Where are the ‘yay areas’ in the San Jose Bay Area? Keep reading, you’re about to find out.
We think that San Jose is one of the best cities in America: it’s one of a kind. And this is quite an honor considering it’s currently one of the biggest cities in the country. What we really think makes this city so great, however, is that it has San Francisco and Oakland in its backyard and the Pacific Ocean to the West; so, we couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to live in this NorCal gem. That’s where HomeSnacks, the experts at scientifically ranking places, comes in: we’ve created a list of the best neighborhoods in San Jose for 2026 and listed them below.
If the home to the San Jose Sharks is on your radar for 2026, you’re going to need a couple of things to fall into place if you want to live in one of this city’s best neighborhoods. First, to live in most of the places that made this list, you’re going to have to make at least $114,571/year-especially in one of San Jose’s best neighborhoods, Cambrian Park, where homes on average cost $832,741.
Incidentally, San Jose is also one of the most diverse cities in California and this usually equates to great food and cultural experiences for all; and, folks, these gold star qualities are definitely evident in one of San Jose’s best neighborhoods, Willow Glen. Matter of fact, this great San Jose neighborhood is home to the Assyrian Food Festival every year.
And while Cambrian Park and Willow Glen are definitely great little corners of San Jose, they are not the best; so, if you want to know what neighborhood is number one, you’re going to have to look below.
$143,421 median income · $1,301,833 median home value
$181,680 median income · $1,176,574 median home value
$145,893 median income · $1,139,062 median home value
$130,927 median income · $1,088,590 median home value
$118,739 median income · $1,066,850 median home value
$144,769 median income · $826,107 median home value
$159,304 median income · $896,235 median home value
$118,432 median income · $809,087 median home value
$95,888 median income · $844,232 median home value
$141,919 median income · $818,408 median home value
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is California’s statewide median.
California statewide median: $99,122
California statewide median: $774,582
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best San Jose, CA neighborhoods in 2026
To rank the best neighborhoods in San Jose, we had to determine what criteria define “best” and then apply Saturday Night Science to it.
Using FBI crime, Census, and extrapolated BLS data, we arrived at the following set of criteria:
- High incomes
- Low unemployment rates
- Low crime
- High home prices
- High population densities (A proxy for things to do)
We then ranked each neighborhood with scores from 1 to 18 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each neighborhood to create a best neighborhood index.
And finally, we crowned the neighborhood with the lowest best neighborhood index, the “Best City Neighborhood In San Jose.” We’re lookin’ at you, West San Jose.
Read on below to learn more about what it’s like to live in the best places San Jose, California has to offer. Or skip to the end to see the list of all the neighborhoods in the city, from best to worst.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best neighborhoods to live in San Jose.
The full plate
Table: Best San Jose neighborhoods for 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by neighborhood name.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Population | Home Value | Median Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West San Jose | 96,997 | $1,301,833 | $143,421 |
| 2 | Almaden Valley | 46,778 | $1,176,574 | $181,680 |
| 3 | Cambrian Park | 70,045 | $1,139,062 | $145,893 |
| 4 | Willow Glen | 77,437 | $1,088,590 | $130,927 |
| 5 | Rose Garden | 14,537 | $1,066,850 | $118,739 |
| 6 | North San Jose | 35,478 | $826,107 | $144,769 |
| 7 | Evergreen | 81,105 | $896,235 | $159,304 |
| 8 | Blossom Valley | 71,983 | $809,087 | $118,432 |
| 9 | Downtown | 84,990 | $844,232 | $95,888 |
| 10 | Santa Teresa | 58,064 | $818,408 | $141,919 |
| 11 | Berryessa | 38,763 | $957,650 | $135,823 |
| 12 | North Valley | 80,651 | $731,928 | $105,663 |
| 13 | Alum Rock-East Foothills | 29,934 | $680,715 | $94,629 |
| 14 | Fairgrounds | 56,423 | $560,385 | $72,752 |
| 15 | East San Jose | 115,325 | $645,096 | $96,615 |
| 16 | Edenvale-Seven Trees | 41,443 | $469,583 | $73,072 |
| 17 | Burbank | 5,274 | $556,183 | $57,932 |
| 18 | Buena Vista | 1,423 | $420,833 | $44,822 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. All 18 San Jose neighborhoods.
Summary
Summary: Putting a bow on our analysis of the best neighborhoods in San Jose
If you’re measuring the neighborhoods in San Jose where crime is low and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best neighborhoods in San Jose are West San Jose, Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park, Willow Glen, Rose Garden, North San Jose, Evergreen, Blossom Valley, Downtown, and Santa Teresa.
As mentioned earlier, the neighborhoods in San Jose aren’t all good. Buena Vista takes the title of the worst neighborhood to live in San Jose.
We ranked the neighborhoods from best to worst in the chart below. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Neighborhoods In San Jose FAQs
What is the best neighborhood in San Jose?
West San Jose is the best neighborhood in San Jose for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Almaden Valley and Cambrian Park are next.
What are the best neighborhoods in San Jose?
The best neighborhoods in San Jose are West San Jose, Almaden Valley, Cambrian Park, Willow Glen, Rose Garden, North San Jose, Evergreen, Blossom Valley, Downtown, and Santa Teresa. We ranked all 18 neighborhoods in the city.
How expensive is West San Jose?
The median household income in West San Jose is $143,421 and the median home costs $1,301,833. The best blocks in San Jose rarely come at a discount.
How do you rank San Jose neighborhoods?
Each neighborhood is scored on income, home values, population density, unemployment, and crime, using Census tract data. The neighborhood with the best combined score, West San Jose, takes the top spot.
Which San Jose neighborhood ranked last?
Buena Vista came in last of the 18 neighborhoods we scored. Every city has a bottom of the table; in San Jose the numbers put it there.
