Los Angeles vs San Jose
Los Angeles, California versus San Jose, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Los Angeles and San Jose score about the same overall (45 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Los Angeles | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $76k | $136k |
| Cost of Living | $66k | $91k |
| Home Value | $823k | $1.1M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.66% | 0.75% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 23.35% | 22.58% |
| Unemployment | 7.7% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 58°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 70°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 14.0 in | 18.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 292 days | 261 days |
| Summer Humidity | 58°F | 55°F |
| Comfortable Days | 329 days | 225 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 63.6 | 68.7 |
| Air Quality | 49 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 81.6 |
| Violent Crime | 1813/100k | 1248/100k |
| Property Crime | 2708/100k | 2651/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 3,881,041 | 1,001,176 |
| Median Age | 36.5 | 37.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.73 | 0.72 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.00 | 1.04 |
| Political Leaning | D+45 | D+48 |
| White (%) | 28.1% | 23.9% |
| Black (%) | 8.2% | 2.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 48.1% | 30.8% |
| Asian (%) | 11.6% | 37.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.0% | 4.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 31 min | 29 min |
| Walkability | 16.2/20 | 14.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 6 mi | 8 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.7% | 94.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 5.27 | 9.06 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
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 Los Angeles or San Jose more affordable?
- Los Angeles has the lower cost of living: its index is $66k, compared with Los Angeles's $66k and San Jose's $91k. Median rent is $2k in Los Angeles versus $3k in San Jose.
- Is Los Angeles or San Jose safer?
- San Jose has the lower violent crime rate. Los Angeles reports 1813/100k and San Jose reports 1248/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Los Angeles or San Jose?
- The median home value is $823k in Los Angeles and $1.1M in San Jose, so homes are more affordable in Los Angeles.