Santa Clara County, California Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Santa Clara County is located in California with a total population of 1,903,297. It is the 6th most populous county out of 58 in California.

Age Demographics

The median age in Santa Clara County is 37.9 years. This is about average than the state median of 37.6 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Santa Clara County is $159,674. This is 66% higher than the state median of $96,334. Compared to the national median of $78,538, household income here is 103% higher. The poverty rate stands at 6.9%. This is 43% lower than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 4.5%. This is 31% lower than the state rate of 6.4%. The median home value is $1,382,800. Housing costs are 99% higher than the state median of $695,400. The home-value-to-income ratio of 8.7x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 55.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied.

Race & Ethnicity

Santa Clara County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 28.2%. The Black or African American population (2.3%) is well below the state average of 5.3%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (39.3% vs 15.0%).

Education

55.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Santa Clara County in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 53% higher than the state rate of 36.5%. Nationally, 35.0% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 89.3%. Notably, 27.7% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.