a lovely private gated community.” Some of the pricier homes in the city are located in the Lakewood neighborhood, where homes have a median price of $1.7 million and offer unobstructed views of the Diablo Range. Some other popular Walnut Creek neighborhoods are Walnut Heights, Larkey Park, Saranap, Lakewood and Northgate. The Rancho San Miguel neighborhood is known for its Eichler and other mid-century style homes, while the Parkmed neighborhood features bungalows and ranch styles.
Contemporary ranch homes blend modern design with cozy, inviting living spaces.
Contemporary condos in Contra Costa Centre offer sleek design and modern amenities.
Hillside homes in Buena Vista offer stunning views and a serene retreat from the city.
Tice Valley is full of elegance with a bit of country charm with hills and fields.
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Top-rated school districts and nearby notable private schools
The city is served by the Walnut Creek School District, which gets an A-minus rating from Niche. The district comprises six elementary schools and a pair of middle schools, all earning an overall grade of A-minus or better. Students may then head to Las Lomas High School within the A-plus-rated Acalanes Union High School District, which is considered the No.1 best school district in Contra Costa County by Niche. Another option is Northgate High School, served by the B-plus-rated Mt. Diablo Unified School District and is noted as one of the top STEM high schools in California. For a private school option, De La Salle High School is just a few miles from the center of Walnut Creek. It’s considered one of the most popular all-boys private high schools in the entire Bay Area and is known for its athletic programs. Many students are known to go to this school to play, then head to a top college football team before heading to the NFL.
Buena Vista Elementary School aims to deliver to notch education and experiences.
Las Lomas High School proivdes a safe, positive, and nurturing environment for students.
Carondelet High School is an all-girls private Catholic high school
Foundation of learning at Northgate High School.
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Downtown dining, annual events and Broadway Plaza shopping
Just east of City Hall, on the two blocks between Broadway and California Boulevard, is the lively scene of downtown Walnut Creek. It features local boutique shops and over 120 bars, steakhouses and fine dining establishments. Restaurants here serve up a vast mix of cuisines, including authentic Italian, Mediterranean and New American. The area also has many wine bars, breweries and trendy coffee shops. While there are multiple shopping centers around the city, the open-air Broadway Plaza area is the largest shopping destination. Located downtown, this expansive shopping district features a mix of specialty and high-end shops, with nationally known brands such as Apple, Zara, Lululemon and Nordstrom.
Downtown is also where residents gather for the city’s many community events. Walnut Creek First Wednesday Street Fest happens monthly, May through August, and has artisan vendors, kids activities and live music. Other popular annual events include Oktoberfest and the Uncorked Wine Festival in June, which features wine tastings, live music and shopping specials along the downtown streets. The city’s central Civic Park also hosts many events throughout the year, including a Movies Under the Stars series each summer and a Trunk or Treat event each Halloween.
Groups of people enjoy dining in the covered patio at True Food Kitchen in Broadway Plaza.
Dance and sing along at the Walnut Creek Broadway Plaza Summer Sounds Concert.
Downtown Walnut Creek's Broadway Plaza features a two story Nordstrom.
Celebrate creativity with family at Walnut Creek Family Art Day, featuring fun art events.
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Community parks, open ridge spaces and downtown cultural attractions
With its proximity to the Diablo Range, it’s no surprise that Walnut Creek has some of the best hiking in the Bay Area. The city manages over 3,000 acres of open space, including Lime Ridge and Shell Ridge, with the latter having over 30 miles of trails with scenic vistas. These multi-use trails are great for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Walnut Creek is also home to 16 city parks, including the 102-acre Heather Farm Park, which has a fishing lake, dog park, golf course and equestrian center. Civic Park is another main city park located downtown. It features play structures, shaded green spaces and a central gazebo where many community events occur. The park is also connected to the Iron Horse Regional Trail, which spans 32 miles from Concord to Pleasanton and connects to many East Bay area schools, parks and housing districts. This recreational trail follows along the Southern Pacific Railroad right-of-way, which operated from 1891 to 1978, and is a popular route for walkers, bikers and horseback riders.
The Lesher Center for the Arts is the city’s premier destination for arts and entertainment, hosting over 900 productions and events each year, including musicals and dance performances. The Bedford Gallery is another cultural city attraction featuring rotating contemporary art exhibits. The history of Walnut Creek is put on display at the Shadelands Ranch Museum. “It’s a famous museum here,” Sarkar says. “It’s an early 20th-century ranch-style property that’s a historical city site, and they offer tours throughout the year.”
Shell Ridge trail is where locals of Walnut Heights take their dogs for long walks.
A man walks along the Acalanes Ridge Trail, taking in the scenic beauty of Walnut Creek.
A man enjoys watching sand volleyball from the shade of trees in Buena Vista.
Explore contemporary art and diverse exhibits at Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, CA.
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Increasingly higher summer temperatures and low crime rates
Walnut Creek's winters are cool and moist, with temperatures averaging in the mid-50s, and its summers are warm to hot and dry. The average summer temperature is in the high 80s, although the city is known to experience heat waves in August and September. The area is estimated to have 170 days over 80 degrees and around 60 days with temperatures above 90 degrees, which puts the city in a high heat index category. Because Walnut Creek has increasingly been getting hotter over the past decade, the city adopted a Sustainability Action Plan in July 2023. This plan is for the city to achieve a sustainable future that can adapt to changing climate conditions and rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions for a net-zero emissions goal by 2045. The plan consists of over 125 actions that the city will implement to achieve its sustainability goals, which can be tracked by an online progress tracker on the city’s website.
Violent crime in Walnut Creek reached a 10-year low in 2023. Overall, violent crime has decreased 12% in Walnut Creek over the past decade, while California has seen an 18% increase over the same period. Property-related crime also reached a 10-year low in 2023 and has seen a 45% decrease over the past 10 years. In 2023, Walnut Creek experienced 53% fewer property-related crimes than the California average. As of 2024, the city’s crime rates are still steadily declining.
County Connection bus routes, BART Stations and major highways
The city is close to major highways that provide easy access to larger metropolises. Interstate 680 runs directly through Walnut Creek, which heads south towards Fremont and connects with Interstate 880 into San Jose. Nearby Highway 24 leads west to San Francisco, about 25 miles away, although it can take up to an hour with traffic. There's a trolley system that hits all the major attractions in downtown Walnut Creek, and there's the County Connection bus system, which has city stops and other service routes to all of the Bay Area. Another public transportation option is the Walnut Creek BART Station, which provides light rail transportation or commuting throughout the Bay Area. For domestic and international flights, the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport and the San Francisco International Airport are 15 and 26 miles away, respectively.
Room for growth
The city of Walnut Creek has big plans for continued growth in the coming years. One program is the Your Parks Your Future initiative, which will create a new aquatics and community center, as well as provide improvements to existing recreation centers. Major reconstruction is being done to the John Muir Medical Center, resulting in a 155,000-square-foot medical office building. A new addition to downtown will be The Foundry. This two-story food hall will have rotating local vendors and feature outdoor seating to bring the community together in the mild Bay Area weather. There are also a handful of projects underway to provide more single-family and multi-unit housing in Walnut Creek.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
