Moving to
Cupertino.

All Cupertino data Compare Cupertino

58,566people live here $234,707median household income▲ 191% above US $3,500+median rent per monthCensus top category $2,000,000+median home valueCensus top category

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent and $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above those.

What it's like to live in Cupertino

Cupertino is a smaller city in California with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below 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. Cupertino 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
Low crime rates
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 Cupertino compares

Median household income

Cupertino$234,707

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Cupertino$3,500+

California avg$2,036

US$1,413

The Census tops out at $3,500+ for rent; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median home value

Cupertino$2,000,000+

California avg$734,700

US$332,700

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it takes to move to Cupertino

Based on Cupertino's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$7,002

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $140,040 a year
32% of Cupertino renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$400,000

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $200,000
Homes cost 8.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingCensus top category

$3,500+/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $3,500+ 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 $2,000,000+. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $2,000,000+ · 32% 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)

Safety▼ 79% below US

70 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1452/100k · Cupertino Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

24 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 32% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

58%

Work from home

32%

Carpool

4.3%

Walk

2.5%

Other

2.3%

Public transit

0.9%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 77°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 43°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 128% above US

82% 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

13 public schools inside the boundary

There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 2 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 (35 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Cupertino's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (32% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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