Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety61#365/924
Economy97#32/925
Housing21#731/925
Health100#3/925
Healthcare97#28/923
Environment76#223/917
Education84#146/925
Infrastructure98#23/925
Community30#648/925
Leisure & amenities75#232/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Median household income · high$162,111
100/100California $100,130United States $81,6042020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19013
Average weekly wage · high$4,027
100/100California $1,865United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Premature death · low4,110 /100k
100/100California 6,570 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high95.6%
100/100California 93.5%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002
Adult obesity · low22.2%
100/100California 30.4%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · low14.1%
100/100California 18.4%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high8.9×
1/100California 7.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Cost of buying a home today · high64.3%
1/100California 54.7%United States 34.1%Aug 2026Zillow Research
Severe housing problems · high22.1%
4/100California 25.8%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Loneliness · high38.7%
5/100California 37.8%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,191 /100k
7/100California 1,792 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Social associations · low6.0 /10k
7/100California 6.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
92% (2021) → 0% (Nov 2025–Oct 2026)
−92 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
5 days (2017) → 1 days (2022)
−80%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
51.0% (Dec 2021) → 64.2% (Aug 2026)
+13 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Income adjusted for local pricesImproving
$98,069 (2019) → $139,991 (2024)
+43%5 yearsUS $55,567 → $73,204
Child care cost burdenWorsening
20.6% (2020 & 2021) → 28.8% (2023 & 2024)
+8.2 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
New business applicationsImproving
8.8 /1k (2020) → 12.4 /1k (2025)
+41%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k

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, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area improved on 20 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 0 moved within the margin of error and 7 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved20

Commute−2.9 min29.5 min → 26.6 min
Real income+43%$98,069 → $139,991
Weekly wage+30%$3,095 → $4,027
Suicides−21%9.0 /100k → 7.2 /100k
Firearm deaths−25%4.9 /100k → 3.7 /100k

Declined5

Transit use−2.1 points4.3% → 2.3%
Price / income+1.0×7.9× → 8.9×
Violent crime+12%317 /100k → 356 /100k
Inequality+0.0100.467 → 0.477
Pharmacies−15%1.3 /10k → 1.1 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.5 /10k2020	4.0 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	61%
Average commute time	29.5 min2015-2019	26.6 min2020-2024	−2.9 min	Improved	99%
Average weekly wage	$3,0952020	$4,0272025	+30%	Improved	93%
Bachelor's degree or higher	51.5%2015-2019	55.5%2020-2024	+4 points	Improved	78%
Broadband subscriptions	91.8%2015-2019	95.6%2020-2024	+3.9 points	Improved	4%
Child poverty rate	7.9%2015-2019	7.0%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Improved	31%
Distance to an airport	9 mi2020	9 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	8%
Drug overdose deaths	14.9 /100k2020	13.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−8.3%	Improved	34%
Effective property tax rate	0.66%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	+0 points	Little change	6%
Firearm deaths	4.9 /100k2020	3.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	87%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+1.8%	Little change	58%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.8 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+9.4%	Improved	58%
High school diploma or higher	88.1%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Improved	26%
Home price to income ratio	7.9×2015-2019	8.9×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	11%
Homicide rate	2.9 /100k2020	1.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−43%	Improved	71%
Income adjusted for local prices	$98,0692019	$139,9912024	+43%	Improved	94%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4672015-2019	0.4772020-2024	+0.010	Declined	28%
Median household income	$122,4782015-2019	$162,1112020-2024	+32%	Improved	77%
New business applications	8.8 /1k2020	12.4 /1k2025	+41%	Improved	42%
Pharmacies	1.3 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−15%	Declined	33%
Poverty rate	7.5%2015-2019	7.1%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Improved	37%
Property crime rate	2,228 /100k2020	2,191 /100k2025	−1.7%	Little change	7%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	+0.4%	Little change	67%
Public transit commuters	4.3%2015-2019	2.3%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Declined	6%
Rent as share of income	28.5%2015-2019	27.7%2020-2024	−0.8 points	Improved	73%
Rent-burdened households	46.4%2015-2019	45.1%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Improved	69%
Restaurants and bars	9.2 /10k2020	9.3 /10k2025	+1%	Little change	50%
Suicide rate	9.0 /100k2020	7.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	87%
Traffic deaths	6.7 /100k2015-2019	6.6 /100k2020-2024	−1.4%	Little change	65%
Unemployment rate	7.4%2020	4.3%2025	−3.1 points	Improved	55%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.9%2015-2019	4.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Improved	58%
Violent crime rate	317 /100k2020	356 /100k2025	+12%	Declined	16%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area 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, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

1,969,337 residents

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

679,914 households (±1,845)

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area
United States share

Under $25k7.7%52,445
$25k–50k7.6%51,874
$50k–75k8.0%54,469

Homes

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

Owners and renters

679,914 households (±1,845)

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area
United States share

Own55%377,117
Rent45%302,797

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−1.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,002,588 workers (±4,275)

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area
United States share

Drive alone60%604,369
Carpool9.1%91,121
Public transit2.3%22,904

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA employ 286,580 people. 10 pay a median above the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Software Developers87,350 jobs	87,350	$213,110US $135,980	+57%	7.09×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides49,610 jobs	49,610	$37,640US $35,800	+5%	1.58×
Fast Food and Counter Workers23,060 jobs	23,060	$44,570US $31,200	+43%	0.82×
Registered Nurses22,930 jobs	22,930	$216,740US $97,550	+122%	0.93×
Computer and Information Systems Managers19,070 jobs	19,070	$291,660US $175,140	+67%	3.9×
Retail Salespersons18,340 jobs	18,340	$44,220US $35,410	+25%	0.64×
General and Operations Managers17,230 jobs	17,230	$163,860US $105,770	+55%	0.67×
Computer Occupations, All Other16,680 jobs	16,680	$184,430US $116,580	+58%	5.25×
Cashiers16,530 jobs	16,530	$42,960US $32,880	+31%	0.73×
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners15,780 jobs	15,780	$43,870US $36,840	+19%	0.98×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has 50,322 employer establishments, 257 for every 10,000 residents (1.03× the US rate of 248), with 1,185,619 paid employees at an average annual pay of $180,141. The Census Bureau also counts 155,909 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 50,322; 155,909 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 257; US 248
Paid employees: 1,185,619
Average annual pay: $180,141; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	4,668	23.8	1.14×About typical	49,508	$100,872	6,358
Restaurants and other eating places	4,203	21.5	1.17×About typical	71,025	$31,884	862
Lessors of real estate	2,976	15.2	1.23×About typical	12,369	$96,463	16,631
Computer systems design and related services	2,788	14.2	3.29×More than typical	82,481	$202,470	4,771
Specialty trade contractors	2,518	12.9	0.83×About typical	39,223	$100,998	4,704
Full-service restaurants	1,743	8.9	1.16×About typical	32,332	$37,328	232
Limited-service restaurants	1,647	8.4	1.05×About typical	28,627	$28,189	448
Management, scientific and technical consulting	1,618	8.3	1.23×About typical	10,937	$163,434	9,940
Construction of buildings	1,570	8	1.06×About typical	11,416	$103,600	4,038
Offices of dentists	1,566	8	1.98×More than typical	9,786	$63,179	409
Offices of physicians	1,235	6.3	0.97×About typical	10,979	$136,985	1,073
Personal care services	1,229	6.3	1.31×More than typical	5,995	$31,514	4,987

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $3.7B on contracts performed in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area: $1,883 per resident (US $2,008).

Obligations: $3.7B; −5.4% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,883; US $2,008
Sole-source: 74%; US 30%
Single offer: 6.9%; US 8.7%

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 Army$974.7M26%
Department of the Air Force$664.7M18%
Missile Defense Agency$608.8M16%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$317.3M8.5%
Department of Energy$281.8M7.5%
Department of Veterans Affairs$253.9M6.8%
Federal Aviation Administration$124.9M3.3%
Department of the Navy$97.8M2.6%

Top recipients

LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP$1.1B29%
PALANTIR USG INC$1B27%
THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY$307.4M8.2%
STRONGHOLD ENGINEERING INC$100.9M2.7%
PACIFIC SCIENTIFIC ENERGETIC MATERIALS COMPANY (CALIFORNIA LLC)$76.2M2.0%

Spending by fiscal year

5BFY2017
4.6BFY2018
6BFY2019
4.8BFY2020
4.6BFY2021
6.5BFY2022
4.9BFY2023
3.9B

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$1.5B39%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$1B28%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$157M4.2%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$145.2M3.9%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$105.5M2.8%

Largest awards

200207!000021!5700!CZ62 !SMC/PKJ LOS ANGELES AFB !F0470102C0002 !A!N! !N! !20011116!20070630!872978978!196596688!834951691!N!LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION !1111 LOCKHEED MARTIN WAY !SUNNYVALE !CA!94089!77000!085!06!SUNNYVALE !SANTA CLARA !CALIFORNIA!+000012250000!N!N!000000000000!AR92!RDTE/SPACE - OTHER - APPLIED RESEARCH !A2 !MISSILE AND SPACE SYSTEMS !3GFK!MILSTAR !541710!E! !1! ! ! ! ! !99990909!B! ! !B! !D!N!J!2!001!N!2A!Z!N!Z! ! !N!C!N! ! ! !A!A!A!A!000!A!C!N! ! ! ! ! ! !0001!$8.9B
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP· Santa Clara County, CA· Research & development· Oct 3, 2016 – Mar 11, 2026· F0470102C0002
NEXT GENERATION OVERHEAD PERSISTENT INFRARED GEOSYNCHRONOUS EARTH ORBIT SPACE VEHICLE 1-3 PHASE 1$6.5B
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP· Santa Clara County, CA· Research & development· Aug 14, 2018 – Jun 4, 2026· FA881018C0005
THAAD COMPONENTS FOR FIRE UNITS$5.8B
LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP· Santa Clara County, CA

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 10, 2026, loaded Oct 10, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $9.6B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area: $4,858 per resident (US $12,975).

Assistance · FY2026: $9.6B; −3.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $4,858; US $12,975
Loan face value: $232.9M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$6B63%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$539.5M5.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$388.3M4.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$354M3.7%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$312.6M3.2%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$274.2M2.8%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$166.1M1.7%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$113.3M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY$739.4M7.7%
STANFORD, CA
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY$354.4M3.7%
SAN JOSE, CA
SAN JOSE HOUSING AUTHORITY, CITY OF$191.6M2.0%
SAN JOSE, CA
SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY$72M0.7%
SAN JOSE, CA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CALIFORNIA

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$7.1B73%
National Institutes of Health$725.9M7.5%
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$546.1M5.7%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$388M4.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Assistance by fiscal year

9.4BFY2021
8BFY2022
8.7BFY2023
9.2BFY2024
10BFY2025
9.6BFY2026

County aggregates

80%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 8, 2026, loaded Oct 8, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in California

Areas based in California, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-10-06
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M41940

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved20

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in California

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved20

Declined5

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

By type

What was bought