Saratoga receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Saratoga
Los Gatos
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
44 · Bottom 40%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs55 · Bottom 15%
Access
98 · Top 19%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Saratoga | Los Gatos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,319 | 32,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $250,000+ | $217,554 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $124,686 | $130,293 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,373/sq mi | 2,838/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $2,000,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,501 | $3,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 86.4% | 64.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 81.1% | 75.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.3% | 4.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 97 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.2 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 81°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.5" | 13.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.4 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 51.7 | 44.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 21.16 | 21.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 17.8% | 8.1% | 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
Saratoga
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Los Gatos
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Saratoga, CA · Los Gatos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology