What it's like to live in Campbell
Campbell is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Campbell deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a population that has been shrinking.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High student-teacher ratio
How Campbell compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Campbell
Based on Campbell's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,474
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $109,480 a year
- 49% of Campbell renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$323,400
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $161,700
- Homes cost 11.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 94% above US
$2,737/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,737 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $1,617,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,617,000 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
359 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2486/100k · Campbell Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 25% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 67% above US
60% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
6 public schools inside the boundary
There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 12 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (38 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Campbell's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,737/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (25% of workers here already work from home) and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Campbell
All California guides →Moving to Saratoga →
4 mi away · pop. 30,319
Rent $3,500+/mo · Income $250,000+
Compare with Campbell →Moving to Cupertino →
6 mi away · pop. 58,566
Rent $3,500+/mo · Income $234,707
Compare with Campbell →Not sure Campbell is the one?
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