Photo above: Aerial view of Martinez, California, with the Carquinez Strait, the Benicia-Martinez Bridge and the refinery, October 2015. Alfred Twu, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

For a lot of buyers, yes, if the tradeoffs work for you. Martinez gives you an old downtown on the Carquinez Strait, an Amtrak station you can walk to from Main Street, and quick I-680 and Highway 4 access, but it has no BART station and a large working oil refinery sits on its edge.

Here’s the list, good and bad, with a source on every number so you can check it yourself.

What do people like about living in Martinez?

The old downtown, the train and the water. Those three things set Martinez apart from most of central Contra Costa.

• A real historic downtown. Martinez is the county seat and turned 150 this year. The city is marking the 150th anniversary of its April 1, 1876 incorporation through the 2026 calendar year (City of Martinez, Sesquicentennial Year 2026 page, checked September 24, 2026).
• A train station downtown. The Martinez station at 601 Marina Vista Avenue is served by the Capitol Corridor plus Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and California Zephyr. It is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Capitol Corridor, Martinez station page, checked September 24, 2026).
• History and hills close by. The John Muir National Historic Site at 4202 Alhambra Avenue keeps Muir’s home and ranch, and the park includes trails on Mount Wanda. There’s no entrance fee, and the NPS hours page lists the visitor center and grounds as open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (National Park Service, John Muir NHS Fees and Operating Hours pages, checked September 24, 2026).
• A mix of home ages. Older houses sit close to downtown, and newer subdivisions spread out toward the hills. If you want a house with some age on it, start your search near Main Street.

What are the downsides?

No BART, the refinery, and the trains. None of these rule Martinez out. All of them are worth a hard look.

• No BART station. This trips people up, and some older pages online get it wrong. You reach BART by car or by County Connection bus (details below).
• A working refinery next door. The Martinez Refining Company refinery, owned by PBF Energy, had a major fire on February 1, 2025. More on that below.
• Freight and passenger trains along the waterfront. The rail line runs between downtown and the shoreline. Visit a home near Marina Vista Avenue at different times of day and listen.

Does Martinez have a BART station?

No. Martinez has no BART station. County Connection buses leave from Martinez Amtrak for four BART stations:

• Weekdays: Routes 16, 19 and 28 go to Concord BART, Route 18 goes to Pleasant Hill BART, Route 98X goes to Walnut Creek BART, and Route 99X runs peak hours only to North Concord BART.
• Weekends: Route 316 goes to Pleasant Hill BART.

Source: County Connection, Routes page, checked September 24, 2026. You can also drive to one of those stations. By car, I-680 and Highway 4 both run through town.

For train lines, parking at the station, bridge tolls and how to test a commute from a specific address, read our answer to Does Martinez have BART, and how do I commute?

How much does a house in Martinez cost?

About $813K at the median. Redfin reports a median sale price of $813K over the three months ending August 2026, up 4.3% from a year earlier, with homes selling in about 20 days and a median of $485 per square foot (Redfin, Martinez housing market page, checked September 24, 2026).

That median mixes single-family homes, townhouses and condos, so the price for the kind of home you want can be well above or below it. For the split by home type, see what a house costs in Martinez right now.

Should the refinery worry me?

Look at it closely, then decide. The refinery sits on Pacheco Boulevard at the edge of town. A fire broke out there on February 1, 2025, Contra Costa Health put a shelter-in-place order on nearby zones that evening, and the fire was out on February 4 (Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, MRC 2025 Fire page and Illustrated Timeline of Fire and Response, checked September 24, 2026). PBF Energy says the plant returned to full operations in the second quarter of 2026 (PBF Energy, second quarter 2026 results, July 30, 2026).

Sign up for the county’s free Community Warning System at cwsalerts.com before you buy. Our answer to Should I buy a home near the Martinez refinery? walks through the fire, the official findings, the penalties and how to check an address. For any health question, talk to your doctor or Contra Costa Health.

What city taxes and measures should I know about?

Two local sales taxes and a park bond. Voters approved Measure D, a half-cent sales tax for road repair, in November 2016, and Measure X, a half-cent sales tax for city services, in November 2018. Measure H in November 2008 allowed up to $30 million in general obligation bonds for parks, the library and the pool (City of Martinez, City Measures page, checked September 24, 2026).

Bond measures like Measure H are paid through property tax bills. Ask for the current tax bill on any home you like, and ask a tax professional or the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector what the line items mean for you.

What is planned for the Martinez waterfront?

A big plan, still in the study stage. The State Lands Commission approved the city’s Trust Lands Use Plan in 2024. On December 17, 2025 the City Council unanimously approved a 24-month Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Tucker Sadler Architects to study hotels, public open space, boat slips and a rebuilt breakwater (City of Martinez, Marina and Waterfront Revitalization page, checked September 24, 2026). Nothing is approved to build yet. Treat it as a maybe.

Is Martinez in a fire hazard zone?

Parts of it are, mostly the hillsides on the western and southern edges. Con Fire says the State Fire Marshal’s updated local fire hazard maps took effect July 10, 2025 (Con Fire, Local Responsibility Area Maps page, checked September 24, 2026). The city’s own fire zone page still describes an older 2009 map, so use Con Fire’s viewer for the exact parcel. Our answer to Is my Martinez home in a fire or flood zone? walks through the fire map, the FEMA flood map and the Natural Hazard Disclosure.

What about schools?

Much of Martinez is served by Martinez Unified School District (martinezusd.net). School assignment depends on the exact address, so verify it for any home with the district before you write an offer. The California School Dashboard at caschooldashboard.org shows each school’s official results.

Questions people also ask

Is Martinez, CA the county seat?

Yes. Martinez is the county seat of Contra Costa County, and 2026 is its 150th year. The city is marking the anniversary of its April 1, 1876 incorporation through the 2026 calendar year, per the City of Martinez Sesquicentennial Year 2026 page, checked September 24, 2026. Check the city events calendar for what is still ahead.

What are the downsides of living in Martinez?

Three come up most. Martinez has no BART station, so BART means a County Connection bus or a drive. The Martinez Refining Company refinery sits at the edge of town and had a major fire on February 1, 2025. And trains run between downtown and the shoreline. Visit any home you like at different times of day.

What sales taxes does Martinez add?

Two local half-cent sales taxes. Voters approved Measure D for road repair in November 2016 and Measure X for city services in November 2018, per the City of Martinez City Measures page, checked September 24, 2026. Measure H, from November 2008, allowed up to $30 million in park, library and pool bonds, which are paid through property tax bills.

Is the John Muir National Historic Site free?

Yes. The National Park Service says no entrance pass is required at the John Muir National Historic Site, 4202 Alhambra Avenue. Its hours page lists the visitor center and grounds as open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with Mount Wanda trails open daily sunrise to sunset, checked September 24, 2026.

Your next step

Pick the two or three Martinez streets you keep coming back to. We’ll pull recent sales, the tax bill, the hazard maps and the drive or bus time to BART for each one, side by side. Talk to a Martinez agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.

More on Martinez: Things to do in Martinez · Search Martinez homes · What’s my home worth?

By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Martinez, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.

Sources

• Redfin, Martinez housing market, three months ending August 2026: redfin.com/city/11767/CA/Martinez/housing-market (checked September 24, 2026)
• County Connection, Routes: countyconnection.com/routes (checked September 24, 2026)
• Capitol Corridor, Martinez station: capitolcorridor.org/stations/martinez (checked September 24, 2026)
• National Park Service, John Muir National Historic Site Fees and Operating Hours pages: nps.gov/jomu (checked September 24, 2026)
• Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire), Local Responsibility Area Maps: cccfpd.org/205/Local-Responsibility-Area-Maps (checked September 24, 2026)
• City of Martinez, Sesquicentennial Year 2026, City Measures, Marina and Waterfront Revitalization, and Fire Hazard Severity Zones pages: cityofmartinez.org (checked September 24, 2026)
• Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Martinez Refining Company (MRC) Oversight and MRC 2025 Fire pages: cccfpd.org (checked September 24, 2026)
• PBF Energy, second quarter 2026 results, July 30, 2026 (SEC Form 8-K, exhibit 99.1): sec.gov
• Contra Costa County Community Warning System: cwsalerts.com (checked September 24, 2026)
• California School Dashboard: caschooldashboard.org