Ideal CityOpen the map

Mountain View vs San Bruno

Mountain View, California versus San Bruno, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.

Overall livability

Mountain View

Solid · objective livability52/100

San Bruno

Solid · objective livability51/100

Mountain View and San Bruno score about the same overall (52 vs 51 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.

Factor-by-factor comparison

FactorMountain ViewSan Bruno
Affordability
Median Household Income$174k$132k
Cost of Living$94k$94k
Home Value$1.8M$1.2M
Monthly Rent$3k$3k
Monthly Owner Costs$4k$3k
Property Tax Rate0.55%0.50%
Income Tax13.30%13.30%
Sales Tax8.85%8.85%
Estimated total tax burden21.96%20.72%
Unemployment3.4%4.6%
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F51°F
Summer Temp (Jul)68°F63°F
Annual Precipitation17.0 in27.1 in
Annual Snowfall0.0 in0.0 in
Sunny Days231 days231 days
Summer Humidity53°F53°F
Comfortable Days232 days230 days
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk79.369.0
Air Quality38 AQI38 AQI
School Quality100.0100.0
Violent Crime790/100k644/100k
Property Crime2969/100k2582/100k
Community
Population82,13243,218
Median Age35.539.0
Racial Diversity0.660.72
Male/Female Ratio1.091.02
Political LeaningD+59D+59
White (%)40.6%29.2%
Black (%)2.1%1.0%
Hispanic (%)18.3%29.5%
Asian (%)33.2%32.2%
Other / Multiracial (%)5.9%8.1%
Getting Around
Commute Time24 min26 min
Walkability14.7/208.3/20
Airport Distance9 mi3 mi
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.0%93.2%
Amenities Nearby106.90120.32
Park & Nature AccessGoodGood

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 Mountain View or San Bruno more affordable?
San Bruno has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Mountain View's $94k and San Bruno's $94k. Median rent is $3k in Mountain View versus $3k in San Bruno.
Is Mountain View or San Bruno safer?
San Bruno has the lower violent crime rate. Mountain View reports 790/100k and San Bruno reports 644/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
Are homes cheaper in Mountain View or San Bruno?
The median home value is $1.8M in Mountain View and $1.2M in San Bruno, so homes are more affordable in San Bruno.
See each on the map

Explore Mountain View →Explore San Bruno →

Full profiles