A family-oriented, semi-rural community, Orinda is considered one of the top suburbs in America for a number of reasons.
Located to the east of Berkeley in Contra Costa County, Orinda boasts top schools, affluent residents, luxury homes, a touted trail system and minimal crime.
Luxury housing, top-earning households
As of late April, the median list price of a home in Orinda was $1.4 million. This figure takes into consideration the 89 homes currently listed.
Spanning the past 12 months, home values in the city are said to have risen by nearly 10 percent.
Considering its’ home values it’s no surprise that a number of Orinda’s 18,300 residents are top-earning suburban professionals that commute into Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco. These professionals are the main reason why the city’s median household income rests at nearly $188,000.
For those that commute, downtown San Francisco can be reached in 35 minutes via Orinda’s BART station. Those that drive are roughly 17.5 miles from downtown SF,via CA 24 and Interstate 80, and have an average commute time of nearly 30 minutes.
Living in Orinda
As with a number of affluent suburbs, the city is home to a top rated schools, which are part of the Orinda Union School District. When ranked by API score, the district is among the top in California. GreatSchools gave all four of the district’s elementary schools and its one intermediate school scores of 10.
The nearby Miramonte High School also received a score of 10.
The city’s trail system, specifically de Laveaga Trail, has garnered it a Trail Town USA designation. The de Laveaga Trail begins in downtown and connects with regional trails. The city is also home to the 12-acre Orinda Oak Park.
Since 2002 the city has hosted the Orinda Film Festival at the historic Orinda Theatre. Spanning June to October the California Shakespeare Theater perform at the Bruns Memorial Amphitheater.
