I live in Concord. My general answer is I see few communities in California that seem to be "up and coming;" nearly every community seems to be affected economically --- home prices, retail sales, jobs, ALL seem to be lagging just about everywhere.
If your question is should Concord be AVOIDED, I think the answer is no. I would avoid Solano Way neighborhoods -- not because of crime, but because of lack of stores/services and local airport noise which tends to depress prices. Neighborhoods closer to Walnut Creek tend to be more affluent; some Concord neighborhoods are in the Northgate High School area, which helps resale values even if you don't have high school age children.
We really enjoy living in Concord -- I have been a property owner since 1989 (am NOT a real estate agent!), and recommend it! - Fri Jul 10 2009, 23:24