Mountain View vs South San Francisco
Mountain View, California versus South San Francisco, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Mountain View edges out South San Francisco on overall objective livability (52 vs 47 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Mountain View | South San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $174k | $127k |
| Cost of Living | $94k | $94k |
| Home Value | $1.8M | $1.1M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.55% | 0.60% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.96% | 21.51% |
| Unemployment | 3.4% | 2.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 68°F | 63°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.0 in | 19.6 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 | 230 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 79.3 | 93.7 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 71.7 |
| Violent Crime | 790/100k | 1253/100k |
| Property Crime | 2969/100k | 2834/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 82,132 | 65,596 |
| Median Age | 35.5 | 42.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.66 | 0.70 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.09 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+59 | D+59 |
| White (%) | 40.6% | 21.8% |
| Black (%) | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 18.3% | 29.1% |
| Asian (%) | 33.2% | 42.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.9% | 4.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 28 min |
| Walkability | 14.7/20 | 11.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 9 mi | 3 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.0% | 93.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 106.90 | 89.33 |
| 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 Mountain View or South San Francisco more affordable?
- South San Francisco has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Mountain View's $94k and South San Francisco's $94k. Median rent is $3k in Mountain View versus $3k in South San Francisco.
- Is Mountain View or South San Francisco safer?
- Mountain View has the lower violent crime rate. Mountain View reports 790/100k and South San Francisco reports 1253/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Mountain View or South San Francisco?
- The median home value is $1.8M in Mountain View and $1.1M in South San Francisco, so homes are more affordable in South San Francisco.