Why is Concord inexpensive compared to other cities nearby?

[Hemlock140]

I went to high school at DeLaSalle in Concord, when it first opened up. There is a good reason why the Christian Brothers chose Concord for a private high school. Look up the school ratings there, and compare to Lafayette or Walnut Creek. I still have relatives in Martinez, Concord, Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek, and visit sometimes. We feel just as safe in Concord, but then the statistics show it in the list of 100 most dangerous cities in California, along with Pittsburg, Antioch and Richmond.
Concord is far down on that list at #82, but perception of crime along with school ratings will affect home prices.

https://contracostaherald.com/07241803cch/

[Vision67]

I've lived in Concord for two years. I'm retired so the schools are not an issue for me but they are rated lower than Walnut Creek and Lafayette.

As for crime, it's mostly property crime, e.g. car window bashing to steal contents or swiping Amazon deliveries. However, that happens all over.

So far I like it, especially because the weather is so nice and we have a great vegetable garden. Unfortunately it's still way too expensive for most young families and the area is filled with older people who have lived here for a long time. Many of them have a second generation living in the same house waiting to inherit the house when the parents check out.

[mysticpearl]

Originally Posted by GeeMobster

Having been born and raised in Oakland and recently worked there, Concord is better if you live around the Turtle Creek area. At least no one is trying to close a burger joint due to crime in Concord.

I use to live near there. Not bad if you must live in the East Bay. Money goes much further there than Lamorinda but you're just 15-20 mins down Ygnacio from everything.

Infrastructure there has really improved too. Used to shop at what was a brand new Whole Foods at the bottom of Ygnacio about 5-6 years ago. A number of restaurants nearby. Heather Farms 10 mins away. Downtown WC about 15-20 mins away. Lot's of open space and hiking nearby.

The appreciation of RE in Concord has created neighborhoods where 800K-1.2M is required to buy. It has driven out the bums and pushed them even more back towards Pittsburgh/Antioch or out of the area entirely to Stockton/Modesto.

[mattja]

Concord still has nice areas. Mostly on the south and southeast sides. The problem is Monument Blvd. is slowly pushing south and taking the schools with it. At one time you could walk the entire length of Monument Blvd. alone at 2:00 AM and have no problem at all. Today, you'll get knifed and robbed. It's certainly more violent today than when it was just working-class white people.

I used to know a family who lived off Treat on Navaronne. They had a 4-bedroom split-level with 2.5 baths. Nice area. They were a block away from one of the entry points to Lime Ridge. On a clear day they could see my general neighborhood across the valley to the west.

Those homes are going for $1 million to $1.2 million today. They bought theirs in 1978 for $110,000. Crazy.

[Vision67]

These new rent stabilization and eviction policies are coming to Concord

Attempts to update the city’s tenant protection ordnance began in 2016

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/03...tart-in-april/

"Concord lawmakers this month agreed to increase “just cause” eviction protections to most of the city’s tenants and establish rent stabilization for roughly half of its rental stock — a culmination of months of hours-long meetings to complete an effort that’s been in the works since 2016.
A majority of the Concord City Council and regional housing advocates praised the additions to the city’s tenant protections ordinance, citing stats that show renters occupy approximately 40% of all housing units in the city, and nearly half of those residents shell out more than 30% of their income on housing costs."

"The rules dictating what landlords can and cannot do — as well as how renters can respond — are complex and are not applied in the same way across all homes. (The full 30-page ordinance and broad summaries are posted on www.cityofconcord.org).

Notably, exemptions from rent stabilization were carved out for several types of rentals, including single family homes, some condos and select affordable housing units where annual rent caps are already contracted at 5% or tenants earn salaries higher than low-income ceilings. Landlords of each of these properties must still follow the rules of “just cause” evictions.

However, Concord residents who live in accessory dwelling units, government-owned housing or on the other side of an owner-occupied duplex, among others, do not have any protections for rent stabilization and just cause evictions."