Signals
Stanford
San Jose
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs69 · Top 25%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
25 · Bottom 1%
vs49 · Bottom 10%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs69 · Top 31%
Measured values
| Metric | Stanford | San Jose | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,662 | 990,138 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,208 | $146,427 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,106 | $65,945 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,786/sq mi | 5,564/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,233,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,976 | $2,669 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 26.8% | 55.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 92.3% | 47.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 8.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 77°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 13.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 8 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.3 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 22.0 | 38.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 243 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.62 | 21.94 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 14.1% | 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
Stanford
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
San Jose
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Stanford, CA · San Jose, CA · How this is calculated: methodology