Santa Clara, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Silicon Valley,” is a sought-after suburban city located between the tech hot spots of the South Bay and the urban environment of San Jose. This city of about 130,000 is an attractive destination for homebuyers looking to move to the employment-rich Bay Area. “There are jobs all over Santa Clara and neighboring cities because it’s all Silicon Valley, but Santa Clara specifically is home to several major tech company headquarters,” says Michelle Elliott, a local Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty. Some of the most notable employers headquartered in the city include Intel, a manufacturer of semiconductors, and NVIDIA, a tech company specializing in artificial intelligence that has grown rapidly over the past decade. Santa Clara is split between a heavily residential south side and a buzzy north side with shopping centers, restaurants and several entertainment venues, including Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. In the 1960s, Santa Clara’s old downtown area was overtaken by new development and never properly rebuilt; however, in late 2023, city leaders approved a plan to bring back a revitalized downtown Santa Clara officially, partly because the city is slotted to host both the Super Bowl LX and the World Cup in 2026.
Explore El Camino Real in Santa Clara—where history and modern life blend seamlessly.
Explore the Triton Museum’s outdoor sculptures, where art and nature create a striking harmony.
Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara hosts 49er games.
Santa Clara has full of rich landscapes and beautiful city views.
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New developments and million-dollar homes
Developable land in Silicon Valley is a rare commodity, but Santa Clara stands out as one of the few areas where new construction is on the rise. “There have been a lot of new developments in Santa Clara that are being built on some of the city’s former industrial areas,” Elliott says. “These kinds of unused industrial areas are easier to convert and repurpose, which makes Santa Clara a good target for urban expansion and residential development.” Real estate here is a blend of established single-family homes and modern multifamily dwellings. New construction includes contemporary townhomes and upscale condominiums offering private amenities. Single-family housing consists of traditional midcentury ranch styles, contemporary Craftsman dwellings and homes with Spanish and Mediterranean architectural motifs. Single-family homes range from approximately $1.1 million to $4 million; in 2024, the median home price was around $1.6 million. Townhouses and condo units in Santa Clara typically cost between $300,000 and $1.8 million; the median townhouse price is about $1.5 million.
Newly built townhomes are available in Santa Clara.
Discover ranch-style homes with simple, open layouts with a focus on single-story living.
Explore more Victorian homes with elegant designs with intricate details and timeless charm.
Explore ranch-style homes offering open spaces and single-story living with classic charm.
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High marks for Santa Clara Unified School District
The Santa Clara Unified School District receives an overall A rating from Niche and serves approximately 14,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. In 2025, Niche ranked the district in its top 30 “Districts with the Best Teachers in California” list. The district is comprised of 18 elementary schools, six middle schools and five high schools. Students in grades ten through 12 can also enroll in the A-plus-rated Mission Early College High School, one of the district’s top institutions named one of California’s top 50 best college prep public high schools by Niche in 2025. The city is also home to Santa Clara University, which was established in 1851 and is the oldest higher education institution still operating in California. “Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit school, and it’s absolutely beautiful,” Elliott says. “The university has an open campus with walking paths that people go to to stroll around or walk their dogs.” The university offers more than 50 undergraduate degree programs and several graduate programs specializing in fields like business, engineering, law and education.
Stadiums, theme parks and museums
Not only is Santa Clara home to Levi’s Stadium and San Francisco 49ers games, but the city is also less than 5 miles away from the SAP Center, home to the NHL’s San Jose Sharks and known locally as the “Shark Tank.” Both stadiums also act as multi-purpose venues hosting concerts and other large-scale events, and Santa Clara is also home to California’s Great America, a 112-acre amusement park with dozens of thrill rides, live entertainment and two water parks. In 2023, the park merged the County Fair and Action Park sections and reopened the themed area as the NorCal County Fair.
Santa Clara also has a distinct cultural identity. Its oldest and most significant landmark is Mission Santa Clara de Asís, a historic structure built in 1777 that serves as a reminder of the city’s founding. Public art installations like vivid murals and striking sculptures can be found throughout the city. The Triton Art Museum showcases contemporary works and offers classes and workshops.
The Great America Merry Go Round is an iconic ride located in Santa Clara.
Levi's Stadium is an American football stadium in Santa Clara.
The Triton Museum of Art is where contemporary creativity and classic art come together.
Watch the San Jose Sharks score some goals at the SAP center near Santa Clara.
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Year-round outdoor recreation in Santa Clara
With proximity to the southern edge of San Francisco Bay and an appealing Mediterranean climate, Santa Clara residents can enjoy year-round outdoor recreation. The city oversees more than 40 parks, playgrounds and swim centers, as well as a network of hiking and biking trails concentrated near the bay. Nestled in southern Santa Clara is Central Park, a massive outdoor space that spans over 50 acres and is home to the George F. Haines International Swim Center, a state-of-the-art facility hosting national and international swimming competitions. Professional tennis players from around the world flock to the city for the annual Santa Clara International Tennis Classic at the university’s tennis center. An annual Art & Wine Festival is held at Central Park each September. The two-day event includes a “food alley,” live music, dedicated children’s play areas, more than 150 arts and crafts booths and plenty to drink. Residents can also head downtown to explore the year-round Santa Clara Farmers' Market.
George F. Haines International Swim Center has pools for the next Michael Phelps.
Locals can enjoy ice-cold craft beer at Santa Clara Art & Wine Festival in Santa Clara.
Bird watcher will love Central Park in Santa Clara.
Families enjoy the Santa Clara Farmers Market in Downtown Santa Clara.
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Santa Clara Square Marketplace is a shopping and dining destination
Santa Clara may not have the culinary legacy of San Francisco or San Jose, but residents still have access to plenty of dining options. In particular, the city is home to several popular Italian restaurants, including Il Fornaio Santa Clara, an upscale chain restaurant, and Mio Vicino, which has been a local mainstay for over 30 years and serves traditional favorites in a quaint neighborhood setting. Neighboring San Jose is home to three Michelin-rated restaurants: Luna’s Mexican Kitchen; Petiscos, a Portuguese restaurant; and LeYou, an Ethiopian eatery. Santa Clara Square Marketplace, a 125,000-square-foot shopping center, is the city's commercial hub with dozens of retailers, local businesses, restaurants and a Whole Foods Market. Other retail and dining options are concentrated along the city’s El Camino Real and Stevens Creek Boulevard corridors. For additional shopping, Westfield Mall and Santana Row are two major Silicon Valley shopping destinations located only 2.5 miles south of Santa Clara.
Santana Row always has live music and events all year round.
The Westfield Valley Fair has the best retail stores in Santa Clara
Luna Mexican Kitchen offers authentic mexican cuisine in the Santa Clara area.
Whole Foods Market provides food and grocery items to the Santa Clara area.
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Commuting through Silicon Valley
Major roadways in and around Santa Clara make it easy to commute to destinations throughout the Bay Area and Silicon Valley; the top three highways are Routes 237, 101 and 82. The Valley Transportation Authority runs bus services and a network of routes throughout the city. Kathryn Tomaino, a Santa Clara native and real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, says that commuters here also use the light rail and Caltrain transit systems that stop in Santa Clara and travel up through the Bay Area into San Francisco, about 90 minutes away by train. San Jose’s Mineta International Airport borders the city's eastern edge and offers dozens of direct flights to cities across the United States.
Health and safety in Santa Clara
Near the end of 2024, there were 2,542 total crimes reported throughout the city, according to the Santa Clara Police Department. Most of these reported crimes were non-violent incidents such as larceny, motor vehicle theft and burglary. The most reported violent crime was simple and aggravated assault. Among its neighbors, Santa Clara has a lower crime rate than San Jose but a higher crime rate than Sunnyvale, according to crimegrade.org.
Santa Clara’s main general hospital is the Santa Clara Medical Center, which is operated by Kaiser Permanente. Around-the-clock emergency services and urgent care are available at this center, as well as dozens of other healthcare departments and centers specializing in behavioral health, cancer treatment, cardiology, gastroenterology, labor and delivery, hospice care and neurology. Other nearby hospitals with 24-hour emergency services include O’Connor Hospital and the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, which are both located in San Jose.
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