The Town Files

Mountain View, California

Community in Contra Costa County · population 2,622 (2020 Census)

Map: where Mountain View is in CaliforniaMountain View
Median home
$590,100
Household income
$94,046
Jan low / Jul high
35° / 88°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
39.6

Mountain View is a community of 2,622 people in Contra Costa County, California. The median home is worth $590,100, close to the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks more walkable than 95% of California towns, more of a college town than 95% of California towns, better transit than 94% of California towns.

Mountain View in our rankings:

How Mountain View 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.

Mountain View lifestyle rankings vs other California townsRetirement29th pctFamilies60th pctQuiet9th pctWalkability95th pctFirst-time buyers76th pctYoung professionals65th pctVibrancy59th pctHip & trendy79th pctCollege town95th pctUpscale73rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit94th pctDriving10th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Mountain View is worth $590,100, close to the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 6.3 times the median household income of $94,046, which is more affordable than 52% of California towns. Median rent is $2,018 a month. 64.6% of households own their home.

Mountain View vs Contra Costa County vs typical California townMountain ViewContra Costa CountyTypical California townHome value$590,100$866,800$596,900Household income$94,046$127,229$91,557Monthly rent$2,018$2,375$1,827
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of California towns with 500+ people.
HousingMountain ViewTypical California town
Median home value$590,100$596,900
Median rent$2,018$1,827
Median household income$94,046$91,557
Home value ÷ income6.3×6.4×
Homeownership64.6%67.4%
Median year built19491977
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Mountain View

PeopleMountain ViewTypical California town
Median age39.640.2
Age 65 and over11.6%17.7%
Under 1817.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher31.7%27.7%
Below the poverty line11.0%10.3%
Veterans7.2%—
Born outside the U.S.8.4%—
Work from home14.6%13.4%
Average commute34.3 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband90.6%93.3%

Weather in Mountain View

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 35.0°F. About 19.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 47 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 17 nights at or below freezing.

Mountain View monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing56°35°Jan61°37°Feb66°40°Mar71°43°Apr78°46°May85°50°Jun88°51°Jul87°51°Aug84°50°Sep76°46°Oct64°39°Nov57°35°DecPrecipitation (in)3.93.82.71.30.60.30.00.00.10.82.13.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Martinez Wtp station (0.3 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mountain View since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 18, 1989 about 5.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 18, 1989.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Mountain View by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Contra Costa County since 1996

Storm events in Contra Costa County since 1996 by typeHail12Heat29Flood59Wildfire13Dense Fog19High Wind72Debris Flow15Dense Smoke7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Contra Costa County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 15 deaths recorded.

Contra Costa County has been included in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3428: Covid-19
April 1, 2017FloodDR-4308: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Contra Costa County

Contra Costa County had 373,992 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $86,234 a year. Unemployment was 4.1% in 2023; in Mountain View itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

Largest industries in Contra Costa CountyHealth care & social assistan…76,021 jobs · $78,791Retail40,398 jobs · $51,458Hotels & restaurants33,545 jobs · $33,009Construction27,400 jobs · $99,886Professional & technical serv…25,151 jobs · $132,280Administrative & support22,451 jobs · $70,083
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Contra Costa County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Contra Costa 4.1%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Mountain View

Mountain View questions

Is Mountain View, California a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Mountain View scores better for retirees than 29% of California towns and quieter than 9%. 11.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.6).

How much does a house cost in Mountain View?

The median owner-occupied home in Mountain View is valued at $590,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,046, so homes cost about 6.3 times income. Median rent is $2,018 a month.

What is the weather like in Mountain View?

July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 35.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Mountain View get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Mountain View since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 18, 1989. The typical California town has had 2.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Mountain View's Census boundary (GEOID 0649651). Comparisons use the median of California towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.