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San Jose, CA

San Jose, CA

Valencia Hotel, Santana Row · Photo: Payton Chung, CC BY 2.0
Tech hub · Tech jobs 4.3x the U.S. share

San Martin is part of the San Jose area. This page covers the whole metro.

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Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

Around San Jose

Berryessa, San Jose
Berryessa, San Jose · Photo: Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0
Alum Rock
Alum Rock · Photo: Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0
Evergreen Village Square
Evergreen Village Square · Photo: Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0
Intersection in Santa Teresa, San Jose
Intersection in Santa Teresa, San Jose · Photo: Cristiano Tomás, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Firehouse No
The Firehouse No · Photo: Will Buckner, CC BY 2.0
Garden Theatre, Downtown Willow Glen, San Jose
Garden Theatre, Downtown Willow Glen, San Jose · Photo: John Martinez Pavliga from San Pablo, USA, CC BY 2.0
Japanese American Museum of San Jose
Japanese American Museum of San Jose · Photo: Mark Yasuda, CC BY-SA 4.0
Alviso Fireworks II
Alviso Fireworks II · Photo: au_ears, CC BY-SA 2.0
Downtown San Jose, California
Downtown San Jose, California · Photo: F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
Downtown San Jose, California
Downtown San Jose, California · Photo: F ASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0
Video screenshot of Avaya Stadium
Video screenshot of Avaya Stadium · Photo: ElectricTV on YouTube, CC BY 3.0
Lower pond at Japanese Friendship Garden (Kelley Park) in San Jose, California
Lower pond at Japanese Friendship Garden (Kelley Park) in San Jose, California · Photo: Maya Visvanathan, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Where it is
San Jose
San Jose in California
California in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of the center of the San Jose area.

101
grocery stores
200+
restaurants
200+
coffee shops
200+
parks
200+
playgrounds
29
libraries
7
movie theaters
25
live theaters
20
museums
44
bookstores
3
comic shops
83
gyms
119
bars
50
pharmacies
5
hospitals

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of the San Jose area.

Bike lanes and bike paths
350 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
159 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 291,736 rented homes in the San Jose area, 23% rent for under $2,000 a month and 57% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 6%
$1,000 to $1,499: 5%
$1,500 to $1,999: 11%
$2,000 to $2,499: 17%
$2,500 to $2,999: 18%
$3,000 or more: 43%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in the San Jose area rents for $2,500 to $2,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $5,000 to $5,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $7,500 to $8,997 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $2,500 to $2,999, that's a yearly income of about $90,000 to $107,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to California: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the California DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: California voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

31 public school districts in this county, with about 216,411 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

San Jose Unified · San Jose
25,451 students · 22.4 students per teacher · 42 schools · grades K to 12
East Side Union High · San Jose
21,148 students · 22.3 students per teacher · 16 schools · grades K to 12
Evergreen Elementary · San Jose
8,880 students · 23.3 students per teacher · 16 schools · grades K to 8
Oak Grove Elementary · San Jose
8,663 students · 23.7 students per teacher · 18 schools · grades K to 8
Campbell Union High · San Jose
8,639 students · 22.3 students per teacher · 6 schools · grades 9 to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

California keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$527/week
about $27,400 a year
$361/week
about $18,800 a year
Toddler (2)$373/week
about $19,400 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$410/week
about $21,300 a year
$347/week
about $18,000 a year
School-age$438/week
about $22,800 a year

For an infant at a center: $527/week here, $371 across CA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 16% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in California →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

12 colleges in the county around San Jose. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

San Jose State University · San Jose
Public, 4-year · 36,062 students · $7,992 in-state, $19,872 out-of-state
Stanford University · Stanford
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 18,446 students · $62,484 a year
De Anza College · Cupertino
Public, 2-year (community college) · 16,990 students · $1,562 in-state, $12,317 out-of-state
Foothill College · Los Altos Hills
Public, 4-year · 12,931 students · $1,565 in-state, $12,320 out-of-state
Santa Clara University · Santa Clara
Private nonprofit, 4-year · 9,340 students · $59,241 a year

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$1,527,731
What a typical home sells for across the San Jose area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, August 2026
Cost of living
About 10% above the U.S. average
Everyday prices (rent, groceries, services) run about $110 here for what costs $100 nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price index 110.4 (U.S. = 100), 2024
Average commute
27 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
4 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 7.5 miles from the town center (Equinix). The largest is about 166,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,616 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in CA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Very High
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Relatively Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
5 within 5 miles
Hospitals mapped within 5 miles of the center. Emergency and specialty care vary, so check which ones fit your needs.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
12.9 per 100,000 people a year
249 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. CA average: 21.9 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 55.6 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 10,711 people without housing in the San Jose/Santa Clara City & County area: 3,239 in shelters and 7,472 outside, up from 10,394 in 2024. CA: 46.1 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Unemployment
4.3%
The share of people looking for work who can't find it, averaged over the year. U.S.: about 4%.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
Median household income
$159,674
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.71% of home value a year
About $710 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
Graduated, up to 13.30%
CA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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