Cupertino vs Santa Clara
Cupertino, California versus Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara score about the same overall (53 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Cupertino | Santa Clara |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $224k | $165k |
| Cost of Living | $106k | $106k |
| Home Value | $2.0M | $1.4M |
| Monthly Rent | $4k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 20.69% | 21.34% |
| Unemployment | 3.0% | 4.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 69°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.8 in | 15.6 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 | 233 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 85.8 | 85.3 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 55.6 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 270/100k | 669/100k |
| Property Crime | 1331/100k | 3618/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 59,763 | 128,058 |
| Median Age | 40.4 | 34.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.65 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.11 | 1.11 |
| Political Leaning | D+62 | D+62 |
| White (%) | 21.6% | 30.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 3.1% | 15.3% |
| Asian (%) | 70.1% | 47.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 12.7/20 | 13.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 7 mi | 2 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.1% | 95.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 130.18 | 116.74 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Limited |
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 Santa Clara more affordable?
- Santa Clara has the lower cost of living: its index is $106k, compared with Cupertino's $106k and Santa Clara's $106k. Median rent is $4k in Cupertino versus $3k in Santa Clara.
- Is Cupertino or Santa Clara safer?
- Cupertino has the lower violent crime rate. Cupertino reports 270/100k and Santa Clara reports 669/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Cupertino or Santa Clara?
- The median home value is $2.0M in Cupertino and $1.4M in Santa Clara, so homes are more affordable in Santa Clara.