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Living in
Santa Clara.
About
Life in Santa Clara
If you're considering a move to Santa Clara, you're looking at life in the heart of Silicon Valley—and that reality shapes everything about living here. Intel, AMD, and Nvidia all call this place home, which means the job market in tech is genuinely strong and the median household income reflects that ($178,958), but it also means your cost of living will be steep: expect a median home price around $1.5 million and rent hovering near $3,000 a month. The upside is that Santa Clara's own municipal electric utility keeps your power bills noticeably cheaper than the rest of the Bay Area, a genuine quality-of-life win in a region known for high utilities.
Santa Clara at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
34.6 yrs
Poverty Rate
8.4%
Foreign-Born
46.4%
Broadband Internet
95.9%
of households
Population Growth
+4.3%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics46.4% foreign-born, most often from India
Who lives in Santa Clara: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Santa Clara, the largest foreign-born group is from India (30.3%), and 13.8% of residents speak Other Indo-European at home.
Under 18
17.0%
of residents
65 and Older
11.4%
of residents
Households with Kids
27.6%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
25.3%
of households
Married Couples
50.1%
of households
Avg Household Size
2.52
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 48% above CA average
Rent, home values, and income in Santa Clara
In Santa Clara, rent runs 48% above the CA average, and home values are 115% above the CA average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
35.3%
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
Median Property Tax
$9,234
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
40.8%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
1974
median year built
Vacant Homes
5.5%
of housing units
Home Value Trend
Latest: $1,642,638 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 1.8 pts below CA average
Unemployment in Santa Clara and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Santa Clara is 1.8 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 Santa Clara 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
Commute22.6 min avg
How Santa Clara residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Santa Clara, most residents drive alone to work (58%), and 73% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 2 mi
Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Medium hub5.3M passengers boarded in 2025
- 29 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 48% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Santa Clara runs 48% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
172
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
2,592.9
per 100,000 residents
Above average (1,552 national, 2025)
Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara, 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.
222 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Santa Clara County, county-wide
Air Quality47 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2024)
Air quality in Santa Clara County, which includes Santa Clara, 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
Climate82°F summers, 44°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Santa Clara has warm summers (avg high 82°F) and mild winters (avg low 44°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
70°/50°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
82°/59°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
74°/53°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
60°/44°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
15.6"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
21
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
2
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
57
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59°F | 43°F | 2.97" |
| Feb | 63°F | 45°F | 3.24" |
| Mar | 66°F | 48°F | 2.64" |
| Apr | 70°F | 50°F | 1.24" |
| May | 75°F | 53°F | 0.54" |
| Jun | 80°F | 57°F | 0.17" |
| Jul | 82°F | 59°F | 0.01" |
| Aug | 83°F | 60°F | 0.03" |
| Sep | 81°F | 58°F | 0.07" |
| Oct | 75°F | 54°F | 0.80" |
| Nov | 65°F | 47°F | 1.36" |
| Dec | 59°F | 43°F | 3.07" |
Healthcare2 hospitals, avg 2.0/5
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Santa Clara
Santa Clara has 2 hospitals, averaging 2.0 out of 5 on CMS's quality rating — below-average care.
Hospitals
2
within city limits
Uninsured
2.9%
of residents
Avg Hospital Rating
2.0 / 5
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-santa Clara
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available
Kaiser Permanente Psychiatric Health Facility-sant
Psychiatric · ER available
Nearby hospitals · within 15 miles
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 3.9 mi away · San Jose
El Camino Health
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6 mi away · Mountain View
Good Samaritan Hospital
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 7.9 mi away · San Jose
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.
Education19.5:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Santa Clara
Santa Clara's student/teacher ratio is 19.5:1 (higher than the national average of 16:1), and 65.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
24
within city limits
Private Schools
10
within city limits
College Degree Rate
65.9%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
19.5:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges & Universities in Santa Clara
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,552 students · in-state tuition $63,513 · 89% graduate · median earnings $117,193 (10 yrs after entry)
Public · 2-year · 5,784 students · in-state tuition $1,438 · 22% graduate · median earnings $56,661 (10 yrs after entry)
Nearby Colleges (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)
Public · 2-year · 7,688 students · in-state tuition $1,366 · 28% graduate · median earnings $55,874 (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)
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, 32 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Santa Clara
Santa Clara has 8 nearby national parks or recreation areas, closest being Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (32 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site
National Historic Site
32 mi awayAlcatraz Island
National Park Site
40 mi awayPresidio of San Francisco
National Park Site
40 mi awaySan Francisco Maritime National Historical Park
National Historical Park
40 mi awayFort Point National Historic Site
National Historic Site
41 mi awayRosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park
National Historical Park
43 mi awayJohn Muir National Historic Site
National Historic Site
44 mi awayPort Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
National Memorial
48 mi awayPublic Libraries in Santa Clara
Santa Clara City Library - Central Park Library
2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara
Mission Library Family Reading Center
1098 Lexington Street, Santa Clara
Northside Branch Library
695 Moreland Way, Santa Clara
Cities Near Santa Clara
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Santa Clara?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Santa Clara FAQ
Is Santa Clara, California affordable?⌄
Santa Clara's median rent is $3,016/month, which is significantly above the national average. The median household income is $178,958/year. Median home value is $1,582,600.
Is Santa Clara, California safe?⌄
Santa Clara's violent crime rate was 172 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 2593 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Santa Clara, California?⌄
Santa Clara has an unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is solid, slightly below the national average of 4.3%.
What is the cost of living in Santa Clara, California?⌄
The cost of living in Santa Clara is primarily driven by housing. Median rent is $3,016/month and median household income is $178,958/year. The median home value is $1,582,600. About 35% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
How is the commute in Santa Clara, California?⌄
The average commute in Santa Clara 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