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Living in
Mountain View.
About
Life in Mountain View
Mountain View's economy revolves around tech headquarters and innovation, which shapes everything about living here—from job availability to cost of living. With a median home price near $1.9 million and median rent around $3,000 monthly, this is an expensive place to live, though the median household income of $190,000 and strong job market (3.6% unemployment) mean many residents can manage it. The downtown around Castro Street is genuinely walkable with restaurants, shops, and cultural venues like the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, plus direct Caltrain and light rail access that helps with Bay Area commuting.
Mountain View at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
35.5 yrs
Poverty Rate
6.0%
Foreign-Born
42.9%
Broadband Internet
96.0%
of households
Population Growth
+3.5%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics42.9% foreign-born, most often from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan
Who lives in Mountain View: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Mountain View, the largest foreign-born group is from China, excluding Hong Kong and Taiwan (19.0%), and 13.8% of residents speak Chinese at home.
Under 18
19.9%
of residents
65 and Older
12.0%
of residents
Households with Kids
27.1%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
33.4%
of households
Married Couples
44.0%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.33
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Livingrent 50% above CA average
Rent, home values, and income in Mountain View
In Mountain View, rent runs 50% above the CA average, and home values are 162% above the CA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
37.4%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
17.7%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
110.4
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Homeowners
38.6%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1975
median year built
Vacant Homes
9.4%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $1,929,681 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1.9 pts below CA average
Unemployment in Mountain View and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Mountain View is 1.9 percentage points lower than the CA average.
Unemployment rate
City-level rate · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
City-level (BLS) · Annual averages
What Mountain View Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area
Commute23.3 min avg
How Mountain View residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Mountain View, most residents drive alone to work (52%), and 73% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 9 mi
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Medium hub5.3M passengers boarded in 2025
- 23 mi
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Major hub26.3M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 37% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Mountain View runs 37% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
207.9
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
2,410
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Mountain View Police Department
Natural DisastersStrong Wind most common — 10 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Very High
99.7 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Santa Clara County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Santa Clara County, which includes Mountain View, the most common type is strong wind, with 10 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | Flood | $10 |
| 2024 | 17 | Flood | $80 |
| 2023 | 15 | High Wind | $40 |
| 2022 | 11 | Strong Wind | None reported |
| 2021 | 19 | Strong Wind | $1,000 |
| 2020 | 24 | Strong Wind | None reported |
| 2019 | 45 | Strong Wind | None reported |
| 2018 | 25 | Flood | None reported |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
225 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Santa Clara County, county-wide
Mountain View is about 4% of Santa Clara County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Air Quality47 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2024)
Air quality in Santa Clara County, which includes Mountain View, is typically good — 201 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
47
Good Days
201
per year
Moderate Days
161
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Santa Clara County, county-wide
Mountain View is about 4% of Santa Clara County’s population, so county-wide figures may differ from local conditions.
Climate77°F summers, 43°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Mountain View has mild summers (avg high 77°F) and mild winters (avg low 43°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
68°/49°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
77°/58°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
72°/52°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
60°/43°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
17.0"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
9
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
2
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
66
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 42°F | 2.49" |
| Feb | 62°F | 45°F | 2.90" |
| Mar | 65°F | 47°F | 2.04" |
| Apr | 68°F | 49°F | 0.98" |
| May | 72°F | 53°F | 0.43" |
| Jun | 76°F | 56°F | 0.10" |
| Jul | 77°F | 59°F | 0.00" |
| Aug | 77°F | 59°F | 0.01" |
| Sep | 78°F | 57°F | 0.07" |
| Oct | 74°F | 53°F | 0.56" |
| Nov | 66°F | 46°F | 1.36" |
| Dec | 59°F | 42°F | 2.51" |
Healthcare1 hospital, avg 4.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Mountain View
Mountain View has 1 hospital, averaging 4.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — above-average care.
Hospitals
1
within city limits
Uninsured
2.4%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
4.0 / 5
El Camino Health
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
- Main campus: El Camino Health · 2500 Grant Road
- Hospital campus: El Camino Hospital Los Gatos · 355 Dardanelli Ln, Los Gatos
- Hospital campus: El Camino Hospital Los Gatos · 815 Pollard Rd, Los Gatos
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Palo Alto VA Medical Center
Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER available · 3.4 mi away · Palo Alto
Stanford Health Care
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 5.7 mi away · Stanford
Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hsp at Stanford
Childrens · 5.8 mi away · Palo Alto
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs. Campus locations © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Education19.0:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Mountain View
Mountain View's student/teacher ratio is 19.0:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 75.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
15
within city limits
Private Schools
11
within city limits
College Degree Rate
75.0%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
19.0:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Mountain View (within 15 miles)
Public · 4-year · 27,601 students · in-state tuition $8,846 · 78% graduate · median earnings $83,493 (10 yrs after entry)
Public · 2-year · 15,264 students · in-state tuition $1,577 · 42% graduate · median earnings $62,175 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,554 students · in-state tuition $68,544 · 96% graduate · median earnings $125,340 (10 yrs after entry)
Public · 2-year · 7,105 students · in-state tuition $1,366 · 23% graduate · median earnings $52,460 (10 yrs after entry)
Public · 2-year · 7,099 students · in-state tuition $1,202 · 28% graduate · median earnings $61,853 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,552 students · in-state tuition $63,513 · 89% graduate · median earnings $117,193 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, 30 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Mountain View
Mountain View has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (30 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site
National Historic Site
30 mi awaySan Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
National Historical Park
34 mi awayAlcatraz Island
National Park Site
35 mi awayFort Point National Historic Site
National Historic Site
35 mi awayPresidio of San Francisco
National Park Site
35 mi awayRosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park
National Historical Park
38 mi awayJohn Muir National Historic Site
National Historic Site
40 mi awayGolden Gate National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
43 mi awayPublic Libraries in Mountain View
Mountain View Public Library
585 Franklin St., Mountain View
Cities Near Mountain View
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Mountain View?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Mountain View FAQ
Is Mountain View, California affordable?⌄
Mountain View's median rent is $3,062/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $189,917/year. Median home value is $1,927,000.
Is Mountain View, California safe?⌄
Mountain View's violent crime rate was 208 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is below the national average of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2410 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Mountain View, California?⌄
Mountain View has an unemployment rate of 3.6%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Mountain View, California?⌄
The cost of living in Mountain View is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $3,062/month and median household income is $189,917/year. The median home value is $1,927,000. About 37% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Mountain View, California?⌄
The average commute in Mountain View is 23 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from