Cupertino vs Los Gatos
Cupertino, California versus Los Gatos, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Cupertino and Los Gatos score about the same overall (53 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cupertino | Los Gatos |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $224k | $198k |
| Cost of Living | $106k | $106k |
| Home Value | $2.0M | $2.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $4k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.69% | 21.27% |
| Unemployment | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.8 in | 22.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 233 days | 223 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 90.5 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 55.6 | 92.7 |
| Violent Crime | 270/100k | 515/100k |
| Property Crime | 1331/100k | 1846/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 59,763 | 33,093 |
| Median Age | 40.4 | 45.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.45 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.11 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+62 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 21.6% | 69.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 1.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.1% | 8.2% |
| Asian (%) | 70.1% | 16.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 12.7/20 | 14.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.1% | 93.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 130.18 | 161.36 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cupertino or Los Gatos more affordable?
- Los Gatos has the lower cost of living: its index is $106k, compared with Cupertino's $106k and Los Gatos's $106k. Median rent is $4k in Cupertino versus $3k in Los Gatos.
- Is Cupertino or Los Gatos safer?
- Cupertino has the lower violent crime rate. Cupertino reports 270/100k and Los Gatos reports 515/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cupertino or Los Gatos?
- The median home value is $2.0M in Cupertino and $2.0M in Los Gatos, so homes are more affordable in Los Gatos.