The Town FilesGilroy, California
City in Santa Clara County · population 59,520 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,027,400
- Household income
- $133,107
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 87°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 37.0
Gilroy is a city of 59,520 people in Santa Clara County, California. The median home is worth $1,027,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 76% of California towns, better transit than 73% of California towns, more walkable than 70% of California towns.
How Gilroy ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Gilroy is worth $1,027,400, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.7 times the median household income of $133,107, which is more affordable than 31% of California towns. Median rent is $2,301 a month. 62.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Gilroy | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,027,400 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,301 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $133,107 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 62.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.0% | — |
Who lives in Gilroy
| People | Gilroy | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.0 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 26.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 3.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 24.3% | — |
| Work from home | 12.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 33.3 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.8% | 93.3% |
Weather in Gilroy
July highs average 87.2°F and January lows 38.1°F. About 19.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 48 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 16 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gilroy since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F1, struck on December 20, 2001 about 9.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 14, 2007.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on October 10, 2012.
Severe weather in Santa Clara County since 1996
Santa Clara County has been included in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| August 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County had 1,116,581 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $197,043 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Gilroy itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.
Public schools in Gilroy
17 public schools with 10,779 students, about 24.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher High | 9-12 | 1,667 | 23.5 |
| Gilroy High | 9-12 | 1,664 | 22.2 |
| Las Animas Elementary | K-5 | 793 | 24.8 |
| Solorsano Middle | 6-8 | 789 | 21.3 |
| South Valley Middle | 6-8 | 749 | 22.7 |
| Luigi Aprea Elementary | K-5 | 712 | 25.4 |
| Rod Kelley Elementary | K-5 | 708 | 28.3 |
| Brownell Middle | 6-8 | 695 | 21.7 |
| El Roble Elementary | K-5 | 547 | 23.8 |
| Gilroy Prep (a Navigator School) (charter) | K-8 | 540 | 41.5 |
| Rucker Elementary | K-5 | 508 | 28.2 |
| Eliot Elementary | K-5 | 472 | 23.6 |
Towns near Gilroy
- San Martin, CA5.3 mi · 7,008 people · home $1,430,600
- Interlaken, CA9.2 mi · 7,368 people · home $831,000
- Morgan Hill, CA9.3 mi · 45,483 people · home $1,210,200
- Aromas, CA9.4 mi · 2,708 people · home $863,500
- Pajaro, CA11.3 mi · 2,882 people · home $750,000
- Amesti, CA11.3 mi · 2,637 people · home $879,400
- Watsonville, CA11.8 mi · 52,590 people · home $686,000
- Freedom, CA12.5 mi · 3,835 people · home $755,300
Gilroy questions
Is Gilroy, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gilroy scores better for retirees than 24% of California towns and quieter than 20%. 13.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.0).
How much does a house cost in Gilroy?
The median owner-occupied home in Gilroy is valued at $1,027,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $133,107, so homes cost about 7.7 times income. Median rent is $2,301 a month.
What is the weather like in Gilroy?
July highs average 87.2°F and January lows 38.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Gilroy get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gilroy since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on December 20, 2001. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)