Santa Clara, CA vs Los Altos, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricSanta Clara, CALos Altos, CA
Population130,25630,698
Median Household Income$178,958$250,000+
Median Rent$3,016/mo$3,500+/mo
Median Home Value$1,582,600$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)110110
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income35.3%37.4%
Poverty Rate8.4%3.2%
Unemployment Rate3.7%4.4%
Violent Crime Rate /100k17236
Property Crime Rate /100k2,5931,038
Median AQI4747
Good AQI Days /yr201201
Summer Highs82°F77°F
Winter Lows44°F43°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute22.6 min22.3 min
Hospitals2—
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 5—
Students per Teacher19.518.4
College Degree Rate65.9%88.1%
Foreign-Born %46.4%35.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+4.3%-1.6%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent, $250,000+ for household income and $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above those. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.