The City of Tracy, California is in San Joaquin County, located about an hour to the east of San Francisco down I-580, an hour northeast of San Jose up I-680, and just over an hour south of Sacramento down I-5. Modesto, California is another smaller city about 30 minutes away to the southeast and Stockton is just 20 miles to the north! It’s a bit of a geographical oddity, and the city’s motto is “Think Inside the Triangle” based on its positioning between three major interstates. Tracy is known for being in the middle of nowhere, yet still in the middle of everything! It’s also known for its railroads, wineries, and agriculture.
The city of Tracy was formed when efforts were made to connect a new railroad line in Oakland to the rail line east of Livermore Hills. Its connection to the railroads led to Tracy getting its name from a railroad executive, Lathrop Josiah Tracy. It was ultimately incorporated in 1911.
With all the major highways that run through or alongside Tracy, it’s feasible to live there and work in any of the surrounding cities. The highways and all the commuters have made public transportation a specialty of Tracy and their transportation department has been making improvements since 2015 to accommodate commuter influx out of the city. There are few cities in the entire country with better public transport!
Rapper MC Hammer lives in Tracy as does Steve Perry, the singer from Journey.
Tracy Population and Demographics
The population of Tracy is 91,462. Tracy is a very youthful city and the median age of all residents is under 34 years old. Most of these residents are Hispanic, white, or of Asian descent, and the percentages are 42, 29, and 17 percent respectively. Only 5% of the population are African American, which is a stark contrast to the large cities nearby.
The community residents are a healthy mix of both working professionals with extended education and blue-collar class employees with no extra college. 84.5% of the adults have a high school diploma and 22% of them have a bachelor’s degree. It’s a wealthy area, with a median home value of over $470,000 and a median household income of $95,741.
The overall mean travel time to work for the people of Tracy is 44.5 minutes one way. Proving that most people do commute to one of the three large cities nearby as their commute time is about 50% higher than the rest of the state of California.
If you’re thinking about moving to Tracy, CA you’ll be happy to know Tracy is considered to be a safe area to live, especially if you work in San Francisco, San Jose, or Sacramento. Crime rates in all three of those nearby cities, particularly in the housing districts, are considerably higher than in the rest of the nation. But violent crime in Tracy is at the rate of just 216 per 100,000 people while the violent crimes in San Francisco are at the rate of 670 per 100k, and 441 per 100k for California. Property crime occurs at the rate of 2,534 crimes per 100k people in Tracy, which is slightly higher than the state of California (2,331 crimes per 100k) but well below San Francisco (5,506 crimes per 100k).
If you’re going to take advantage of big-city money when working, then Tracy is the place to lay your head on your pillow after work. The City of Tracy Police Department continues to improve safety with its 93 sworn members.
Cost of Living in Tracy
While the cost of living in Tracy isn’t something we’d consider cheap when compared to the national scale, it’s certainly considered reasonable compared to the nearby cities. We’ve compiled a list of everyday items and their prices as of the end of March 2022.
Typical living costs in Tracy:
- Meal for 2 people (average mid range restaurant): $70
- Cappuccino: $4.83
- Wine: $17 for mid range
- Gallon of regular milk: $3.95
- Basic Utilities (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage): $170
The average sale price of homes in Tracy is $735,000, up 17.6% compared to last year. If you intend to rent, the average apartment rents in Tracy is $2,342 according to RentCafe.com.
Tracy, CA Neighborhoods | Where to Live in Tracy
The two best Tracy neighborhoods to live in are:
North of 205 – Less Crime, Better Schools, More to Do
The best schools in the area are all in the northern Tracy suburbs, which also happens to be where there is less crime in general. Subsequently, the nicer restaurants and microbrews are all in this area, and many parks, too! North Tracy has no shortage of beautiful parks to enjoy.
Tracy Hills, Near 580 – Smaller, Close-Knit
Tracy Hills is a bit separated and shut off from the rest of Tracy but the peaceful community has its own charm to it with the everybody-knows-everybody feel. The growing small community has two parks and its own local market for a quick grocery run.
Try this listing of Tracy, CA homes for sale to find your new house.
If you’re heading into San Francisco for the day to hit the beaches or go shopping, you can expect a two-hour drive to cover the 63 miles on I-580 from Tracy to San Francisco.
Tracy Weather & Climate
Tracy is considered a warm and dry climate and the weather is desirable during the winter months, the air conditioning keeps the summer months just as comfortable. The hottest part of the year ranges from June to September when it rarely dips below 85 degrees and frequently hits 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep a swimsuit, sunglasses, and towel in your car in case you want to hit the pool or swimming hole to cool off!
The coldest months are December and January and the temps plummet as low as 30 degrees! In the cooler months, there is only a 25% chance of rain most days and during the warmer months, rain may not come for weeks at a time.
Things to Do in Tracy
When it comes to sightseeing or finding things to do you don’t need to travel to one of the big cities. Tracy has plenty of fun things to do locally:
Skydive California
This one definitely isn’t for everybody but thrill-seekers looking for the best things to do in Tracy won’t want to miss the premier skydiving venue in Northern California.
25001 Kasson Road, Tracy, CA 95304, 209-835-7474
Tracy Historical Museum
Experience some of the people, places, and events that are part of Tracy’s rich culture and history and that of the northern San Joaquin Valley region of California.
1141 Adam Street, Tracy CA, 95376, 209-832-7278
Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
Carnegie SVRA has more than 1,300 acres of riding area, over 80 miles of trails, and is a fun, challenging, and scenic place to ride motorcycles, ATVs, 4x4s, and side-by-sides.
18600 W Corral Hollow Road, Tracy, CA 95375, 916-324-4442
Grand Theatre Center for the Performing Arts
The 37,000+ square foot facility hosts over 50,000 art scene patrons a year. A wide variety of acts perform weekly including live performances and movies. There is also an art gallery and classes on-site.
715 N Central Avenue, Tracy, CA 95376, 209-831-6858
The Tracy Parks and Recreation Department maintains 77 parks, an aquatics center, adult and youth sports programs, a senior center, and numerous recreational programs.
Other Major Attractions in Tracy
Tracy, CA also offers convenient shopping for residents, including:
Tracy Restaurants
Perhaps one of the hidden gems of the city of Tracy is the eclectic list of restaurants and the sheer talent the local chefs have. You can eat like royalty for a month just by heading to a different spot downtown every night. You can even “travel the world” with the number of delicious Thai, Indian, Mexican, South American, and seafood joints there are! Here are a list of just some of the can’t miss places:
Black Bear Diner
The Black Bear Diner is a local staple. Families can go there for a tasty breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The friendly waiters and staff are second to none and the locally sourced food is to die for!
2351 Toste Road, Tracy, CA 95377, 209-835-5600
Morgan Territory Brewing Company
This local startup has an impressive drinks menu and cranks out specialized, award-winning beers. Word on this street is they’ve acquired a food truck to bring food to their tables as well!
1885 N. MacArthur Drive, Tracy, CA 95376, 209-834-8664
The Upper Room True Food Kitchen
The Upper Room has an extensive menu for the times when you just don’t know what you want. From steak to seafood, fried bar food to ribs, and burgers! Feeling like a salad? No problem. If you can think of it, their waitresses probably serve it.
130 W. 11th Street, Tracy, CA 95376, 209-229-1542
Thai Jasmine tracy Restaurant
Some of the best Thai food you’ve ever had is served here. The Chef and Service Manager both grew up in Thailand, learning to cook authentic, fresh, home-style Thai dishes and to provide excellent customer service!
29 W 10th Street, Tracy, CA 95376, 209-832-7441
Jobs in Tracy
While many of the working class travel to one of the three large cities for work every day, the economy of Tracy employs 44,100 people in retail trade, manufacturing, and health care. The highest paying industries are in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction ($112,768) and utilities ($105,795).
Explore job opportunities for Tracy, CA jobs on Indeed or check out City of Tracy jobs.
Tracy Schools
Most of the schools in San Joaquin County rank well above much of the rest of the country. The Tracy Unified School District has some of the most renowned schools in the county.
In addition, the Tracy Library is part of the Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Libraries, offering a circulating collection of materials in English, Spanish, Hindi, and Punjabi.
Tracy, CA Statistics & Information
- Population: 93,000
- County: San Joaquin
- Tracy zip codes: 95304, 95376, and 95377
- Area code: 209
- Area: 26.03 square miles
- Time zone: Pacific Daylight Time (GMT-7)
- Elevation: 52 feet
- Closest airport: Stockton Metropolitan Airport
Tracy, California Map
Explore more restaurants, attractions, and more things to do in this map of Tracy:
Tips for Moving to Tracy
- Pro: Among the best cities in California for public transportation
- Pro: Tracy provides good ethnic exposure to growing children
- Pro: The school systems are excellent
- Con: Be prepared to travel for work
The city has so much to offer for those living in Tracy. When you’re ready to relocate, call the expert Tracy movers at South Bay Moving Systems, at 831-786-5537.
