Is Antioch a good place to live?
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6/11/2012
So you've been searching for an affordable yet spacious home in the Bay Area for years and have started to give up hope. Then one day you expanded your search into East Contra Costa--specifically, Antioch--and realized you can buy your dream home with room to entertain and expand without busting your budget. Elated, you hop online to learn a little more about the area but your bubble is burst when you come across negative review after review (mostly dated 2009 and earlier) about Crime! Foreclosures! Traffic! Section 8 Housing!
Stop! Do not buy that 2-br townhouse in the "up and coming" part of Concord just because of a few spiteful and dated Internet reviews. You deserve so much more, in newly minted stucco no less! Has crime in Antioch risen over the past few years? Yes, that's what happens when the population dramatically increases at the same time budget cuts force the police department to decrease. However, Antioch's crime rate still compares favorably to that of any East Bay neighborhood you can afford. Use the "Compare Citites" tool on this site for verification.
Is there traffic in Antioch? Yes, on the highway. But they are currently doubling the size of the highway and installing the eBart, both of which will reduce commuter traffic and, hopefully, increase property values. More importantly, there is no local traffic in Antioch and getting around town to run your errands on Saturday is a breeze. Wide streets and a 45 mph speed limit--what more could you ask for?
Are there foreclosures in Antioch? Yes, like all areas that had a significant number of new homes built in the last decade, it has been hit hard by the foreclosure wave. However, check any of the big realtor websites and you will see prices are rising (albeit slowly) out here. Work the foreclosure situation to your advantage and get a great deal on a house.
Is there Section 8 housing in Antioch? Probably, as I believe it is required in any city of a certain size. But last I checked, the feds don't put signs on Section 8 housing identifying it as such, so unless you live in such housing, how would you know? Pay close attention to those complaining about Section 8 and the other comments they make. I think you'll find they're making an assumption that certain people are Section 8 beneficiaries based on their ethnicity, attire, and cultural preferences (re: they're profiling). Antioch is wonderfully diverse, but some of the old-timers are having a hard time adjusting to it. Also bear in mind that Antioch is geographically large and, like any such city, has its good parts and bad parts. You would not decide whether to move to the Oakland Hills based on an incident on International Blvd., and the same applies here.
I am a single middle-aged professional of European descent. I found my dream house at my dream price in Antioch and was initially scared away by all the bad Internet press. I decided to move here anyway and have loved it ever since. Each of my neighbors in our new community wrestled with the same decision, and each of us is happy we took the risk. Do your research. Come and visit. Then come and visit again at night. We're confident you will find Antioch far preferable to any similarly-priced community.
Ginny | Antioch, CA