San Jose, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Jose, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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B
Income Around average
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A
Education Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Jose | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 954,287 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5270.5 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.15% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 316,572 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Jose grew by 6.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 954,287 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Jose is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.6% of residents. That is 0.9 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 205,939 21.6% -0.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 234,846 24.6% +0.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 201,570 21.1% +1.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 133,235 14.0% -1.3 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.9% of the people living in San Jose and men 51.1%.
- Women 48.9% California 49.9%
- Men 51.1% California 50.1%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in San Jose
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Economy
San Jose has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | San Jose | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $145,417 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.27% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Jose is about 47% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Jose | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $999,882 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,662 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 55.5% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Jose is about 31.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,662 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Jose spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Jose | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.9 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,057 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.3% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 30,034 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,839 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Jose is about the same as in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
San Jose has a education index of A, which means it is very educated.
| Metric | San Jose | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42.4% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.96 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Jose has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | San Jose | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.2 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 10.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Jose, California.
How big is San Jose, California by population?
About 954,287 people live in San Jose, California, in 316,572 households of 3.0 people on average. The median age is 35.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is San Jose, California?
Averaged over its land area, San Jose, California has 5,270 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 61 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in San Jose, California?
The median home costs 6.9 times the median household income ($999,882 against $145,417), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,662 a month takes about 22% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in San Jose, California?
42.4% of adults in San Jose, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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