San Jose receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hollister
San Jose
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs69 · Top 25%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs65 · Top 25%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 25%
vs49 · Bottom 10%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
72 · Top 24%
vs69 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Hollister | San Jose | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,811 | 990,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,834 | $146,427 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,015 | $65,945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,503/sq mi | 5,564/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $717,500 | $1,233,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,914 | $2,669 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 47.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 136 | 4,891 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 5.4% | 239.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 13.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 46 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.2 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.1 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 243 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.56 | 21.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.5% | 45.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Hollister
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, drought, wildfire.
San Jose
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Hollister, CA · San Jose, CA · How this is calculated: methodology