Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose is a bustling city full of opportunity and natural beauty. Many families and young professionals who work in tech or simply want to enjoy everything the Bay area offers flock to the suburbs for safety and employment. Yet with so many options, it can be challenging to know where to go. So, to help make your decision easier, here is a guide to the best suburbs of San Jose.
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Los Gatos, CA | Clean San Jose Suburb with Friendly Neighbors
Los Gatos is a peaceful town situated just southwest of San Jose, located at the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The quiet suburb offers breathtaking sunsets, a welcoming community, and an easy commute to San Jose. Los Gatos is part of the Silicon Valley culture, and many tech companies have offices in Los Gatos, most notably Netflix. Residents enjoy a great mix of urban amenities and natural beauty with ample opportunity for outdoor recreation at Vasona Lake Park or St. Joseph’s Hill Open Space Preserve.
The suburb also features excellent public schools, and Los Gatos High School was ranked #704 in the nation, according to US News and World Report. Plus, it’s one of the closest suburbs to San Jose and under a 20-minute drive to downtown, making it an ideal place for young professionals looking for an easy commute.
- Population: 33, 529
- Median household income: $166,642
- Homes for sale in Los Gatos, CA
- Median home price: $2,360,000
- Median rent: $3,222
- Crime rate: 1,407 per 100,000 residents, 40% lower than the country
Saratoga, CA | Sunny Laid Back San Jose Suburb
Right beside Los Gatos is the sunny city of Saratoga, a laid back suburb situated on the outskirts of West San Jose. Residents enjoy a nice blend of convenience and natural serenity with acres of rolling hills and green space at the adjacent Fremont Older Open Space Preserve or Sanborn County Park. The affluent community is well known for its upscale wineries, world-class restaurants, and attractions like the Montalvo Arts Center and Hakone Gardens.
The suburb is also known for its exceptional public schools, and Saratoga High School ranks among the top 20 High Schools in California and the top 200 in the country, making it one of the best suburbs of San Jose for families.
- Population: 31,051
- Median household income: $224,179
- Homes for sale in Saratoga
- Median home price: $3,005,000
- Median rent: $2500 – $4,000
- Crime rate: 776 per 100,000 residents, 69.9% lower than the country overall
Palo Alto, CA | San Jose Suburb with Endless Opportunities
Palo Alto is located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, directly on the San Francisco Bay. The city is an integral part of the Silicon Valley ecosystem and the home of Stanford University. Many major companies have offices in the quiet community, including HP, Tesla, Ford Motors, and Lockheed Martin, offering various career opportunities. It’s also notable for its many cultural attractions, such as the Foster Museum and the Palo Alto Arts Center.
Aside from employment and entertainment, living in Palo Alto also offers great weather, natural beauty, and easy access to the rest of the Bay area, making it one of the best San Jose suburbs for young professionals.
- Population: 1,013,240
- Median household income: $125,075
- Homes for sale in Palo Alto
- Median home price: $3,500,000
- Median rent: $3,498
- Crime rate: 3,074 per 100,000 people, 31% higher than the country overall
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Cupertino, CA | The Best San Jose Suburb for Families
Famous for being the headquarters of Apple, Cupertino is a suburban city on the outskirts of San Jose that offers great schools and entertainment options. It has a strong economy with plenty of jobs at Apple and other tech companies like Seagate Technologies and SugarCRM. Outside of tech, Cupertino offers adventure for outdoor enthusiasts at the Rancho San Antonio Park and Open Space Preserve or Stevens Creek County Park. It also has a world-famous restaurant scene with Michelin-star restaurants and some of the best Asian cuisine in California.
Cupertino schools also rank among the top 10% of all public schools in the Bay area and offer excellent academic programs and extracurricular activities. So, if you are looking for suburbs of San Jose with good schools and plenty of job opportunities, you should consider moving to Cupertino.
- Population: 60,575
- Median household income: $199,778
- Homes for sale in Palo Alto
- Median home price: $1,660,000
- Median rent: $3,652
- Crime rate: 1,515 per 100,000 people, 35.4% lower than the country overall
Los Altos, CA – A Welcoming San Jose Suburb
Right beside Cupertino is Los Altos, a small suburban city offering natural beauty and friendly neighbors. It’s a family-oriented community with a walkable downtown and a low crime rate. There are several community parks, sports courts, and community centers in town and various dining options along South San Antonio Road. You will find fewer major tech companies headquartered in Los Altos, and most of the top employers are educational institutions and healthcare facilities.
Residents are known to enjoy a nature walk at Redwood Grove Nature Preserve or have a picnic down at Shoup Park. Those looking for action and excitement may be better off looking elsewhere, but families and retirees searching for low crime and high quality of life will love Los Altos.
- Population: 31,625
- Median household income: $250,000+
- Homes for sale in Los Altos
- Median home price: $4,850,000
- Median Rent: $3,160
- Crime Rate: 1,146 per 100,000 people, 51.2% lower than the country overall
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Mountain View, CA | One of the Happiest Cities to Work
Named for its breathtaking views of the Santa Clara Mountains, Mountain View is a picturesque city situated along the San Francisco Bay. The city was very important to the early growth of Silicon Valley and still serves as the home base of many prominent companies, including Google, Intuit, and NASA Ames. In 2018, Mountain View ranked as the number one happiest city to work according to the job site CareerBliss.
Residents will find various exciting attractions, from the Computer History Museum to the Shoreline Amphitheater. Mountain View is also one of the best places to live near San Jose for outdoor enthusiasts, as you’ll find plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, and running at the 750-acre Shoreline Park. So with a good work-life balance, fresh air, and plenty of attractions, Mountain View is among the nicest San Jose suburbs.
- Population: 82,376
- Median household income: $158,104
- Homes for Sale in Mountain View
- Median home price: $1,768,000
- Median rent: $3,437
- Crime rate: 2,772 per 100,000 people, 18.2% higher than the country overall
Campbell, CA | A San Jose Suburb with a Small Town Feel
Campbell is a suburban city located directly southwest of downtown San Jose. It’s a pleasant city close to downtown for tech workers who want an easy commute. Campbell is also famous for being the home of the Pruneyard Shopping Center, a massive 250,000-square-foot open-air shopping center full of popular stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and entertainment venues.
It has a small-town charm with a walkable downtown area and many community parks. It also has an excellent school system, with several ranking within the top 10% of California public schools. Living in Campbell offers small-town living with big-city amenities, making it one of the best San Jose suburbs for families and retirees.
- Population: 43,959
- Median household income: $130,171
- Homes for sale in Campbell
- Median home price: $1,350,000
- Median rent: $2,833
- Crime rate: 3,519 per 100,000 people, 50% higher than the country overall
Milpitas, CA | A Gorgeous Suburb of San Jose
Milpitas is a small city northeast of San Jose, just below the San Francisco Bay. It’s also a big part of Silicon Valley culture, and several major companies have offices in Milpitas, including Cisco Systems, Apatec, and Aerohive Networks. Milpitas is also famous for its visual and performing arts, and residents will see sculptures from local artists in the community parks and various sculptures, murals, and paintings promoted by the Milpitas Alliance for the Arts.
It’s also home to the Great Mall of the Bay Area, a shopping mall built by Ford Motors which features over 1.4 million square feet of retail space. Milpitas has a low crime rate, great schools, and a suburban feel that is great for families and older residents. So if you’re looking for the safest suburb in San Jose with a unique culture, Milpitas is an excellent choice.
- Population: 80,273
- Median household income: $149,312
- Homes for sale in Milpitas
- Median home price: $1,117,500
- Median rent: $3,017
- Crime rate: 2,562 per 100,000 people, 9.2% higher than the country overall
Sunnyvale, CA | The Video Game Capital of Silicon Valley
Sunnyvale is a pleasant city in northwest Santa Clara County, just outside San Jose. The laidback community is famous for being the birthplace of the video game industry as the former headquarters of Atari. Sunnyvale has also played an integral role in the development of Silicon Valley, and companies like LinkedIn and Jupiter Networks are headquartered in the city. It has one of the lowest crime rates for a city of its size, making it one of the safest San Jose suburbs.
Residents will find plenty of green space with 476 acres of parkland in town. It’s also fairly walkable for a suburban city and offers a good blend between action and excitement that is perfect for families and older working professionals.
- Population: 155,805
- Median household income: $161,670
- Homes for sale in Sunnyvale
- Median home price: $1,745,500
- Median rent: $3,017
- Crime rate: 2,210 per 100,000 people, 5.8% higher than the country overall
Map of San Jose Suburbs
Ready to relocate to one of these picturesque suburbs of San Jose? Trust AMS Relocation to make your transition smooth and stress free. Call us today at 650-284-2931 or fill out the form on our website to request a free quote.
