City · Santa Clara County, California

Saratoga, California

Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area. It has 30,319 residents. Saratoga, California has a quality-of-life score of 83 out of 100 (very high), ranking #2,623 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within California it ranks #77 of 1,062 cities and towns. It ranks best on adult obesity (low), average weekly wage (high) and adult smoking (low). It ranks worst on home price to income ratio (high), students per teacher (high) and natural hazard risk (high).

83Very high

Quality-of-life score: #2,623 of 15,651 cities and towns
California: #77 of 1,062 in CA
Population: 30,319 (2020-2024)
Land area: 13 mi²
Density: 2,372.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 0670280

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety57#6,688/15,637
Economy96#573/15,631
Housing18#12,297/14,977
Health99#228/15,609
Healthcare96#579/15,650
Environment38#9,605/15,453
Education76#3,810/15,649
Infrastructure99#166/15,650
Community49#8,012/15,651
Leisure & amenities71#4,533/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Saratoga, California ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Santa Clara County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Adult obesity · low17.3%
100/100California 30.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Average weekly wage · high$4,075
100/100California $1,865United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSanta Clara County value
Adult smoking · low5.3%
100/100California 12.6%United States 16.1%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Frequent mental distress · low11.9%
100/100California 18.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Median household income · high$250,001
100/100California $100,130United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013At least this value: the publisher's top bracket is open-ended
Bachelor's degree or higher · high81.1%
100/100California 37.1%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high8.0×
3/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Students per teacher · high21.0×
6/100California 21.7×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsSanta Clara County value
Natural hazard risk · high91.6
8/100California 87.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencySanta Clara County value
Property crime rate · high2,255 /100k
10/100California 1,792 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationSanta Clara County value
Social associations · low6.1 /10k
12/100California 6.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanta Clara County value
Loneliness · high36.6%
13/100California 37.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
29.9% (2015-2019) → 51.6% (2020-2024)
+22 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
21.1% (2015-2019) → 30.9% (2020-2024)
+9.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$191,677 (2015-2019) → $250,001 (2020-2024)
+30%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Home price to income ratioImproving
10.4× (2015-2019) → 8.0× (2020-2024)
−23%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
77.5% (2015-2019) → 81.1% (2020-2024)
+3.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Average commute timeImproving
30.5 min (2015-2019) → 25.1 min (2020-2024)
−18%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Saratoga, California improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 8 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Price / income−2.4×10.4× → 8.0×
Commute−5.4 min30.5 min → 25.1 min
Household income+30%$191,677 → $250,001
Broadband+2.5 points94.8% → 97.3%

Declined2

Rent burden+22 points29.9% → 51.6%
Rent / income+9.8 points21.1% → 30.9%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Saratoga, California between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	30.5 min2015-2019	25.1 min2020-2024	−5.4 min	Improved	91%
Bachelor's degree or higher	77.5%2015-2019	81.1%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Broadband subscriptions	94.8%2015-2019	97.3%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Improved	17%
Effective property tax rate	0.58%2015-2019	0.65%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	8%
High school diploma or higher	97.6%2015-2019	97.1%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	28%
Home price to income ratio	10.4×2015-2019	8.0×2020-2024	−2.4×	Improved	100%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4732015-2019	0.4672020-2024	−0.006	Within the margin of error	56%
Median household income	$191,6772015-2019	$250,0012020-2024	+30%	Improved	56%
Poverty rate	4.7%2015-2019	3.3%2020-2024	−1.4 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Public transit commuters	1.2%2015-2019	0.9%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Rent as share of income	21.1%2015-2019	30.9%2020-2024	+9.8 points	Declined	10%
Rent-burdened households	29.9%2015-2019	51.6%2020-2024	+22 points	Declined	7%
Unemployment rate	3.7%2015-2019	4.0%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	0.9%2015-2019	0.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	48%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Saratoga, California five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Saratoga, California in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Saratoga, California itself moved −9.4 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

30,319 residents (±85)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

10,783 households (±271)

Saratoga, California
California share

Under $25k4.1%†446
$25k–50k5.9%†633
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

10,783 households (±271)

Saratoga, California
California share

Own86%9,314
Rent14%1,469

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

13,249 workers (±732)

Saratoga, California
California share

Drive alone56%7,379
Carpool3.5%†462
Public transit0.9%†124

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Santa Clara County, the county holding most of Saratoga's residents.

Santa Clara County has 49,154 employer establishments, 260 for every 10,000 residents (1.05× the US rate of 248; 0.99× California's), with 1,171,397 paid employees at an average annual pay of $181,647. The Census Bureau also counts 151,197 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 49,154; 151,197 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 260; US 248 · California 263
Paid employees: 1,171,397
Average annual pay: $181,647; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Santa Clara County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	4,599	24.3	1.17×About typical	48,998	$101,202	6,195
Restaurants and other eating places	4,104	21.7	1.18×About typical	69,473	$32,026	842
Lessors of real estate	2,925	15.5	1.26×More than typical	12,270	$96,848	16,241
Computer systems design and related services	2,783	14.7	3.40×More than typical	82,469	$202,479	4,728
Specialty trade contractors	2,355	12.5	0.80×About typical	37,916	$101,988	4,393
Full-service restaurants	1,703	9	1.17×About typical	31,792	$37,518	226
Limited-service restaurants	1,609	8.5	1.06×About typical	27,895	$28,238	442
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,604	8.5	1.26×More than typical	10,903	$163,742	9,817
Offices of dentists	1,548	8.2	2.03×More than typical	9,648	$63,235	405
Construction of buildings	1,511	8	1.06×About typical	11,172	$104,410	3,856
Offices of other health practitioners	1,213	6.4	1.06×About typical	7,078	$49,756	3,028
Offices of physicians	1,210	6.4	0.99×About typical	10,852	$137,391	1,055

Rank places for an industry Open Santa Clara County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 1,890,377 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $570.7K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Saratoga, California: $18.82 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $570.7K; −71% vs FY2025
Per resident: $18.82; US $1,994
Sole-source: 8.2%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$523.7K92%
Department of the Army$43.7K7.7%
Defense Information Systems Agency$3,2230.6%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

2.6MFY2017
2.7MFY2018
3.2MFY2019
2.1MFY2020
3.9MFY2021
2.2MFY2022
4.8MFY2023
1.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$523.7K92%
Software publishers · 5132$47K8.2%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Saratoga, California, so they do not add up across cities.

Saratoga, California's figures are part of those of Santa Clara County, CA ($3.6B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Saratoga is mostly in Santa Clara County.

See federal money in Santa Clara County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Saratoga, California is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Santa Clara County80100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA87

Other cities and towns in Santa Clara County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/0670280

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends