About Us

We serve a diverse county

    • We have over 1,163,891 residents (as of 2026) living within 798 square miles, the ninth largest county in the state.
    • There are 19 cities and 36 unincorporated areas located within three geographically distinct regions: East Contra Costa, Central Contra Costa, and West Contra Costa
    • Our diverse population is 36.3% Caucasian (not Hispanic or Latino), 28.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Black or African American, 19.9% Asian, 1.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 14.6% some other race, and 16.6% two or more races.
    • The median household income in Contra Costa County is $127,221.
    • Last Fiscal Year (July – June 2022), our unemployment rate averaged 4.5%. and 7.2% of our population has income below the poverty level.
    • Nearly 1,900 Employment & Human Services staff are located in 39 locations throughout the county near the people we serve.
    • Last Fiscal Year (July 2024 – June 2025), our unemployment rate averaged 4.65%. In 2024, 8.4% of our population had income below the poverty level.
    • 1,957.5 Employment & Human Services staff are located in 87 locations throughout the county near the people we serve.
    • In 2025 we served nearly 432,782 unique individuals, 37% of Contra Costa County residents.

To learn more, check out EHSD’s latest Annual Report.

 

As a group, we’re probably pretty much like you

  • We enjoy watching our families thrive, friendships grow deeper and communities become stronger. Our jobs are meaningful and provide us with the opportunity to offer the highest quality service to the residents of Contra Costa County. We strive to treat all people with respect, dignity and fairness
  • Bilingual staff provide services in Spanish, Vietnamese, Farsi, Pashto, Dahri, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, American Sign Language, and more. Contract translators are available to communicate in other languages.
  • The majority of our staff is represented by SEIU Local 1021, AFSCME 2700 and 512 and Employees Association, Local 1 and IFPTE Local 21.
  • In Program Year 2023-2024 we assisted 1,043 job seekers. We provide technical program training for Workforce Services, Children & Family Services and Adult & Aging Services, and professional development classes for all staff.
  • The Employment & Human Services Department is responsible for a budget in excess of $731 million about 6% is funded by the County, and the remaining 94% is from federal, state, and state-funded local revenues and grants. We administer over 60 programs mandated by federal, state and local governments.