Moving to Richmond: 11 Things to Know Before You Go

Categories: Facility

richmond, ca

Are you thinking of moving to Richmond, CA? We did some research and put this article together to help you make your decision.

How big is Richmond?

Richmond is located in the east part of the Bay Area, north of El Cerrito and has a population of 103,710.

How is the weather?

Typically, the high is about 73 but there are some summer days when it exceeds 80 and the record is 107. The coldest month is January and the average low is about 43. Richmond only receives about 5 inches of rain each year, and no snow.

Are there jobs?

Some of the largest employers are:

Kaiser Permanente
UPS
Chevron
Contra Costa USD
Bio Rad
Walmart
Dicon
Michael Stead Group.

How much is housing?

The median home value is about $440,000 and the average rent is $1725. You might get lucky and find a very small single family residence for the rare condo for less than $400,000.

For renters, there may be some small studios for $1,000 or some shared options for less than that. Moving to Richmond is something that may appeal to someone who wants to pay a mortgage instead of rent, or someone who wants lower rent.

How are the schools?

The Richmond public schools are rated below average by Great Schools. For adults, there is a 2-year institution, Contra Costa College about 2 miles from Richmond in San Pablo. Berkeley City College is 8 miles south of Richmond.

Dominican University in San Rafael offers both bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. It is about 9 miles from Richmond, across the Richmond Bridge.

UC-Berkeley offers a very wide range of degrees and is about 8 miles from Richmond.

How is the food?

In the Bay Area, places like San Francisco, Berkeley are Oakland are known for having quality restaurants, but Richmond’s offerings don’t receive as much attention typically. However, there are quite a few eateries that are popular.

Here are just some of them:

Huong Tra
The New Snapper’s Seafood Restaurant
Lilly’s New Orleans Cafe
Q’s Halal Pizza
Bubbaloo Cafe
Brezo
Anh Vietnamese
Krispy Krunchy
Philadelphia Hoagie Station
Hotel Mac Restaurant
Great American Hamburger and Pie
Aky’s Cafe
Inca’s Palace
Sala Thai
Little China Restaurant
Taqueria La Bamba
CJ’s BBQ & Fish
Curbside Kitchen
Rincon Michoacano
Gran Milan
Portumex
Kamza Sushi Palace
Boulevard Fish & BBQ
Taco’s El Chino
Tacos Los Primos
Angelo’s Gourmet Deli
Angel’s Restaurant
Isshin Ramen House
La Gran Chiquita

Are there parks?

Richmond is located right next to the bay, and it has varied terrain so there are some enjoyable parks. Some are:

Wildcat Canyon Regional Park
Point Isabel Dog Park
Marina Bay Park
Barbara and Jay Vincent Park
Miller Knox Regional Park
Alvarado Park
Solano Playlot
Adventure Kinderland
Totland Playground
Miller Knox Regional Park
Point Pinole Regional Shoreline
La Moine Park
Codornices Park
Burg Park
Kern Play Lot
Pogo Park
Tiller Park
Sobrante Ridge Regional Preserve
Shimada Friendship Park
Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park.

Is there transportation?

Richmond has its own BART station, so if you work in San Francisco or the East Bay, you can ride a train instead of having to drive or ride a bus. The closest airport is in Oakland, or if you prefer a larger one there is SFO across the bay. Moving to Richmond is a choice that will mean you are further away from San Francisco and Oakland, but you will still be in striking distance.

Are there places of worship?

Here is a sample of the religious institutions:

Hilltop Community Church
Bay Hills Community Church
Open Door United Methodist Church
Bay Hills Community Church
Our Lady of Mercy
St. Mark’s Catholic Church
Gospel Fellowship Church
Iglesia De Cristo Sion Richmond California
Easter Hill United Methodist Church

For Buddhists, there is the Dharmata Foundation which is focused on Tibetan Buddhism. For those who practice Judaism or are interested there is the Temple Beth Hillel.

What are some things to do?

Richmond has the standard things to do you might find in many towns, but here are several that are more specific:

Miller Knox Regional Shoreline
Riggers Loft Wine Company
The Craneway Pavilion
SS Red Oak Victory
Marina Bay Trail
Rosie the Riveter Park
Point Isabel

Of course, this list is just a sample.

Is there access to nature?

Other than the parks within Richmond, you can also access nature by driving a short distance over the Richmond Bridge into San Rafael or you can turn left and venture into Larkspur or further west until you get into Fairfax. Near Larkspur, if you turn south on the highway you can then drive to Tiburon or Sausalito. If you drive through Fairfax, you can go all the way to Point Reyes, so there is abundance of nature on the other side of the bridge. If you go the other way, towards El Cerrito and Berkeley, the East Bay has many parks, including the open space area at the Berkeley Marina.

The Richmond Marina has some open space and if you have a boat or know someone who does then you can take it out into the bay. Moving to Richmond might be a good choice from the standpoint of housing costs, or if you want to be in an area with less population density.

What is near Richmond?

Berkeley — 8 miles
Oakland — 12 miles
Vallejo — 16 miles
San Francisco — 17 miles
Napa — 33 miles

After reading this article, are you still interested in moving to Richmond?

Image Credit: ILike2BeAnonymous, CC BY-SA 3.0