Mountain View vs San Carlos
Mountain View, California versus San Carlos, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
San Carlos edges out Mountain View on overall objective livability (59 vs 52 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Mountain View | San Carlos |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $174k | $219k |
| Cost of Living | $94k | $94k |
| Home Value | $1.8M | $2.0M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.55% | 0.50% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.96% | 20.78% |
| Unemployment | 3.4% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.0 in | 19.0 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 232 days | 232 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 79.3 | 65.0 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 36 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 790/100k | 0/100k |
| Property Crime | 2969/100k | 0/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 82,132 | 30,490 |
| Median Age | 35.5 | 41.7 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.09 | 0.96 |
| Political Leaning | D+59 | D+59 |
| White (%) | 40.6% | 60.9% |
| Black (%) | 2.1% | 0.7% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.3% | 9.2% |
| Asian (%) | 33.2% | 20.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 9.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 14.7/20 | 9.3/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 10 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.0% | 97.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 106.90 | 198.43 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | 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 Mountain View or San Carlos more affordable?
- San Carlos has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Mountain View's $94k and San Carlos's $94k. Median rent is $3k in Mountain View versus $3k in San Carlos.
- Is Mountain View or San Carlos safer?
- San Carlos has the lower violent crime rate. Mountain View reports 790/100k and San Carlos reports 0/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Mountain View or San Carlos?
- The median home value is $1.8M in Mountain View and $2.0M in San Carlos, so homes are more affordable in Mountain View.