Residential comparison · 13 facts
San Jose, 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 San Jose needs about $81,000 in Santa Clara to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Santa Clara, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,000 in San Jose.
A few differences
- Santa Clara is lower on sales tax (8.8% vs 9.38%).
- Santa Clara is lower on groceries index (112 vs 114).
- Santa Clara is higher on median household income ($178,958 vs $133,000).
San Jose vs Santa Clara · facet by facet
| Facet | San Jose, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,450,000 | $1,582,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $3,550/mo | $3,153/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 9.38% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 168 | 200 |
| Groceries index | 114 | 112 |
| Utilities | $230/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $133,000 | $178,958 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 36/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 7.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 257 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: San Jose, CA · Santa Clara, CA
Questions & answers
- Is San Jose cheaper than Santa Clara?
- San Jose has the lower day-to-day cost index (168 vs 200 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 San Jose?
- A household earning $85,000 in San Jose needs about $81,000 in Santa Clara to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Santa Clara lifestyle costs about $89,000 in San Jose.