The Town FilesMilpitas, California
City in Santa Clara County · population 80,273 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,251,700
- Household income
- $178,798
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 36.8
Milpitas is a city of 80,273 people in Santa Clara County, California. The median home is worth $1,251,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 93% of California towns, more vibrant than 89% of California towns, better transit than 88% of California towns.
How Milpitas 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 Milpitas is worth $1,251,700, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 7.0 times the median household income of $178,798, which is more affordable than 41% of California towns. Median rent is $3,120 a month. 58.4% of households own their home.
| Housing | Milpitas | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,251,700 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,120 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $178,798 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.0× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 58.4% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Milpitas
| People | Milpitas | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.8 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.9% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 20.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 58.2% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 55.4% | — |
| Work from home | 25.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 25.8 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Milpitas
July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 41.8°F. About 13.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 3 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Milpitas since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 5, 1998 about 8.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 5, 1998.
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 Milpitas itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.
Public schools in Milpitas
15 public schools with 10,188 students, about 23.6 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milpitas High | 9-12 | 3,029 | 22.9 |
| Thomas Russell Middle | 7-8 | 769 | 23.3 |
| John Sinnott Elementary | K-6 | 724 | 25.9 |
| Mabel Mattos Elementary | K-6 | 666 | 25.6 |
| Curtner Elementary | K-6 | 660 | 26.4 |
| Rancho Milpitas Middle | 7-8 | 654 | 19.8 |
| Anthony Spangler Elementary | K-6 | 623 | 24.9 |
| Marshall Pomeroy Elementary | K-6 | 614 | 24.6 |
| Pearl Zanker Elementary | K-6 | 578 | 26.3 |
| Alexander Rose Elementary | K-6 | 516 | 25.8 |
| William Burnett Elementary | K-6 | 472 | 23.6 |
| Joseph Weller Elementary | K-6 | 440 | 24.4 |
Towns near Milpitas
- Fremont, CA5.1 mi · 230,504 people · home $1,403,800
- East Foothills, CA5.5 mi · 6,803 people · home $1,346,100
- Alum Rock, CA5.7 mi · 12,042 people · home $909,500
- Santa Clara, CA6.3 mi · 127,647 people · home $1,582,600
- Burbank, CA8.0 mi · 4,940 people · home $1,104,600
- Sunnyvale, CA8.1 mi · 155,805 people · home $1,801,800
- Newark, CA9.2 mi · 47,529 people · home $1,142,800
- San Jose, CA10.4 mi · 1,013,240 people · home $1,233,200
Milpitas questions
Is Milpitas, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Milpitas scores better for retirees than 35% of California towns and quieter than 22%. 13.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.8).
How much does a house cost in Milpitas?
The median owner-occupied home in Milpitas is valued at $1,251,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $178,798, so homes cost about 7.0 times income. Median rent is $3,120 a month.
What is the weather like in Milpitas?
July highs average 80.8°F and January lows 41.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Milpitas get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Milpitas since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 5, 1998. 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)