Santa Clara County, California
Among the top 1% of US counties for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US counties
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 99% of US counties
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 26% of US counties
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 93% of US counties
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 92% of US counties
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 1% for walkability
- bottom 1% for monthly rent
Santa Clara County is a county in California with about 1,917,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, walkability, and broadband access. It rates lower on cost of living and monthly rent.
- The median home value in Santa Clara County is $1.3M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Santa Clara County is $154k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Santa Clara County is $3k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Santa Clara County has a violent crime rate of 1048/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Santa Clara County is 28 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comfortable
cool
82%54%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.9 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$154k100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$91kbetter than 0% of US counties
Home Value$1.3M100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$3kbetter than 0% of US counties
Monthly Owner Costs$362kbetter than 1% of US counties
Property Tax Rate0.70%better than 63% of US counties
Income Tax13.30%better than 1% of US counties
Sales Tax8.85%better than 17% of US counties
Estimated total tax burden22.24%better than 0% of US counties
Unemployment4.4%better than 56% of US counties
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)68°F6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation19.7 in13th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall1.7 inbetter than 74% of US counties
Sunny Days251 daysbetter than 65% of US counties
Summer Humidity54°Fbetter than 87% of US counties
Comfortable Days213 daysbetter than 100% of US counties
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk99.7better than 0% of US counties
Air Quality43 AQIbetter than 49% of US counties
School Quality91.5better than 89% of US counties
Violent Crime1048/100kbetter than 33% of US counties
Property Crime2603/100kbetter than 6% of US counties
Community
Population1,916,83199th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age37.720th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6999th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0476th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+482nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)29.2%6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.3%53rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)24.9%87th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)38.7%100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.0%78th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time28 minbetter than 28% of US counties
Walkability13.7/20better than 99% of US counties
Airport Distance17 mibetter than 96% of US counties
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.6%better than 99% of US counties
Amenities Nearby0.52better than 30% of US counties
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 96% of US counties
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Frequently asked questions
- Is Santa Clara County an affordable place to live?
- Santa Clara County is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $91k, better than 0% of comparable areas. Median rent is $3k.
- Is Santa Clara County safe?
- Santa Clara County is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1048/100k (better than 33%). Property crime is 2603/100k.
- What is the weather like in Santa Clara County?
- Santa Clara County averages 68°F in July and 51°F in January, with 19.7 in of annual precipitation and about 251 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Santa Clara County?
- Public-school quality in Santa Clara County is above average, scoring better than 89% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Santa Clara County?
- The average one-way commute in Santa Clara County is 28 min.