HomeCaliforniaSanta Clara County
Santa Clara County, California: commercial real estate data.
Santa Clara County, California had an estimated 1,926,325 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,936,278, across 1,290 square miles. County output reached $438.48 bn in 2024, 49,154 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 1,666 7(a) approvals worth $1.09 bn since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Santa Clara County
How many people live in Santa Clara County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,902,047
- Households659,353
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$164,281
- Median age38.1
- Median gross rent$2,857 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$1,490,600
- Home value to household income9.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income20.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher56.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree28.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over1,347,266
- Population under 18390,076
- Share under 1820.5 percent
- Population 65 and over282,010
- Share 65 and over14.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 641,229,961
- Civilian labor force1,050,468
- Unemployment rate4.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over69.5 percent
- Rank by population among California counties6th of 58
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included18th of 3,222
Santa Clara County is the 6th largest of 58 California counties by population. A median home costs 9.1 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.5 percent against 14.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Santa Clara County
Is Santa Clara County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20241,926,325
- Census 2020 base population1,936,278
- Population change since the 2020 census base-0.51 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202429,188
- Births, 202417,331
- Deaths, 202410,805
- Natural change, 20246,526
- Net domestic migration, 2024-22,034
- Net international migration, 202444,644
- Total net migration, 202422,610
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-142,640
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2022nd of 3,144
The county has lost 0.51 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Santa Clara County
Where are people moving to Santa Clara County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving45,121
- People arriving, from those returns66,991
- Tax returns filed by households leaving57,617
- Net household movement-12,496
- Adjusted gross income arriving$8.30 bn
- Net adjusted gross income movement$-5.84 bn
- Average income of an arriving household$183,973
- Average income of a leaving household$245,443
- Largest single originAlameda County (5,221 households)
- Largest single destinationAlameda County (7,414 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 5,221 | 8,248 | $1.03 bn |
| San Mateo County | 4,305 | 6,869 | $1.26 bn |
| Los Angeles County | 2,388 | 3,209 | $546.7 m |
| San Francisco County | 2,181 | 2,960 | $762.5 m |
| King County | 1,356 | 1,903 | $342.7 m |
| San Diego County | 1,208 | 1,705 | $165.8 m |
| Contra Costa County | 1,104 | 1,685 | $159.6 m |
| Orange County | 1,019 | 1,448 | $130.6 m |
Households arriving report $61,470 less average income than households leaving, which drains spending power even where headcount holds up. The largest single source of arrivals is Alameda County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Santa Clara County
What is the Santa Clara County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$438.48 bn
- County GDP, 2023$404.48 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.4 percent
- GDP change over five years28.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the California areas BEA publishes2nd of 58
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes6th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$230,532
Output grew 8.4 percent in the latest year and 28.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Santa Clara County
Employment by industry in Santa Clara County
- Covered employment, annual average1,116,581
- Establishments reporting83,418
- Average annual pay$197,043
- Average weekly wage$3,789
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment160,179
- Professional, scientific and technical services, average annual pay$291,081
- Health care and social assistance, employment151,414
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$86,799
- Manufacturing, employment122,683
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$316,673
- Information, employment92,985
- Information, average annual pay$488,642
- Accommodation and food services, employment83,084
- Retail trade, employment70,920
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 160,179 | 10,012 | $291,081 |
| Health care and social assistance | 151,414 | 35,702 | $86,799 |
| Manufacturing | 122,683 | 2,611 | $316,673 |
| Information | 92,985 | 1,773 | $488,642 |
| Accommodation and food services | 83,084 | 4,984 | $39,219 |
| Retail trade | 70,920 | 4,060 | $60,350 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 60,198 | 193 | $452,085 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 56,739 | 2,549 | $71,743 |
Professional, scientific and technical services is the largest private sector at 160,179 jobs, 14.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Santa Clara County
How many businesses are in Santa Clara County?
- Establishments, all industries49,154
- Employment at those establishments1,171,397
- Annual payroll$212.78 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.8
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Santa Clara County
Building permits in Santa Clara County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20243,834
- Declared construction value permitted$1.15 bn
- Single family units authorized1,926
- Multifamily units authorized1,908
- Multifamily share of units49.8 percent
- Average declared value per unit$299,381
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.8
Multifamily is 49.8 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Santa Clara County
SBA loans in Santa Clara County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded1,666
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.09 bn
- Average 7(a) approval$654,813
- Median 7(a) approval$291,350
- 10th percentile approval$40,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,865,250
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)20,081
- Jobs per approval12.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active124
- Distinct industries receiving approvals319
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer14.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms246
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter1,341
- Franchise loans173
- Franchise share of approvals10.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (100)
- Most active lenderU.S. Bank, National Association (229)
- 504 approvals recorded1,068
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.25 bn
- Average 504 approval$1,172,308
- Median 504 approval$831,000
- Distinct CDCs active15
- 504 jobs per approval11.8
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved10.1
- Most active CDCMortgage Capital Development Corporation (442)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$2.34 bn
The average approval of $654,813 sits well above the median of $291,350, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 14.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Clara County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Santa Clara County
Do SBA loans in Santa Clara County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded305
- Paid in full285
- Charged off20
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans6.6 percent
- Status: Paid in full285
- Status: Exempt from disclosure1,078
- Status: Cancelled220
- Status: Charged off20
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed63
Of the 305 loans that have reached a final outcome, 6.6 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Clara County
SBA lending by place in Santa Clara County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending21
- San Jose, approvals840
- Santa Clara, approvals154
- Sunnyvale, approvals104
- Campbell, approvals90
- Milpitas, approvals82
- Mountain View, approvals79
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose | 840 | $523,567,800 |
| Santa Clara | 154 | $96,870,900 |
| Sunnyvale | 104 | $82,545,200 |
| Campbell | 90 | $67,071,400 |
| Milpitas | 82 | $55,347,900 |
| Mountain View | 79 | $54,772,000 |
| Los Gatos | 66 | $31,977,000 |
| Morgan Hill | 59 | $46,657,500 |
| 13 other borrower cities | 192 | $132,108,600 |
San Jose accounts for 840 approvals against 154 in Santa Clara. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Santa Clara County
How large is Santa Clara County?
- Land area1,290 sq mi
- Rank by land area among California counties37th of 58
- Width, east to west53.7 mi
- Height, north to south40.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land1,474
- Establishments per square mile38.10
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Santa Clara County
Flood risk in Santa Clara County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Santa Clara County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 060337
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 10
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book16
- Of those, participating in the NFIP16
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 6
- Communities carrying a CRS class11
- Radon levels in Santa Clara County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Santa Clara County (community 060337), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 10, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Santa Clara County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 6, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Santa Clara County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Santa Clara County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20241,902,047
- Households659,353
- Average household size2.88
- Median household income$164,281
- Median age38.1
Common questions
Santa Clara County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Santa Clara County, California?
The Census Bureau estimates 1,926,325 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 1,902,047, in 659,353 households, ranking 6th of 58 California counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Santa Clara County's population growing?
The population has fallen 0.51 percent since the 2020 census base of 1,936,278, to 1,926,325 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 17,331 births against 10,805 deaths, with net migration of 22,610. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Santa Clara County?
$164,281. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $1,490,600, which is 9.1 times income, and median gross rent is $2,857 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Santa Clara County?
49,154 establishments, employing 1,171,397 people with an annual payroll of $212.78 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Santa Clara County?
Professional, scientific and technical services is the largest private sector at 160,179 jobs, 14.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 1,116,581 jobs at an average annual pay of $197,043, or $3,789 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Santa Clara County?
1,666 7(a) approvals totaling $1.09 bn since FY2020, across 124 lenders, with a median approval of $291,350, plus 1,068 504 approvals worth $1.25 bn since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Santa Clara County get paid back?
Of the 305 loans that have reached a final outcome, 285 were paid in full and 20 charged off, a charge-off rate of 6.6 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Santa Clara County?
3,834 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $1.15 bn. Multifamily was 49.8 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Santa Clara County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Santa Clara County come from?
The largest single origin is Alameda County, with 5,221 households. Arriving households report an average income of $183,973 against $245,443 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Santa Clara County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Santa Clara County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Santa Clara County
Cities and places in Santa Clara.
24 Census places lie wholly or partly in Santa Clara County. All 24 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose | city | 990,138 | 840 | Wholly in this county |
| Sunnyvale | city | 154,236 | 104 | Wholly in this county |
| Santa Clara | city | 130,256 | 154 | Wholly in this county |
| Mountain View | city | 83,732 | 79 | Wholly in this county |
| Milpitas | city | 78,578 | 82 | Wholly in this county |
| Palo Alto | city | 67,237 | 49 | Wholly in this county |
| Gilroy | city | 59,004 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| Cupertino | city | 58,566 | 27 | Wholly in this county |
| Morgan Hill | city | 45,425 | 59 | Wholly in this county |
| Campbell | city | 42,781 | 90 | Wholly in this county |
| Los Gatos | town | 32,786 | 66 | Wholly in this county |
| Los Altos | city | 30,698 | 25 | Wholly in this county |
| Saratoga | city | 30,319 | 17 | Wholly in this county |
| Stanford | CDP | 18,662 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Alum Rock | CDP | 10,440 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Los Altos Hills | town | 8,377 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| East Foothills | CDP | 7,139 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| San Martin | CDP | 6,954 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Burbank | CDP | 5,333 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Cambrian Park | CDP | 3,494 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Monte Sereno | city | 3,461 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Loyola | CDP | 3,430 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Lexington Hills | CDP | 2,692 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Fruitdale | CDP | 986 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 8 of the county's 1,666 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Santa Clara County, the largest being Dublin (2), Fremont (1), East Palo Alto (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby