The Town FilesSunnyvale, California
City in Santa Clara County · population 155,805 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,801,800
- Household income
- $186,170
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 77°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 35.2
Sunnyvale is a city of 155,805 people in Santa Clara County, California. The median home is worth $1,801,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 97% of California towns, better transit than 97% of California towns, more vibrant than 95% of California towns.
How Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale is worth $1,801,800, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 9.7 times the median household income of $186,170, which is more affordable than 11% of California towns. Median rent is $3,039 a month. 43.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sunnyvale | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,801,800 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $3,039 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $186,170 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 9.7× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 43.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.3% | — |
Who lives in Sunnyvale
| People | Sunnyvale | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.2 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 19.5% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 69.3% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 50.2% | — |
| Work from home | 29.2% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.5% | 93.3% |
Weather in Sunnyvale
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 42.4°F. About 13.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sunnyvale 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 1.1 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 Sunnyvale itself the ACS puts it at 4.5%.
Public schools in Sunnyvale
20 public schools with 12,153 students, about 20.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fremont High | 9-12 | 2,169 | 22.4 |
| Cupertino Middle | 6-8 | 1,122 | 19.0 |
| Sunnyvale Middle | 6-8 | 1,037 | 19.2 |
| Louis E. Stocklmeir Elementary | K-5 | 826 | 24.3 |
| Ellis Elementary | K-5 | 758 | 23.0 |
| Marian A. Peterson Middle | 6-8 | 741 | 21.8 |
| Columbia Middle | 6-8 | 672 | 18.7 |
| Cherry Chase Elementary | K-5 | 596 | 21.3 |
| Cumberland Elementary | K-5 | 589 | 21.0 |
| Ponderosa Elementary | K-5 | 513 | 22.3 |
| Bishop Elementary | K-5 | 446 | 19.4 |
| Vargas Elementary | K-5 | 416 | 19.8 |
Towns near Sunnyvale
- Mountain View, CA3.1 mi · 82,376 people · home $1,927,000
- Santa Clara, CA3.5 mi · 127,647 people · home $1,582,600
- Los Altos, CA4.0 mi · 31,625 people · home $2,000,001
- Loyola, CA4.6 mi · 3,491 people · home $2,000,001
- Cupertino, CA4.7 mi · 60,381 people · home $2,000,001
- Los Altos Hills, CA6.3 mi · 8,489 people · home $2,000,001
- Palo Alto, CA6.5 mi · 68,572 people · home $2,000,001
- Burbank, CA6.9 mi · 4,940 people · home $1,104,600
Sunnyvale questions
Is Sunnyvale, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sunnyvale scores better for retirees than 45% of California towns and quieter than 18%. 13.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.2).
How much does a house cost in Sunnyvale?
The median owner-occupied home in Sunnyvale is valued at $1,801,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $186,170, so homes cost about 9.7 times income. Median rent is $3,039 a month.
What is the weather like in Sunnyvale?
July highs average 76.9°F and January lows 42.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 13.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Sunnyvale get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sunnyvale 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)