Signals
Stanford
Santa Clara
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs76 · Top 13%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
25 · Bottom 1%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs72 · Top 24%
Measured values
| Metric | Stanford | Santa Clara | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,662 | 130,256 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,208 | $178,958 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,106 | $89,833 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,786/sq mi | 7,127/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,582,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,976 | $3,016 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 26.8% | 40.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 92.3% | 65.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 8.4% | 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 | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.3 min | 24.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 22.0 | 34.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.62 | 18.93 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 14.1% | 27.5% | 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.
Santa Clara
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
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Stanford
55
Your Score
—
Area Score
Santa Clara
68
Your Score
64
Area Score
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Full profiles: Stanford, CA · Santa Clara, CA · How this is calculated: methodology