Residential comparison · 13 facts
Mountain View, CA vs San Jose, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Mountain View needs about $89,000 in San Jose to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Jose, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $81,000 in Mountain View.
A few differences
- Mountain View is lower on sales tax (8.8% vs 9.38%).
- Mountain View is lower on groceries index (112 vs 114).
- Mountain View is higher on median household income ($189,917 vs $133,000).
Mountain View vs San Jose · facet by facet
| Facet | Mountain View, CA | San Jose, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,927,000 | $1,450,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,340/mo | $3,550/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 9.38% |
| Cost of living index | 222 | 168 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 114 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $230/mo |
| Median household income | $189,917 | $133,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 3.9% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 36/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 257 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Mountain View, CA · San Jose, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Mountain View cheaper than San Jose?
- San Jose has the lower day-to-day cost index (168 vs 222 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Jose equals $85,000 in Mountain View?
- A household earning $85,000 in Mountain View needs about $89,000 in San Jose to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Jose lifestyle costs about $81,000 in Mountain View.