The Town FilesSanta Clara, California
City in Santa Clara County · population 127,647 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,582,600
- Household income
- $178,958
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 6
- Median age
- 34.6
Santa Clara is a city of 127,647 people in Santa Clara County, California. The median home is worth $1,582,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 98% of California towns, more vibrant than 96% of California towns, better transit than 95% of California towns.
How Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara is worth $1,582,600, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.8 times the median household income of $178,958, which is more affordable than 18% of California towns. Median rent is $3,016 a month. 40.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Santa Clara | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,582,600 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,016 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $178,958 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.8× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 40.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1974 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Santa Clara
| People | Santa Clara | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.4% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 17.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 65.9% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 46.4% | — |
| Work from home | 25.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 22.6 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Santa Clara
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
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Clara 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 3.4 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 Santa Clara itself the ACS puts it at 5.1%.
Public schools in Santa Clara
25 public schools with 11,554 students, about 19.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara High | 9-12 | 1,732 | 18.8 |
| Adrian Wilcox High | 9-12 | 1,695 | 19.0 |
| Juan Cabrillo Middle | 6-8 | 804 | 18.3 |
| Buchser Middle | 6-8 | 691 | 18.7 |
| Don Callejon | K-8 | 545 | 17.0 |
| Laurelwood Elementary | K-5 | 538 | 23.4 |
| Millikin Elementary | K-5 | 507 | 23.0 |
| Central Park Elementary | K-5 | 439 | 20.9 |
| Dwight D. Eisenhower Elementary | K-5 | 413 | 22.9 |
| Scott Lane Elementary | K-5 | 410 | 21.6 |
| Westwood Elementary | K-5 | 384 | 22.6 |
| Washington Open Elementary | K-5 | 334 | 22.3 |
Towns near Santa Clara
- Sunnyvale, CA3.5 mi · 155,805 people · home $1,801,800
- Burbank, CA3.6 mi · 4,940 people · home $1,104,600
- Cupertino, CA5.3 mi · 60,381 people · home $2,000,001
- Campbell, CA5.9 mi · 43,959 people · home $1,617,000
- Milpitas, CA6.3 mi · 80,273 people · home $1,251,700
- Mountain View, CA6.6 mi · 82,376 people · home $1,927,000
- Los Altos, CA7.1 mi · 31,625 people · home $2,000,001
- Loyola, CA7.2 mi · 3,491 people · home $2,000,001
Santa Clara questions
Is Santa Clara, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Santa Clara scores better for retirees than 34% of California towns and quieter than 16%. 11.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.6).
How much does a house cost in Santa Clara?
The median owner-occupied home in Santa Clara is valued at $1,582,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $178,958, so homes cost about 8.8 times income. Median rent is $3,016 a month.
What is the weather like in Santa Clara?
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 Santa Clara get tornadoes?
6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Santa Clara 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)