Swalwell Calls Dublin 'Place Of Low Income And Low Expectations' On Campaign Website

DUBLIN, CA — Gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell referred to his hometown of Dublin as “a place of low income and low expectations” on his campaign website.

“I've worked as a planning commissioner and city councilman in a place of low income and low expectations and helped lead my hometown to become one of California's most prosperous cities. I'll take that approach to the whole state,” wrote Swalwell, who graduated from Dublin High School in 1999 and served as a planning commissioner and city council member from 2008 to 2012. The language appeared in the “Why I’m Running” section of his website.

Swalwell’s campaign did not respond to a request for clarification as of Thursday afternoon. A spokesperson for the city of Dublin told Patch that it does not comment on campaigns.

Dublin had a median household income of $114,699 in 2010, according to U.S. Census Burau data, which is significantly higher than Alameda County’s 2010 median of $67,169 and California’s 2010 median of $57,708.

According to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Dublin had a median income of $107,754 from 2006 to 2010.

More recently, Dublin's household median income increased to $214,385 (2024 dollars), over the course of 2020 to 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Swalwell served on the planning commission from 2008 to 2010, and the city council from 2010 to January 2013, a time of rapid growth and expansion in Dublin. In February 2011, the West Dublin BART station opened. In 2011, the city council adopted the Downtown Dublin Specific Plan, which established density allowances geared toward 2,900+ units in downtown Dublin, setting the stage for significant housing development near transit. December 2012 saw the redevelopment of Emerald Vista, a mixed affordable rental and market-rate condo development.

Dublin’s population grew from 46,000 in 2010 to 73,000 in 2020, making it California’s fastest growing city until the pandemic.

Available data shows that Dublin remained significantly above county and state income medians during Swalwell’s tenure. Public indicators and media from that period also reflect high-performing schools, a strong culture of civic engagement, population growth, and continued development.

Swalwell said that Dublin was "one of California's most prosperous cities" at the end of his tenure. Though Dublin was and remains high-income, it was not one of California's highest-income cities around 2012. By contrast, Silicon Valley suburbs like Atherton and Los Altos Hills reported 5-year median household incomes of $150,000 to $185,000 from 2008 to 2012, according to the American Community Survey.

SEE ALSO:

• Swalwell Leads Democrats In New CA Governors Poll
• Bay Area Congressman Eric Swalwell Joins California Governor's Race