Is Santa Clara, CA a Good Place to Live?
Santa Clara is a mid-sized city of 128,058 in California, with a median household income of $165,352 and a 4.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 113 (US average = 100), which is 13% above the national average.
Strengths: Santa Clara stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Santa Clara is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Santa Clara city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 112.9Santa Clara's overall cost of living index is 112.9, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Santa Clara costs roughly 13% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Santa Clara, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $1,440,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,841 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 41.9% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $165,352 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageSanta Clara's violent crime rate is 182.0 per 100,000 residents — 52% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Santa Clara is served primarily by Santa Clara Unified. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19.0:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Santa Clara, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Santa Clara Unified | — |
| Elementary Schools | 19 | — |
| Middle Schools | 4 | — |
| High Schools | 6 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.0:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 64.6% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.2% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Santa Clara sees average highs of 59.8°F in January and 80.8°F in July, with 15.6 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Santa Clara, CA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 59.8°F |
| Average High — July | 80.8°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.6" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Santa Clara, CA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 128,058 | — |
| Median Age | 34.5 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 23.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 34.8% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 2.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.8% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 47.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.0% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 11.3% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Santa Clara
Santa Clara, CA is covered by 4 ZIP codes: