Want more bang for your buck? Consider Hercules. Situated along the coast of San Pablo Bay, this ethnically diverse suburb is located about 10 miles north of Berkeley. It was founded in 1881 as a company town for the Hercules Powder Company, one of several explosive manufacturers that were active along the shoreline in the late 19th to the mid-20th century.

Beginning in the 1970s, Hercules was heavily redeveloped as a bedroom town along the I-80 freeway, and since then town’s population has boomed, growing from a sleepy town of 250 to almost 25,000 by the year 2000. In that year the city began a planning effort to balance preservation of undeveloped land against continued sprawl, with the goal of becoming a transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly mixed-use town.

Hercules has succeeded admirably. Its character is dominated by mostly two-story homes and one-story commercial buildings along nicely landscaped roads. And more recently, larger homes are under construction. (Check out our listings, or call us to discuss your options). Neighborhood shopping centers are at the city center, with easy access.

Hercules is home to a highly diverse population; thirty-two percent of those who live there are foreign-born.

Let Winkler Real Estate Group find you a home where your dollars go further; give us a call if you are interested in buying or selling in Hercules.