Moving to
Saratoga.

All Saratoga data Compare Saratoga

30,319people live here $250,000+median household incomeCensus top category $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, $250,000+ for household income and $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above those.

What it's like to live in Saratoga

Saratoga is a small 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. Saratoga deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.

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
High student-teacher ratio

How Saratoga compares

Median household income

Saratoga$250,000+

California avg$99,122

US$80,734

The Census tops out at $250,000+ for household income; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

Median rent (per month)

Saratoga$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

Saratoga$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 Saratoga

Based on Saratoga'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
45% of Saratoga 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 8.0× 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+ · 45% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.7% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 80% below US

66 violent crimes per 100k

Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.

Property crime 484/100k · Saratoga Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

25 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 25.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 37% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

56%

Work from home

37%

Carpool

3.5%

Other

1.6%

Public transit

0.9%

Walk

0.8%

Climate

Summers are warm, with highs around 84°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 125% above US

81% 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

10 public schools inside the boundary

There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 21:1, above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site (39 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Saratoga'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 (37% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

See all the data for Saratoga →·All California cities →