What is the rental yield in Downtown Berkeley?

The gross yield in Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley, California is 4.0. Prices are about 3% below Berkeley and about 48% above California, while the trend over the past year is flat at -0.4%. The Red Flag score is 35.

How does Downtown Berkeley compare to Berkeley and California?

Downtown Berkeley in Berkeley, California is about 3% below Berkeley and about 48% above California. Gross yield is 4.0, prices are flat over the past year at -0.4%, walkability is 99, and education is in the 71st percentile.

What are the main strengths and risks in Downtown Berkeley?

Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley, California stands out for walkability of 99 and education in the 71st percentile. The main risk signal is the Red Flag score of 35, while gross yield is 4.0 and prices are flat over the past year at -0.4%.

Neighborhood

Downtown Berkeley

Berkeley, California US

Downtown Berkeley in Berkeley, California has a balanced but lower-yield investment profile, with gross yield of 4.0 and prices about 3% below Berkeley but about 48% above California. Prices are flat over the past year at -0.4%, and the Red Flag score of 35 indicates relatively lower overall risk. Walkability is 99, and education is in the 71st percentile, which is a clear strength in the data.

AI Summary•Updated May 2026

Area

0.21 mi²

ZIP Code

94704

County

Alameda County

State

California

Redfin — median sale & volumeZillow ZORI — asking rentFEMA National Risk Index v1.20OpenStreetMap — POIFBI UCR — state crimeEPA — radon zonesWashU ACAG — satellite PM2.5EPA FRS / BTS — hazard screeningUS Census ACS / TIGER 2024

Verified Price · Median Sale

$948,718

YoY-0.4%

Gross Rental Yield

4.0%

Listed rent · ZORI annualized

Red Flag Index

Low

35 / 100

Walkability Score

Walker's Paradise

OpenStreetMap POI density · national percentile

Education Score

71 / 100

Excellent · better than 71% of U.S. districts

Pre-pandemic SEDA (2018/19) · district proxy

AI Score

Fair

DistrictScore attractiveness · national model

Downtown Berkeley Property Prices & Rental Yield

Verified Redfin sale data and Zillow ZORI asking rent for Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley.

Unlock the Downtown Berkeley 12-month price trend

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Market Economics Snapshot

May 2026

Metric	Value	YoY
Median Sale Price	$948,718	-0.4%
Price / Sq Ft (Verified)	$831/sqft	+5.9%
Asking Rent (Median)	$3,168/mo	-1.8%
Gross Rental Yield	4.0%	—
Liquidity Score	11 / 100	Low
Homes Sold (Period)	12	+9.1%

Is Downtown Berkeley Safe? Natural-Hazard Risk

FEMA National Risk Index composite across eight hazards, plus inherited California crime context.

Red Flag Breakdown

35 / 100

Low Risk

Composite is weighted by expected impact — frequent low-damage hazards (hail, wind) weigh less than flood or wildfire.

Earthquake100Very High

Heat40Moderate

Flood20Low

Wildfire20Low

Tornado20Low

Strong Wind20Low

Hail20Low

Hurricanen/an/a

7/8 hazards scored · FEMA NRI v1.20

Crime (state-level): California averaged 25.6 crimes and 4.9 violent per 1,000 residents (-8.9% YoY) in 2024(FBI UCR). Compare the state to the country, not states as a ranking — full Safety & Crime data lives on the state page.

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Tract-level hazard heatmap & parcel detail with Pro

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What Stands Out AI Insight

Highly walkable neighborhood — score 99/100

Low natural-hazard risk — 35/100 composite

Dense amenities — 110 dining & 10 grocery options nearby

Earthquake risk is Very High (100/100)

Insights are generated from Downtown Berkeley's live DistrictScore metrics.

Downtown Berkeley Environment & Safety

Satellite PM2.5 air-quality history, FBI UCR crime trend (California-level, the finest official aggregation), EPA radon potential and point-source hazard screening.

Air Quality — PM2.5

2015–2024

5.2 µg/m³ Meets EPA, above WHO guideline-22.2% since 2015

EPA 9WHO 5

20152024

Annual mean fine-particle (PM2.5) concentration at the Downtown Berkeley centroid, satellite-derived (ACAG). References: WHO guideline 5 µg/m³ · EPA annual standard 9 µg/m³. Latest year ranks worse than 22% of U.S. neighborhoods.

California Crime Trend

FBI UCR

20132024

All crimes / 1k

Violent / 1k

Year	Crimes / 1k	Violent / 1k	YoY
2024	25.6	4.9	-8.9%
2023	28.3	5.1	-0.7%
2022	28.6	5.0	+8.0%
2021	26.5	4.8	+1.9%
2020	25.8	4.4	-7.3%
2019	27.8	4.4	—

Reported at the state level — the finest official US crime aggregation; Downtown Berkeley inherits the California figures.

Radon Potential

EPA

Zone 2

Zone 2 — Moderate potential · Downtown Berkeley

EPA radon zones estimate indoor radon potential county-wide (Zone 1 highest, Zone 3 lowest). Testing is recommended in all zones.

Environmental Hazards

EPA / BTS

Industrial odor6 nearbyVery High

Point-source screening near Downtown Berkeley: EPA Superfund National Priorities List & Facility Registry (2026), BTS aviation noise (2020, 24-hour average level). Superfund shows distance to the nearest listed site; odor shows detected sources within the screening radius. Only detected sources are listed; the bar shows severity vs. all U.S. neighborhoods.

Walkability & Amenities in Downtown Berkeley

Amenity density and pedestrian access from OpenStreetMap points of interest.

Walkability & Amenities

OpenStreetMap POI

99

Walker's Paradise

Walkability Score

10

Grocery

110

Dining

4

Schools

7

Universities

4

Hospitals

1

Pharmacies

4

Parks

1

Rail Transit

4

Coworking

POI counts are amenities within Downtown Berkeley's boundary plus a 400 m walk buffer. Rail transit excludes bus stops.

Downtown Berkeley vs Berkeley vs California

How Downtown Berkeley benchmarks against its city and state medians.

Benchmark vs City & State

In Downtown Berkeley, the median sale price sits about 3% below the median for Berkeley neighborhoods and about 49% above the statewide median. Gross rental yield is 4.0%, against 2.7% for Berkeley neighborhoods and 3.7% statewide. Over the past 12 months, prices were broadly flat. Transaction liquidity sits below the median for Berkeley neighborhoods and below the statewide median.

Area	Median / Sq Ft	Gross Yield	Liquidity
Downtown Berkeley	$831/sqft	4.0%	11
Berkeley	$857/sqft	2.7%	16
California	$559/sqft	3.7%	28

Unlock the Downtown Berkeley benchmark

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Buying Property in the US as a Foreigner

Federal & California tax facts for non-resident buyers, plus the latest local market news.

Buying as a Foreigner

US Tax & Ownership

Applies to everyone7

Capital Gains (Federal)

Long-term capital gains taxed federally at 0/15/20%, plus a 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax on higher incomes (2026).

Property Tax

Property tax: ~0.69% average effective rate (statewide average; set and collected locally).

State Income Tax

State income tax up to 13.3%; rental income is taxed at these rates.

State Capital Gains

Capital gains are taxed as ordinary income at state rates.

Transfer Tax

Real estate transfer tax: documentary transfer tax $0.55 per $500 + local.

Assessment Cap

Prop 13 caps assessed-value growth at 2%/yr; property is reassessed to market value when you buy.

Mansion Tax / Rent Control

No statewide mansion tax (LA has a local one); statewide rent control caps increases at 5%+CPI (AB 1482).

US citizens & tax residents8

Primary-Home Exclusion

Selling your main home: exclude up to $250k of gain (single) / $500k (married) if you owned and lived there 2 of the last 5 years.

1031 Like-Kind Exchange

A 1031 like-kind exchange defers capital gains tax on investment property; 45 days to identify, 180 to close. Real estate only.

Depreciation Recapture

Residential rentals depreciate over 27.5 years; on sale, recaptured depreciation is taxed up to 25% (Section 1250).

Mortgage Interest Deduction

Mortgage interest is deductible on up to $750k of home debt. The SALT cap rose to $40,000 for 2025-2029 (reverts to $10k in 2030).

Opportunity Zones

Opportunity Zones are now permanent (2025): reinvested capital gains get deferral plus a basis step-up, and are tax-free after 10 years.

Rental Income (Resident)

Rental income is reported on Schedule E; passive-loss rules (Section 469) limit deducting rental losses against other income.

Senior & Veteran Exemptions

Disabled-veteran property-tax exemption (~$161,083 in 2025, more if low-income); senior programs available.

1031 State Conformity

California conforms to 1031 but claws back deferred CA-source gain (Form FTB 3840) if you move out of state.

Foreign buyers (non-residents)5

FIRPTA (Foreign Sellers)

FIRPTA: the buyer withholds 15% of the gross sale price when a nonresident sells US property. It is an advance deposit, not the final tax.

Non-Resident Capital Gains

Nonresident sellers pay US capital gains tax (generally 15-20%) on the net gain via Form 1040-NR; FIRPTA withholding is credited.

Non-Resident Rental Tax

Nonresident rental income is taxed at 30% of gross by default, or on net income at graduated rates via a Section 871(d) election (W-8ECI).

Estate Tax (Non-Resident)

Nonresidents get only a $60,000 US estate-tax exemption (vs $13.99M for residents); US property above it is taxed up to 40%. Treaties may help.

ITIN Requirement

Nonresidents without an SSN need an ITIN (Form W-7) to file US tax returns, claim FIRPTA refunds, and report rental income.

Talk to a US real-estate tax advisor

FIRPTA, ITIN & California property-tax guidance for foreign buyers

Latest Berkeley Real-Estate News

New Fed chairman may leave mortgage rates mostly unchanged

Guaranteed Rate • Jun 18, 2026

Household real estate wealth hits record $48.7 trillion

Eye On Housing • Jun 18, 2026

U.S. commercial property prices hit record as deal patterns shift

Altus Group • Jun 18, 2026

Downtown Berkeley Real Estate FAQ

Downtown Berkeley in Berkeley, California has a balanced but lower-yield profile, with gross yield of 4.0 and prices about 3% below Berkeley but about 48% above California. Prices are flat over the past year at -0.4%, and the Red Flag score is 35, indicating relatively lower overall risk.

Neighborhoods near Downtown Berkeley

Compare Downtown Berkeley with nearby neighborhoods in Berkeley.

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