Berkeley, CA vs Santa Clara, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Berkeley

59.6

#1947 nationally

vs

Santa Clara

65.7

#1617 nationally

Santa Clara leads in crime level (5.0 vs 17.5). Santa Clara leads in median household income ($165,352 vs $104,716). Berkeley leads in walk score (85 vs 58).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric Berkeley, CA Santa Clara, CA
WhereAtHome Score 59.6 (#1947) 65.7 (#1617)
Population 118,962 131,062
Typical Home Value (ZHVI) $1,460,437 $1,680,833
Median Household Income $104,716 $165,352
Average Commute 30.4 min 23.6 min
Walk Score 85 58
Crime Level 17.5 5.0
School Rating N/A N/A
Cost of Living Index 222 241
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored D+53.6 D+40.0