Alameda County · California
ZIP code 94542
- Population
- 14,729
- Median income
- $131,989
- Median home
- $1,085,900
- Sales tax
- 7.25%
ZCTA residents
Household, past 12 months
Owner-occupied value
California state rate
Quick answer
ZIP 94542 sits in Alameda County, California and is home to 14,729 people. Median household income is $131,989, the median home is worth $1,085,900 and median gross rent is $2,605. 71.7% of households own their home, and purchases are taxed at 7.25% (California state rate).
- County
- Alameda County
- State
- California (CA)
- Area codes
- Not published
- Metro area
- Outside covered metros
FIPS 06001
1,803 ZIPs covered
No NANPA match for this ZIP
Rate jurisdiction used for tax
The numbers for 94542
American Community Survey 2019-2023 ACS 5-year estimates for this ZCTA.
- Population
- 14,729ZIP 94542 residents
- Median household income
- $131,989Past 12 months, inflation adjusted
- Median home value
- $1,085,900Owner-occupied units
- Median gross rent
- $2,605Rent plus utilities, monthly
- Median age
- 42.7 yrsAll residents
- Homeownership rate
- 71.7%Owner-occupied households
Sales tax in 94542
What a purchase inside this ZIP costs at checkout.
California levies 7.25% statewide, and counties, cities and special districts inside this ZIP can add their own local rate on top. Check the county page for the local component before you quote a price.
Affordability in this ZIP
Derived from the Census medians above — indicative, not an offer.
A rent burden above 30% is the federal threshold for cost-burdened households, and a price-to-income multiple above 4× is generally considered a stretched housing market. The mortgage figure is principal and interest only — taxes, insurance and HOA dues are extra.
How 94542 compares
ZIP 94542 against the median ZIP in Alameda County and across California.
| Measure | ZIP 94542 | County median | State median | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $131,989 | $125,780 | $89,916 | +47% |
| Median home value | $1,085,900 | $1,094,200 | $628,900 | +73% |
| Median gross rent | $2,605 | $2,378 | $1,851 | +41% |
| Population | 14,729 | 33,186 | 15,085 | -2% |
Medians are computed across the 49 ZIP areas in Alameda County and the 1803 ZIP areas in California.
Statewide rank
Where this ZIP places among all 1803 California ZIP areas.
- Income
- #281
- Home value
- #293
- Population
- #913
richer than 82% of 1,593 state ZIPs
above 82% of 1,597 state ZIPs
larger than 49% of 1,803 state ZIPs
Comparable ZIP codes
California ZIP areas with almost the same household income.
Nearby ZIP codes
Other ZIP codes filed under Alameda County.
ZIP 94542 questions
Common questions about this ZIP code.
- Where is ZIP code 94542?
- ZIP 94542 lies mostly in Alameda County, California. County assignment follows the largest share of land area, so a ZIP straddling a county line is filed under its dominant county.
- What sales tax do I pay in 94542?
- California charges 7.25% statewide, plus any county, city or district rate that applies locally.
- Is 94542 expensive to live in?
- Median rent runs $2,605 a month, about 24% of median household income, and the median home is worth $1,085,900 — +73% against the typical California ZIP.
- Is a ZCTA the same as a postal ZIP code?
- Not exactly. The Census builds ZIP Code Tabulation Areas from the ZIP codes of addresses inside each census block, so a ZCTA can differ slightly from the USPS delivery route of the same number, and PO-box-only ZIPs have no ZCTA at all.
Keep going
Related pages for this area.
Sources & transparency
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates — 2019-2023 ACS 5-year — population, income, housing
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-county relationship file — County assignment by largest land-area overlap
- California Department of Tax and Fee Administration — Sales tax rates and local add-ons
Last reviewed December 2024. Figures are published for reference and can change; verify with the source agency before filing or contracting. How we build and check this data.