Martinez Unified, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Martinez Unified

Martinez Unified serves kindergarten through twelfth grade across a family of schools in and around Martinez, a mid-sized community in Contra Costa County. The district enrolls students across all grade levels from early childhood through high school, with a student body drawn from multiple nearby cities including Lafayette, Hercules, and Pinole.

Academic performance in the district shows mixed ground. English language arts proficiency across tested grades sits at a moderate level, with performance ranging from about half to just over three-fifths of students meeting standard depending on grade. Mathematics proficiency is lower, averaging closer to half across grades three through eight, with particular softness in grades five and six. Science proficiency, measured in grades five and eight, sits below both ELA and math. The district's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint among Contra Costa County's districts, though this reflects considerable variability by subject and grade rather than uniformly strong results.

The student body is racially and ethnically diverse. White and Hispanic students each represent substantial shares of the population, with Asian students, students of two or more races, and other groups making up the remainder. Free-or-reduced-price lunch data was not available in the dataset provided, so a family's sense of the economic profile of the district would need to come from other sources. English learner enrollment data was similarly unavailable.

Chronic absenteeism at the district is above the midpoint among county districts, meaning fewer students are chronically absent than in the median county district, though the district operates with standard attendance challenges that affect learning continuity across the system.

Two recent bond measures for facility improvements have failed at the ballot. Measure K, a modernization bond, was defeated in November 2022, and Measure O fell short of the required supermajority in November 2024. Both were intended to upgrade aging classrooms, HVAC and security systems, and construct career and technical education space, especially at Martinez Junior High and Alhambra Senior High. The defeat of these measures means facility upgrades remain unfunded, and the district has flagged the risk that instructional funding may need to be diverted to cover urgent maintenance and safety repairs. A family considering the district should understand that school buildings will likely continue to age without new construction investment in the near term.

The district adopted new instructional materials for the 2025-26 school year following committee review and board approval, reflecting an ongoing cycle of curriculum decision-making.

Per-pupil spending in Martinez Unified sits in the middle range, lower half, compared to other Contra Costa County districts, placing it neither at the high nor low end of spending across the region.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,771

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 31%

Black 2%

White 44%

Asian 8%

Two+ 14%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

41%

—

Gr 3

38%

68%

Gr 4

44%

60%

Gr 5

39%

69%

Gr 6

35%

66%

Gr 7

51%

67%

Gr 8

47%

61%

Gr 11

36%

—

Math

Gr ALL

29%

—

Gr 3

41%

70%

Gr 4

33%

58%

Gr 5

28%

47%

Gr 6

21%

55%

Gr 7

41%

62%

Gr 8

31%

51%

Gr 11

14%

—

Science

Gr ALL

18%

—

Gr 5

20%

52%

Gr 8

25%

46%

Gr 11

26%

—

Gr HS

24%

—

Gr UG_SEC

26%

—

Schools in this District

9 schools are officially reported under this district.

Morello Park Elementary

Vicente Martinez High

Alhambra Senior High

John Swett Elementary

Las Juntas Elementary

Martinez Junior High

Briones (Alternative)

John Muir Elementary

Martinez Early Intervention Preschool Program (MEIPP)

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

60%

Grade 3

50%

Grade 4

42%

Grade 5

43%

Grade 6

55%

Grade 7

44%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

58%

Grade 3

55%

Grade 4

61%

Grade 5

55%

Grade 6

62%

Grade 7

56%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

43%

Grade 5

39%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

57%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$788,817

Year-over-year change-4.2%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$726K to $2.0M

vs. state typical1.02x

vs. national typical2.14x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
94553	Martinez	$774K	-4.3%	96.1%
94564	Pinole	$726K	-4.7%	2.4%
94549	Lafayette	$2.0M	-0.4%	1.4%
94547	Hercules	$747K	-4.7%	0.2%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$2,409/mo

Year-over-year change+2.0%

Range across 4 ZIP codes$2,372 to $3,544/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (4 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
94553	Martinez	$2,372	+1.9%	96.1%
94564	Pinole	$3,200	—	2.4%
94549	Lafayette	$3,544	+3.8%	1.4%
94547	Hercules	$2,869	+2.0%	0.2%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$3,980/mo

Home price / national median income9.4x

Annual rent / national median income34.5%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$1,572/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.