Hercules, CA

City in Contra Costa County, CA, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

26,302

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

43.9

years ∙ half population younger than 43.9, half older

Diversity Index

72.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

36.3%

foreign-born population

63.7%Native

36.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Hercules is a city within Contra Costa County, California, United States.

Location

City in Contra Costa County, CA, US

Co-ordinates

DEC38.021427° N, 122.288929° W

DMS38° 01′ 17.14″ N, 122° 17′ 20.14″ W

Population Density & area

4,110/sq mi (1,584/km²)

Total Area

20 sq mi (51.8 km²)

Land Area

6.4 sq mi (16.6 km²) · 32.1%

Water Area

13.6 sq mi (35.2 km²) · 67.9%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

48.6% male

Male 48.6%

Female 51.4%

males per 100 females

Hercules 94.4

Contra Costa County 96.8

California 99.8

Nativity

36.3%

foreign-born population

63.7%Native

36.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Hercules 36.3%

Contra Costa County 26.6%

California 27%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

43.9

years ∙ half population younger than 43.9, half older

Hercules

43.9

Contra Costa County

40.5

California

37.9

Dependency ratio

62.4

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Hercules 62.4

Contra Costa County 64.1

California 60.4

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	18.3%	22%	22%
Working age (18-64)	61.6%	60.9%	62.3%
Senior (65+)	20.1%	17.1%	15.7%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	62.4	64.1	60.4
Child dependency ratio	29.7	36.1	35.2
Old-age dependency ratio	32.7	28.1	25.1

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

14.4%

Black

18.3%

Asian

44.1%

Hispanic

14.5%

Other

8.7%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

72.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Hercules 72.5%

Contra Costa County 73.4%

California 69.6%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Hercules population

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Hispanic or Latino	14.5%	27.6%	40.2%
Mexican	9.1%	18.1%	32.3%
Puerto Rican	0.6%	0.7%	0.6%
Cuban	0%	0.2%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	4.8%	8.7%	7%
Not Hispanic or Latino	85.5%	72.4%	59.8%
One race	78.4%	66.1%	55.4%
White	14.4%	38.1%	33.8%
Black or African American	18.3%	7.9%	5.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.1%	0.2%	0.3%
Asian	44.1%	18.6%	15.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	1.2%	0.5%	0.3%
Some Other Race	0.4%	0.8%	0.6%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	7.1%	6.3%	4.4%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

73.6% family

Family 73.6%

Non family 26.4%

% family households

Hercules 73.6%

Contra Costa County 71.5%

California 67.8%

Average household size

2.8

persons per household

Hercules

2.8

Contra Costa County

2.78

California

2.84

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Hercules population

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Total households	9,355	414,417	13,548,091
Average houshold size	2.8	2.78	2.84
Family households	6,884	296,218	9,191,176
Average family size	3.28	3.27	3.41
Married couple family	5,055	224,093	6,557,184
Other families	1,829	72,125	2,633,992
Male householder	348	22,037	857,732
Female householder	1,481	50,088	1,776,260
Non-family households	2,471	118,199	4,356,915
One-person households	2,142	91,534	3,289,307
Male householder	711	38,400	1,493,062
Senior (65+) living alone	186	14,034	460,668
Female householder	1,431	53,134	1,796,245
Senior (65+) living alone	656	29,906	886,142
Other living arrangements	329	26,665	1,067,608

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

9,581

housing units

Hercules 9,581

Contra Costa County 429,260

California 14,644,735

Occupancy status

97.6% occupied

Occupied 97.6%

Vacant 2.4%

vacancy rate

Hercules 2.4%

Contra Costa County 3.5%

California 7.5%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

78.1%

Single family houses

78.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

21.4%

Mobile homes

0.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

0.2%

Median Year Built

1988

Half of houses were built before 1988, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

0.1%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

1.8%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

70.7%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

27.1%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	5.7	5
1–3 rooms	11.2%	13.4%	21%
4–6 rooms	48%	50.6%	54.7%
7+ rooms	40.9%	35.8%	24.4%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	2.6%	3%	5%
1 bedroom	3.9%	8.7%	13.2%
2 bedrooms	26.2%	21.9%	26.9%
3 bedrooms	27.8%	33.6%	32.8%
4+ bedrooms	39.4%	32.9%	22.1%
At a glance
Median year built	1988	1978	1976
Total housing units	9,581	429,260	14,644,735

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

79.2% owners

Renter-occupied 20.8%

Owner-occupied 79.2%

homeownership rate

Hercules 79.2%

Contra Costa County 68%

California 55.9%

Average household size

2.87

Owner-occupied

2.53

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Hercules 2.87

Contra Costa County 2.82

California 2.95

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Total occupied units	9,355	414,417	13,548,091
Year moved in
2020 or later	18%	21%	23.4%
2010 to 2019	36.6%	40.5%	41.2%
2000 to 2009	19.6%	17.8%	17%
1999 or earlier	25.7%	20.6%	18.5%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	96.7%	94.6%	91.8%
1.01 to 1.50	2.9%	3.4%	5%
1.51 or more	0.4%	2%	3.2%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	4.1%	5.2%	7.1%
1 vehicle	29.9%	28.2%	30.7%
2 vehicles	33.9%	37.7%	36.3%
3 or more vehicles	32%	28.9%	25.8%
House heating fuel used
Gas	65.6%	68%	64.4%
Electricity	31.1%	28.3%	29.5%
Solar	1.9%	1.7%	1.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0%	0.1%	0.2%
All other fuels	0.4%	0.6%	1.6%
No fuel used	1.1%	1.3%	3%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.8%	0.4%	0.4%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.4%	0.7%	1.2%
No telephone service available	1.1%	0.7%	0.9%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$769,400

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Hercules

$769,400

Contra Costa County

$866,800

California

$734,700

Housing Cost Burden

42.1%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

42.1%

Owners without a mortgage

14.7%

Renters

59.6%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Property value
Median Value	$769,400	$866,800	$734,700
Under $100,000	3.8%	2.6%	4.2%
$100,000 - $200,000	0.8%	1.4%	2.7%
$200,000 - $300,000	0.1%	1.4%	4.3%
$300,000 - $500,000	13.1%	8.7%	17.1%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	64.1%	47.8%	42.1%
$1,000,000 and more	18.1%	38%	29.6%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	72.5%	71.1%	67.4%
Without a mortgage	27.5%	28.9%	32.6%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$3,326	$3,435	$2,946
Without a mortgage	$1,019	$1,009	$829
Gross rent
Median rent	$2,991	$2,375	$2,036

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

46%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Hercules 46%

Contra Costa County 45.2%

California 37.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

7.5%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Hercules 7.5%

Contra Costa County 10.4%

California 15.2%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

6,003

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

6.6%

K–12

61%

College / Undergraduate

26.9%

Graduate / Professional

5.6%

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

54.3%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Hercules

54.3%

Contra Costa County

44.9%

California

46.8%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Total enrolled (age 3+)	6,003	285,826	9,917,839
Nursery / preschool	6.6%	5.7%	5%
K–12	61%	67.8%	64.9%
Kindergarten	3.5%	5%	4.9%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	18.4%	19.4%	18.7%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	17.6%	20.5%	19.9%
High School: Grades 9–12	21.4%	23%	21.5%
College or graduate school	32.5%	26.5%	30.1%
College, undergraduate	26.9%	21.2%	24.3%
Graduate, professional school	5.6%	5.3%	5.8%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	54.3%	44.9%	46.8%
School type
Public school	78.8%	83.5%	85%
Private school	21.2%	16.5%	15%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

19,421

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

9th-12th, no diploma

3.5%

HS graduate

13.8%

Some college no degree

22.3%

Associates degree

10.3%

Bachelors degree

32.1%

Graduate or professional degree

14%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

32.9% · 67.1%

9th-12th, no diploma

44% · 56%

HS graduate

49.5% · 50.5%

Some college no degree

57.2% · 42.8%

Associates degree

40.6% · 59.4%

Bachelors degree

41.5% · 58.5%

Graduate or professional degree

46.9% · 53.1%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Population (25+)	19,421	816,152	27,073,960
Less than 9th grade	4%	5.5%	8.7%
9th–12th, no diploma	3.5%	4.9%	6.5%
High school diploma or GED	13.8%	18%	20.5%
Some college, no degree	22.3%	18.4%	19.3%
Associate's degree	10.3%	8%	7.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	46%	45.2%	37.1%
Bachelor's degree	32.1%	27.5%	22.7%
Graduate or professional	14%	17.7%	14.4%
High School or higher	92.5%	89.6%	84.7%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$75,517

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$25,417

HS graduate

$53,269

Some college or associates

$57,070

Bachelors degree

$91,511

Graduate or professional degree

$110,710

Poverty Rate

3.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

7.6%

HS graduate

9.3%

Some college or associates

7.1%

Bachelors degree or higher

3.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Hercules	Contra Costa County	California
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$75,517	$71,603	$56,395
Less than high school graduate	$25,417	$35,698	$32,480
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$53,269	$47,577	$41,382
Some college or associate's degree	$57,070	$59,867	$50,157
Bachelor's degree	$91,511	$97,980	$80,933
Graduate or professional degree	$110,710	$126,324	$111,188
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	7.6%	15.6%	20%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	9.3%	10.9%	13.9%
Some college or associate's degree	7.1%	8.7%	10.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	3.2%	3.8%	5%

Insights for Hercules, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

Cite this page

Citation style

Url to be used as reference

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal or tax advice. We recommend that you consult with a qualified professional such as a lawyer or accountant before making a decision. Many of the products and services featured here are from our affiliate partners. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Read advertiser disclosure.