San Jose Spotlight logo. San Jose Spotlight is nonprofit newsroom covering San Jose, Calif. and cities and communities in Santa Clara County. (San Jose Spotlight via Bay City News)
San Jose Spotlight/San Jose Spotlight via Bay City News
Several cities in Santa Clara County rank among the top 10 best places to live in California, highlighting the region’s strong job market and quality of life despite persistent affordability challenges.
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U.S. News & World Report has ranked 161 best cities to live in California, with Cupertino coming in third and Sunnyvale eighth. The rankings, published last week, are based on a wide range of factors according to the report’s methodology, including quality of life, value, desirability and the strength of the job market. Folsom ranked first, Palo Alto came in second, San Ramon was fourth, Encinitas was fifth and Mountain View was sixth.
Sunnyvale and Cupertino have long attracted residents for their proximity to major tech employers, strong public schools and access to amenities, including parks, restaurants and regional transit. City leaders said the economic strength of the region drives interest from businesses and residents.
Sunnyvale is home to a mix of large technology firms including Intuitive Surgical and NetApp, while Apple is headquartered in Cupertino. In addition to the large tech companies, the cities host smaller startups — all of which take up millions of square feet of office space with relatively low vacancy rates compared to nearby cities.
“We continue to see high-tech companies wanting to come to Sunnyvale and, you know, we are the heart of Silicon Valley,” Mayor Larry Klein told San Jose Spotlight.
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But with high demand comes higher housing costs, and for some residents and workers the recognition stands in contrast to the reality of trying to remain in the area. A one-bedroom apartment in Sunnyvale ranges from $2,500 to $3,500 per month, according to Zillow. The average price of a home in Sunnyvale is close to $2 million, according to Zillow.
Arelly Jimenez, who lived in Sunnyvale from 2019 to 2021, now commutes back to the city from South San Jose. Sunnyvale’s high cost of rent reflects broader patterns of displacement across the region as housing prices continue to rise.
“Basically, yeah … it got a little too expensive,” Jimenez told San Jose Spotlight.
In Cupertino, leaders point to education as the major draw for younger families, if they can afford it. Cupertino is widely known for its high-performing school districts, which consistently rank among the top in the state. The city also benefits from its proximity to major employers, including Apple, which helps drive job opportunities and housing demand.
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“Some of the things that people come here for are definitely for our schools, because we have distinguished schools here … which is why I came here,” Mayor Kitty Moore told San Jose Spotlight.
Cupertino resident Matthew B. was drawn to the city by its high quality of life, but others may not be able to find an entry point into the housing market. The average price of a home in Cupertino is more than $3 million, according to Zillow. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Cupertino is about $3,300 per month, according to Apartments.com.
“It’s safe, it’s quiet. There’s a lot of things to do nearby but for most people probably not affordable,” Matthew B. told San Jose Spotlight. “I think most people would probably get priced out living here.”
Still, others say the region’s amenities continue to draw people to the city, particularly those looking for retirement living. Resident Mike Sabes said he chose The Forum at Rancho San Antonio, a senior living community in Cupertino, for its convenience and access to nearby services.
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“I moved here about six months ago from Saratoga,” Sabes told San Jose Spotlight. “We moved here because there’s not a lot of choices of retirement places in Santa Clara County.”
Despite the strong rankings, affordability remains a key concern for many residents and city officials, with the cost of living and affordable housing continuing to shape who can live in these communities.
“The median household income in Cupertino is about $234,000, so it is expensive (along with) housing,” Moore told San Jose Spotlight. “A lot of cities … around 55% of their population are housing burdened. In Cupertino, it’s a surprisingly low 25% are housing burdened because the people living here have pretty high wages. So they’re able to afford these pretty expensive rents and housing costs.”
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