Residential comparison · 13 facts
Mountain View, CA vs Santa Clara, 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 $85,000 in Santa Clara to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Santa Clara, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Mountain View.
A few differences
- Mountain View is higher on median household income ($189,917 vs $178,958).
- Santa Clara is lower on cost of living index (200 vs 222).
- Santa Clara is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($3,153/mo vs $3,340/mo).
Mountain View vs Santa Clara · facet by facet
| Facet | Mountain View, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,927,000 | $1,582,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,340/mo | $3,153/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 222 | 200 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $189,917 | $178,958 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 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 · Santa Clara, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Mountain View cheaper than Santa Clara?
- Santa Clara has the lower day-to-day cost index (200 vs 222 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Santa Clara equals $85,000 in Mountain View?
- A household earning $85,000 in Mountain View needs about $85,000 in Santa Clara to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Santa Clara lifestyle costs about $85,000 in Mountain View.