The Capital of Silicon Valley, San Jose is the third-largest city in California and 12th-largest in the nation. Set southeast of San Francisco and surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides, the city is as rich in outdoor getaways as it is in metropolitan attractions. Known as a tech industry hub with top-rated schools and stunning Bay Area scenery, its streets are brimming with people who came for the jobs and stayed for the sunshine. “San Jose is interesting, this whole South Bay area is interesting,” says Michael Kenyon, a Bay Area native and Realtor with Compass. “San Jose ebbs and flows, where people are really hot on moving to and developing the city, or they’re really cold on it.” The population is around 1 million people, according to the 2020 Census, and it consistently ranks as one of the country’s most expensive large cities. It’s also one of the most educated: Forbes said it’s the 18th most educated city in the U.S. in an August 2024 report.
Downtown San Jose is a lively city center full of restaurants, museums, and history.
Hilltop homes offer stunning views of Alum Rock.
San Jose is brimming with people who come for the high-paying jobs.
People are hot on moving to San Jose this developing city.
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Historic Victorians meet sleek high rises with views
San Jose’s median home price is more than $1 million, more than twice the national median. Exact pricing varies geographically; people pay more in the suburbs on the north and west sides, while communities east of Interstate 680 offer art and history along with physical and socioeconomic challenges.
Homeowners in Downtown San Jose typically live in high-rise condos, often paying more than $1 million for less than 2,000 square feet of living space and sweeping city views. The coveted Rose Garden District is a few steps northwest of downtown, filled with romantic Victorian-style architecture. Its streets are packed with elongated multi-story homes with pointed roofs and ornate exteriors, ranging from $1 to $5 million. “Rose Garden is probably the premiere residential community near downtown San Jose,” Kenyon says. “It’s got bigger houses, bigger lots, bigger streets and overall just more of a neighborhood feeling.”
Many buyers search for comfortable suburbs like Willow Glen , which draws families seeking tree-lined streets. This suburban area offers a mix of architecture and its own downtown. Its price points here are among the highest in the city, along with West San Jose and Almaden Valley, which all hover around $2 million. On the flip side, neighborhoods like Alum Rock and Evergreen Estates form the city’s Eastside and offer housing options under $1 million. In October 2024, city officials signed off on developing a new Eastside business improvement district along Tully Road, currently slated for completion in 2025. The idea is to draw more people to the area by holding more events, including a night market.
San Jose’s historic landmarks speak to the city's original architectural influences, including the last remaining adobe structure from the founding of the city, dating to the 18th century, and the Winchester Mystery House, a 160-room Victorian mansion open to the public for tours.
Beautiful High-rise condos are common in Downtown San Jose.
The unique roofline and details make this home stand out in Rose Garden.
The streets of North Willow Glen are beautiful with palm tree-lined streets.
The Winchester Mystery House, a 160-room mansion open for tours in San Jose.
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Global dining and the largest mall in Northern California
The city’s technology sector attracts people from all walks of life, cultivating a culturally diverse community. More than 39% of San Jose locals were not born in the U.S., and cuisines from all over the world are represented in districts like Little Italy, Little Saigon or Little Portugal , home to the city’s only Michelin-starred restaurant, Adega. The historic Japantown , known as “J-Town,” is one of three remaining in the U.S., where people eat Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine. For nightlife, the SoFA (So. First Area) district is the place to be. The mural-coated community is a hotbed for creatives who visit for art openings at independent galleries before ducking into trendy bars like the popular Haberdasher.
The stylish Santana Row is known as one of San Jose’s most prominent retail hot spots. The Mediterranean-inspired outdoor shopping district is always packed with shoppers walking in groups along the bright corridor, bags in hand. A short ride across the street is Westfield Valley Fair, or just Valley Fair to locals, the largest mall in Northern California. It’s hard to name a popular brand or label that doesn’t have a presence in this retail mecca. Guests can browse luxury items at Gucci or Prada, refresh their frames at Warby Parker and shop around department stores, from Macy’s to Bloomingdale’s. Santana Row has been a city mainstay since the mid-1980s.
Explore diverse street food options at the vibrant Story Road Night Market in East San Jose.
The historic Japantown, known as “J-Town,” is one of three remaining in the U.S.
The stylish Santana Row is one of the prominent retail hot spots in San Jose.
Westfield Valley Fair Mall is a great place to get some retail therapy in San Jose.
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Unmatched access to Silicon Valley startups
San Jose is at the heart of Silicon Valley, the innovation hub where companies like Apple and Google keep their corporate offices. The area is named for one of the original building blocks of modern electronics, the silicon transistor, developed here in the 1970s and often considered the driving force behind the rapid advancement of electronic technology. Nowadays, San Jose is home to 20 Fortune 500 companies and is also among the nation’s top cities for job satisfaction. The average local salary is high, consistently above six figures, which helps account for the city's high cost of living. Stanford University also accounts for a large portion of the local workforce.
While most households own a car, San Jose offers some of the best transit access in Silicon Valley. It’s home to Diridon Station, the meeting point for all the city’s public transportation services. Locals can use the VTA light rail, Caltrain and Bus Rapid Transit to navigate the busy city. San Jose Mineta International Airport is a 4-mile trip from the city center, and the busier San Francisco International Airport is about 40 minutes by car.
San Jose is bike-friendly, with built-in bikeways and bike share programs, and it’s also home to the largest urban trail network in the nation. The city is committed to environmentalism through its San Jose Green Vision, a 15-year plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in favor of initiatives for green energy. Reducing landfill waste is also on the docket.
San Jose is home to several hospitals and medical facilities. Regional Medical Center, operated by Good Samaritan Health System, features a 24-hour emergency room and dozens of other specialty healthcare departments. The Santa Clara Valley Healthcare system also operates multiple hospitals across the San Jose metropolitan area; the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is located near San Jose’s downtown area and offers emergency medical and trauma care for all county residents.
PayPal has headquarters on North First Street in San Jose.
The Adobe World Headquarters is located in San Jose downtown.
Hyde Park residents can use Civic Center Station to commute around Silicon Valley.
San Jose is bike-friendly, with built-in bikeways and bike share programs.
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Multicultural celebrations enrich the everyday
Many of San Jose’s most popular events draw on the city’s cultural diversity. Hispanic Heritage Month is among the most popular, inspired by prominent local figures like Cesar Chavez and Luiz Valdez and the city’s large Hispanic and Latino communities. SoFA, the arts and entertainment district, hosts events such as South First Fridays Art Walk, the annual SubZERO Festival and smaller street markets and fairs. Santa Clara County Fairgrounds are on the city’s southeast side, hosting large events throughout the year, from robotics competitions to career fairs and wine festivals. Active locals can bring their wheels to the San Jose Bike Party, a monthly get-together where cyclists gather at different locations to participate in a group ride across the city. The event is always themed and includes live music and food trucks.
There are 12 golf courses within San Jose’s city limits, including the top-rated Cinnabar Hills, a public facility known for its old oaks and lush green slopes. The San Jose Sharks play at the SAP Center, also known as the Shark Tank, and the San Jose Earthquakes play soccer games at PayPal Park, home to the world’s largest outdoor stadium bar. San Jose’s creatively curious can visit the contemporary collections at the San Jose Museum of Art or see how it all began at the Tech Museum of Innovation.
Active locals can bring their wheels to the San Jose Bike Party.
South First Fridays Art Walk at SoFA district in San Jose.
The San Jose Sharks play at the SAP Center, also known as the Shark Tank.
Beautiful art sculpture is at the Plaza at The Fairmont San Jose in Downtown San Jose.
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Elite academics with D-1 sports
San Jose’s Stanford University ranks number four in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 ranking of the nation’s best colleges. The educational powerhouse has been a city landmark since its founding in 1885 and accepts a selective group of scholars, many of whom graduate and get jobs in the area. The world-class institution is acclaimed for its Division 1 athletics and streak of NCAA titles dating back to the mid-1970s. Santa Clara University and San Jose State University are also in town.
The San Jose Unified School District has a B-plus grade on Niche and top marks in its college prep and diversity categories. It serves about 25,000 local students. A few standouts include Leland High, known for its award-winning robotics and debate teams; Lynbrook High, offering a STEM-focused curriculum; and Los Gatos High, touting robust visual and performing arts programs.
Tall Palm trees in the long courtyard at San Jose State University in San Jose Sun neighborhood.
Find Your Future at Santa Clara University near San Jose.
Score goals and create memories on the vibrant football field at Leland High School.
Lynbrook High School is one of two high schools in West San Jose.
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Mountain vistas where it's warm year-round
The San Jose Parks and Recreation Department oversees more than 200 public parks and approximately 60 miles of multi-purpose trails scattered throughout the city. Alum Rock Park is one of the more popular parks in northern San Jose, while Lake Cunnigham Regional Regional Park is the outdoor spot to go in the southern half of the city. Gary Sassmann, a local real estate agent with Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, says that Vasona Lake County Park in the next-door city of Los Gatos is one of the most visited outdoor areas in the greater metropolitan area: “Vasona Lake County Park has jogging trails and a little choo-choo train for children, as well as several play areas for kids,” Sassmann says. “I take my dog there all the time - whenever I take him to the vet, his treat is that we get to go to Vasona. Around Christmastime, the park does a big light show where people drive in with their cars and drive around to see all the lights.” The San Jose Public Library system operates branches throughout the city with a variety of community resources and programs for all ages: “We have close relationships with the neighboring schools in our area, and we see a good majority of elementary school kids come into the library after school. It’s quite a lively place in the afternoons,” says Michelle Clark, a senior librarian at the Rose Branch Library.
As a city at the foothills of rugged mountain ranges, San Jose offers tons to explore outdoors. San Jose’s semiarid Mediterranean climate draws people from colder regions looking to swap the winter chill for mild weather year-round, and summer temperatures are cooler than in scorching Southern California. Hikers can enjoy the city’s many scenic vistas from the highlands at Castle Rock State Park and walk through wildflowers at Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve. “A lot of people get in their car and drive to the Santa Cruz Mountains on the weekends, which is right along the coast – it’s about half an hour away,” Kenyon says. “San Jose is also about three hours away from popular ski resorts.”
Alum Rock Park is one of the more popular parks in San Jose.
Enjoy the serene trails at Lake Cunningham Regional Park in San Jose.
Explore Sun's history and literature at Martin Luther King Jr Library, a vibrant community hub.
Sierra Vista Open Space Preserve is the perfect place for an afternoon hike in San Jose.
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Taking steps toward criminal justice reform
According to FBI data, San Jose’s reported property and violent crime rates during 2022 and 2023 were higher than U.S. and state figures. In the city’s 2023 annual report, the police department reported an 18% decrease in total arrests from 2014 to 2023. The city’s Reimagining Public Safety Community Advisory Committee first gathered in 2021 to build policy proposals and recommendations for the SJPD, including the Campaign Zero initiative, a strategic plan addressing several tenets of criminal justice reform, including preventing and addressing issues of violence.
San Jose stretches over a broad floodplain, gradually sloping upward at its mountainous edges. The city experienced record-breaking floods in 2017, forcing 14,000 people to evacuate. Some areas are more prone to flooding than others, so evaluating the risk before buying property here is important. San Jose is a member of the National Flood Insurance Program, which allows residents to secure federally-backed mortgages and disaster support in the event of a flood. The city also requires new land developments and remodels of existing structures to adhere to rules that minimize flood damage.
Michelle has been growing with Tuolumne County for over 43 years. She loves this area, and she knows it well. She enjoys working in real estate and all her construction knowledge is helpful. She is a resolute agent, and trusted adviser who will help you with all of your real estate needs. She is married to a local contractor and together they run, A'Dair To Build Construction Company Inc.
Her husband Scott is a licensed general contractor who provides quality custom homes at competitive prices. She has also owned her own dance studio for 8 years and she volunteers at the elementary school level, directing musicals. She runs the dance program at the Tuolumne County Arts Alliance Dance Studio. Which has led her to be nicknamed The Dancing Realtor! So, click your heels! There's no place like home!
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
