Berkeley, CA

Even among college towns, Berkeley stands out for its contrarian ways. This was the scene of some of the earliest and most brutal antiwar protests of the 1960s. More recently, a month after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, the Berkeley City Council passed a resolution calling for an end to the bombing of Afghanistan.

Because the community grew up around the university, neighborhoods are older and have more character than newer residential areas around the state. Independent shops abound, partly because of local opposition to corporate franchises.

Berkeley scored well in nearly every category of our survey, standing out in the number of bookstores, support of its public libraries and preservation of historic areas.

Combined college enrollment: 31,277

Population: 102,743
Population change, 1990-2000: 0.00%

Median age: 32.5
(National: 35.3)

Per capita income: $30,477
(National: $21,587)

Unemployment rate: 3%
(National: 4.0%)

Owner-occupied housing: 41.0%

Public library expenditures, per capita: $78.20

Community profiles:
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley demographics

College profiles:
University of California - Berkeley

Notes:
1. All figures are for the years 1999-2000.
2. Combined enrollment figures are for the four-year colleges included in this survey.
3. Unemployment rates are an annual average.
4. Per-capita income and unemployment rates are county-level statistics.

For more on the sources and statistics used in this study, see methodology.