If you’re thinking of moving to a San Jose suburb, then you’re in the right place, because this is HomeSnacks eleventh time ranking the best suburbs that California’s third-biggest city has to offer.
There are a lot of reasons to love San Jose. It’s known as the Capital of Silicon Valley, so you know anyone working in the tech industry would be delighted to live in the center of the action. And there’s nowhere better for an outsider to learn about the region’s relationship with tech than The Tech Interactive. For those who find more pleasure in shopping than coding, Santana Row, with its countless stores, restaurants, bars, and music venues, all along palm and oak-lined pedestrian-friendly streets, is sure to be a selling point. Not to mention San Jose’s small but lively downtown, which offers a dizzying array of attractions. Not least of which is the annual Jazz Summer Fest that goes down at Plaza de Cesar Chavez each August.
No doubt about it, San Jose is awesome. But if you’d just like to have access to the best of San Jose without settling down there, you might be keener on living in one of its best suburbs. What do we mean by best? Well, we looked at data from the FBI and Census to rank each of San Jose’s 30 suburbs based on factors such as crime, median household income, low rates of unemployment and poverty, and the availability of excellent amenities. We also used our own SnackAbility scale to figure out how each suburb stacked up in terms of education, affordability, and even commute times. The results were not disappointing, with more than half our list’s suburbs scoring a perfect 10/10 overall SnackAbility score.
Just where are these phenomenal suburbs? By and large, to the northwest of San Jose, in the direction of San Francisco. That’s not to say that there aren’t great suburbs in other areas — to the city’s south you’ll find the small city of Monte Sereno, where the streets are super safe and poverty rates hover around a measly 1%. Do note that these suburbs cannot be described as cheap; the only place in the top ten with homes typically selling for under $1,000,000 is Pleasanton, and the cost of livingthere is still twice as high as the national average. On the other end of the spectrum, you have the $2,000,000+ homes of Atherton, with a cost of living that outstrips the national average by 350%.
So get cracking on your piggy banks, sign up for a technology 101 class, and get ready to enjoy a perfect Mediterranean climate, because we’re paying a visit to San Jose’s best suburbs to live in 2026.
$250,001 median income · $4,713,315 median home price
Located in
Santa Clara County, CaliforniaLos Altos is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the San Jose area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Los Altos.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $250,001 a year, which is the 4th highest in the San Jose region. And only 4.8% are out of work. Homes average more than $4,713,315 each.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · $4,189,623 median home price
Located in
Santa Clara County, CaliforniaSaratoga is the second best ‘burb we looked at near San Jose for 2026.
It ranks 4th for incomes in the area and only 0.9% of residents lack insurance, good for 4th best.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · $3,891,384 median home price
Located in
San Mateo County, CaliforniaHere in Woodside, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the San Jose metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Woodside.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$234,707 median income · $3,189,452 median home price
Located in
Santa Clara County, CaliforniaCupertino ranks as the 4th best suburb of San Jose for 2026.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Cupertino and the schools are some of the best around.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · $7,890,841 median home price
Located in
San Mateo County, CaliforniaComing in as the fifth best is Atherton.
Atherton gets kudos for having the most expensive homes in the San Jose area, where houses sell for an average of $7,890,841. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$237,470 median income · $2,459,877 median home price
Located in
San Mateo County, CaliforniaSan Carlos is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 5.0%.
According to online reports, San Carlos is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the San Jose area, meaning you need to get in soon.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · $6,102,345 median home price
Located in
Santa Clara County, CaliforniaThe 7th best suburb on our list goes to Los Altos Hills.
Los Altos Hills schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 18.2 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · $4,275,093 median home price
Portola Valley is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 1.0% of people lack insurance, good for 6th in the area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$250,001 median income · $2,108,567 median home price
Is ‘Everything Better In Monte Sereno?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$217,554 median income · $2,705,289 median home price
Located in
Santa Clara County, CaliforniaAnd rounding out the top ten for 2026 is Los Gatos.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
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
California statewide median: 6.6%
California statewide median: 12.0%
On the map
Where the best San Jose suburbs are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How we determined the best suburbs around San Jose for 2026
Figuring out the best suburbs around San Jose was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2020-2024 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of San Jose.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 3,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 30 suburbs to evaluate around San Jose.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 30 in each category, where 1 was the best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near San Jose.” We’re lookin’ at you, Los Altos.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best San Jose suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
The full plate
Table: Best San Jose Suburbs
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Suburb Score | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Altos | 7.86 | 30,698 | $250,001 | $4,713,315 |
| 2 | Saratoga | 8.07 | 30,319 | $250,001 | $4,189,623 |
| 3 | Woodside | 8.43 | 5,126 | $250,001 | $3,891,384 |
| 4 | Cupertino | 8.50 | 58,566 | $234,707 | $3,189,452 |
| 5 | Atherton | 9.21 | 6,993 | $250,001 | $7,890,841 |
| 6 | San Carlos | 9.43 | 29,614 | $237,470 | $2,459,877 |
| 7 | Los Altos Hills | 9.43 | 8,377 | $250,001 | $6,102,345 |
| 8 | Portola Valley | 10.14 | 4,305 | $250,001 | $4,275,093 |
| 9 | Monte Sereno | 11.86 | 3,461 | $250,001 | $2,108,567 |
| 10 | Los Gatos | 12.21 | 32,786 | $217,554 | $2,705,289 |
| 11 | Dublin | 12.93 | 70,803 | $214,385 | $1,305,295 |
| 12 | Mountain View | 13.21 | 83,732 | $189,917 | $2,037,086 |
| 13 | Palo Alto | 13.29 | 67,237 | $231,101 | $3,722,200 |
| 14 | Sunnyvale | 14.43 | 154,236 | $186,170 | $2,168,909 |
| 15 | Pleasanton | 15.79 | 76,960 | $190,124 | $1,601,646 |
| 16 | Menlo Park | 15.79 | 32,727 | $210,025 | $2,865,159 |
| 17 | Livermore | 16.14 | 85,522 | $160,775 | $1,122,823 |
| 18 | Campbell | 17.14 | 42,781 | $145,268 | $1,977,422 |
| 19 | Fremont | 17.57 | 228,295 | $181,506 | $1,543,132 |
| 20 | Scotts Valley | 17.71 | 12,044 | $143,750 | $1,260,978 |
| 21 | Milpitas | 18.00 | 78,578 | $178,798 | $1,502,891 |
| 22 | Santa Clara | 18.36 | 130,256 | $178,958 | $1,782,192 |
| 23 | Newark | 18.79 | 46,903 | $169,064 | $1,260,998 |
| 24 | Morgan Hill | 18.86 | 45,425 | $163,920 | $1,356,869 |
| 25 | Capitola | 20.07 | 9,689 | $102,976 | $1,233,202 |
| 26 | Santa Cruz | 21.93 | 61,607 | $115,475 | $1,344,332 |
| 27 | East Palo Alto | 23.43 | 29,069 | $113,493 | $1,034,441 |
| 28 | Gilroy | 24.86 | 59,004 | $133,107 | $1,081,221 |
| 29 | Hayward | 25.71 | 158,801 | $113,318 | $848,427 |
| 30 | Watsonville | 25.86 | 51,712 | $78,393 | $831,097 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024. 30 suburbs within 30 miles of San Jose.
Summary
Summary: Welcome to the Best San Jose ‘Burbs of 2026
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of San Jose are Los Altos, Saratoga, Woodside, Cupertino, Atherton, San Carlos, Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, Monte Sereno, and Los Gatos.
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like San Jose but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you. Not sold on California? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Suburbs Of San Jose FAQs
What is the best suburb of San Jose?
Los Altos is the best suburb of San Jose for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Saratoga and Woodside are next.
What are the best suburbs of San Jose?
The best suburbs of San Jose are Los Altos, Saratoga, Woodside, Cupertino, Atherton, San Carlos, Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, Monte Sereno, and Los Gatos. We ranked all 30 places within commuting range.
How expensive is Los Altos?
The median household income in Los Altos is $250,001 and the median home costs $4,713,315. Top suburbs rarely come cheap; that is part of how they got there.
What counts as a suburb of San Jose?
Any place within 30 miles of San Jose qualifies. 30 towns fit that circle, and every one of them got scored.
How do you rank San Jose suburbs?
Each suburb is scored on income, home values, density, unemployment, education, insurance coverage, and poverty, using Census American Community Survey data. The best combined score, Los Altos, takes the crown.
