Housing & affordability
18% of the score · 51/100
D+
Median home value$1,801,800
San Jose $1,447,800
Median rent$3,039/mo
San Jose $2,840/mo
Cost-burdened households29%
San Jose 35%
Sunnyvale
Santa Clara County154,236 residents6 school districts
73
B
Suburbgrade score
5th of 16 San Jose suburbs. Strong on amenities and commute & transport, held back by housing & affordability.
73
San Jose median 68
0 · F
A+ · 100
Launch-day rule. Residents is not counted for Sunnyvale yet: no poll responses so far. The overall score of 73 is computed on the other six categories, re-normalised to 100%. Answer the poll →
What living here is actually like
Written summary in preparation This page is waiting for its written summary, and for a person to check it. Until then it is excluded from search engines.
What Sunnyvale is like to live in, by category
Bars show Sunnyvale against San Jose. Weights are published in full.Schools
18% of the score · 74/100
B
Within-state proficiency84th pct
San Jose median 87th pct
Student–teacher ratio19.8
San Jose median 21.4
Graduation rate94%
San Jose median 92%
Cost of living
14% of the score · 70/100
B−
Housing cost index104
San Jose 100
Eff. tax rate0.59%
San Jose 0.68%
Local sales tax9.75%
San Jose median 9.75%
Commute & transport
14% of the score · 83/100
A−
Mean commute23.0 min
San Jose 26.6 min
Under 30 minutes71%
San Jose 62%
Transit stops / sq mi17
San Jose median 10 · within 2 miles
Amenities
12% of the score · 98/100
A+
Restaurants & cafés253
San Jose median 175 · within 2 miles
Groceries21
San Jose median 13 · within 2 miles
Parks146
San Jose median 113 · within 2 miles
Employment & income
12% of the score · 68/100
B−
Median household income$186,170
San Jose $162,111
Unemployment4.5%
San Jose 4.9%
Professional occupations71%
San Jose 58%
Residents
12% of the score · inactive
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No responses yet. Residents is excluded from the score until eight people answer.
Ask the people who live here
Twelve yes/no questions, one tap each. No dataset knows whether the yards are kept or whether anyone talks to their neighbours. Answers feed the Residents grade, which needs eight responses before it counts.
Nobody has answered for Sunnyvale yet. If you live here, you can be the first.
Is it quiet at night?
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Do you feel safe walking after dark?
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Can you walk to a grocery store?
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Is it good for young children?
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Are yards and streets well kept?
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Tap either button to answer — no account neededAll twelve questions →
Better than Sunnyvale on housing & affordability
Sunnyvale's weakest grade is D+. Five suburbs are within 25 miles and score higher on the same four inputs.
SuburbHousingOverall
Saratoga8 mi from SunnyvaleC+ 71 B− Los Altos4 mi from SunnyvaleC+ 77 B Cupertino5 mi from SunnyvaleC 75 B Los Gatos11 mi from SunnyvaleC 66 C+ Palo Alto6 mi from SunnyvaleC 74 B Median home value: ACS 2020–24 · Ownership rate: ACS 2020–24
Common questions about living in Sunnyvale
Is Sunnyvale, CA a good place to live?
Sunnyvale scores 73 out of 100, 5th of 16 San Jose suburbs. It is strongest on amenities and weakest on housing & affordability. Every weight behind that score is published on the methodology page.
Is Sunnyvale expensive to live in?
Cost of living grades B−. The median home is $1,801,800, 24% above the San Jose median, and the effective property tax rate is 0.59%. $3,039/mo is the median gross rent.
How good are the schools in Sunnyvale?
Schools grade B. The districts serving Sunnyvale sit at the 84th pct within-state proficiency percentile, with a 94% graduation rate and a 19.8 student–teacher ratio. Sunnyvale is served by Fremont Union High, Sunnyvale, Cupertino Union, Santa Clara Unified, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High and Mountain View Whisman. Proficiency is only ever compared inside the same state.
How long is the commute from Sunnyvale?
The mean commute is 23.0 min, with 71% of workers travelling under 30 minutes and 29% working from home. Transit density is 17 stops per square mile.
Can you walk anywhere in Sunnyvale?
Within two miles there are 21 groceries, 253 restaurants and cafés and 146 parks, which grades A+ on amenities.
Are the homes in Sunnyvale old or new?
The median home in Sunnyvale was built in 1976 — close to the San Jose median of 1976. That is a median, so a town can be half post-war and half new-build and still land there. 46% of homes are houses rather than flats.
Every answer is built from the figures on this page, with their sources and as-of dates on the methodology page.
Six San Jose lists
Best San Jose suburbs for familiesMost affordable San Jose suburbsBest San Jose suburbs for schoolsShortest commutes to Downtown San JoseMost walkable San Jose suburbsBest San Jose suburbs for young professionals