Are you considering moving to San Jose? If so, there are a few things to know beforehand!
We know that relocating can be confusing, scary, and intimidating. But the good thing about San Jose is there is much to look forward to! San Jose is considered one of the best cities to purchase California real estate due to its beautiful weather, diverse culture, outdoor activities, sports teams, tech companies, and safe neighborhoods.
Not to mention, the city consistently ranks as one of the most diverse in the country, with a thriving arts scene and tons of delicious food options to choose from. With so much to explore and enjoy, it’s no wonder that more and more people are choosing to make San Jose their home. Ready to gain deep knowledge about San Jose? Here’s everything you need to know about moving to San Jose:
The Weather Is Gorgeous Year-Round
San Jose has excellent year-round weather and 300 days of sunshine each year, way above the national average of 205 sunny days. This is one of the main reasons why people come to California from various places in the United States and the entire world—but San Jose is even better than other parts of The Golden State.
The main benefit of the weather system here is the winters are short, which is excellent for those who enjoy summer and springtime outdoor activities. The summers in San Jose are long, warm, and clear, featuring tons of sunshine and moderate temperature conducive to outdoor activities. Conversely, the winters are very short and cloudy.
The best months in San Jose range from the end of May to the middle of October. The ‘cold’ months in San Jose are between the end of November and the end of February.
You’ll Find The Most Diverse Neighborhoods
One of the main perks of San Jose—and why people from all over the world look to relocate here—is the diversity of the population. According to Niche.com, Downtown San Jose is the most diverse place to live in all Santa Clara County.
Unlike other well-off American cities that lack cultural diversity, San Jose is a melting point of various cultures, such as Vietnamese, Hispanic, African American, Korean, and other immigrant nations that have positively influenced this bustling city. San Jose is much more diverse than most other cities within the state (even nearby San Diego), according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Best Neighborhood.
But let’s discuss neighborhoods in The Capital of Silicon Valley. Many communities in San Jose celebrate and embrace the cultural differences, and that is evident in everything, from the community events to the food options. Top areas to live in the city include:
- Downtown San Jose: Its population and businesses show an eclectic mix of ethnicities.
- Little Saigon District: Situated in East San Jose, it’s known for its Vietnamese population and authentic Asian food.
- Alum Rock: This San Jose district is known for its Chicano roots, colorful murals, and authentic Mexican food.
- Japantown: It’s a San Jose neighborhood filled with culture and history that celebrates Japanese heritage. It is known for its authentic festivals and year-round certified farmer’s market.
The Real Estate Market Is Competitive And High-Valued
The San Jose real estate market is competitive, despite decreasing median prices for all home types since last year. The median housing price for all homes is just over right now $1.3M, which indicates a nearly 12% decrease.
The median sale price for single-family homes in San Jose has decreased by 12.9% since last year, with the median sale price for townhouses decreasing by 7.8%.
Furthermore, the sale-to-list price is currently 104.4%, which indicates a 9.8 point decrease. The number of homes sold above the list price is 65%, indicating a 24-point decline since last year.
The average price of homes in San Jose is $1.3M, while the average cost of townhouses is $1.1M. The average price of condos in San Jose is $738K.
The cost of rent differs based on the location, size, and amenities. However, rent in the city falls between $2.5K and $3.3K monthly. The average rental cost in San Jose is $2.9K per month.
San Jose Is A Tech Central
San Jose is right in the heat of Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is the worldwide center for tech, office space, startups, entrepreneurs, and innovation.
San Jose is the third-largest city in California and the largest within the Valley. It is the central hub for the business district, high-paying jobs, new owners, entrepreneurs, innovators, and corporations to set up a home base and establish themselves in the United States. The city also has a low unemployment rate of 3%.
Silicon Valley is home to some of the biggest and highest-earning corporations, accounting for over 33% of the United States’ capital investments. These high-earning investments have made Silicon Valley, and San Jose, a hub for startup culture and innovation.
There are numerous headquarters and companies positioned within San Jose that are attractive to foreign businesses and entrepreneurs alike. For example, San Jose is home to PayPal, Adobe World Headquarters, and many others. In addition, this city is the central city for Apple, Block, Inc., eBay, Cisco, NetApp, and Netflix.
There’s No Shortage Of Entertainment Here
There are numerous entertainment attractions to check out when you visit or move to San Jose. Not only can you explore the typical entertainment venues, such as cinemas, theaters, live music venues, and museums, but numerous other attractions set San Jose apart from other California cities.
The Winchester Mystery House
The Winchester Mystery House is a seven-story historical building with an incredible past that will capture your attention! This expansive mansion belonged to Sarah Winchester, the well-renowned heiress of Winchester guns.
But, the planning for this sprawling building eventually fell through, leading to intricate architecture, a staircase leading to nowhere, unused rooms, strange nooks and crannies, and a ‘ghostly’ atmosphere that has continued throughout the generations.
If you are a ghost hunter, interested in the supernatural, or just enjoying a good time, head here to check out one of the most haunted venues worldwide!
San Jose Museum of Art
The San Jose Museum of Art is a cultural phenomenon in San Jose that focuses on providing thought-provoking exhibits, interesting works of art, playful experiences, kid-friendly exhibits, and annual events that keep people coming back for more. SJMA is the regional leader in contemporary art due to its new and modern artwork, engaging exhibits, and multiple programs attractive to people of various ages.
We recommend heading here any time of the year to check out the community artwork, ogle at one of the 12 yearly exhibits they have on display, and gaze at the new-media installations.
Happy Hollow Park and Zoo
Hollow Park is one of the biggest attractions for tourists and locals alike. This popular destination offers family rides, kid-friendly attractions, interactive exhibits, play areas, and a famous zoo that brings in people worldwide.
San Jose Flea Market
The San Jose Flea Market is a great palace for families, couples, solo travelers, and those on a budget who want to explore a culturally-unique side of the Bay Area. We love coming here on Wednesday, Friday, and the weekends to check out the kid-friendly interactive exhibits, numerous tables, handmade items, tasty food, and live music.
This sprawling flea market is situated on over 120 acres of farmland, making it the ideal place to exercise, check out the organic produce, and munch on some tasty food from one of the 1,500 vendors that dot the nearby area.
San Jose State University
San Jose State University is a reputable university that is known as one of the best colleges in the entire country. The campus features beautiful parks, green space, botanical gardens, and ample job opportunities once students graduate. In addition, this public university is located within the city limits, making it easy for people within Santa Clara County to get to and from their classes.
Plus, tourists love walking around the beautiful campus. You can also check out other nearby colleges, like Santa Clara University and Evergreen Valley College, to get a feel for the educational opportunities in this populous city.
The Tech Interactive
Tech Interactive is a nonprofit organization that features exhibits, an IMAX Dome Theater, a Tech cafe, and weekly/monthly events that are great for a unique experience.
This organization provides immersive and interactive educational resources for children and adults to help give back to the community. Head to this famous science and tech center with hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, robotics displays, cybersecurity information, and educational films all year round.
Some upcoming events that can excite you about your impending visit are the Tech Tails Tech Flicks featuring a dog-friendly weekend, Tech Topple Tech Flicks movie series, and Tech Topple record domino topple!
Then, explore exhibits like the Body Worlds Decoded human specimen gallery, The Tech Studio engineering exhibit, Solve for Earth landscape sustainability stories, and Animaker robotic artificial intelligence hands-on exhibit!
California’s Great America
California’s Great America is Northern California’s most famous and well-known amusement park. This amusement park features thrilling and exciting rides for teens and adults, live music and entertainment, family-friendly rides and excursions, and the South Bay Shores waterpark to cool off during August (the hottest month).
Head on the famous rides, like the Trailblazer or Delta Flyer, slide down the water slides in the South Bay Shores Waterpark, and enjoy tasty snacks from one of the many eateries in the park.
Santana Row
Santana Row is the go-to destination in Silicon Valley for shopping, dining, eating, and exploring beautiful architecture. This upscale strip offers high-end boutiques, and luxurious experiences for visitors and locals who want to enjoy the finer things in life.
Head here to check out weekly events (like Yoga on the Row, Farmer’s markets, festivals, and summer music), tasty restaurants (like The Counter, Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub, Urban Plates, etc.), and expansive shopping options (such as specialty stores, home goods shops, apparel boutiques, and accessory stores).
Food, Food, In-N-Out
San Jose is known as one of the best American cities in the entire country for ethnic cuisine and delicious food.
This vibrant and multicultural city is a mixture and melting pot of different types of food and influence, such as Vietnamese cuisine, Mexican burritos, Korean barbecue, Japanese food, falafel, American food, vegetarian dishes, Indian spicy curry, and much more.
San Jose has a large Vietnamese community, which is ideal for the food scene! In addition, dozens of little cafes, restaurants, and pho spots offer tasty soup, noodles, and flavorful meat dishes.
This city also offers other ethnic eateries, such as Mexican burrito joints (like La Costa), Korean barbecue, and Middle Eastern dishes, like falafel and hummus.
One of the most important chains in this bustling city is the famous burger franchise In-N-Out. In-N-Out came from Baldwin Park, California, and has since turned into one of the most well-known burger brands in the entire world due to its fresh ingredients, consistency, and quality service.
In-N-Out has reigned supreme due to the easy modifications of the simplistic menu, high-quality meat, ‘secret menu,’ tasty milkshakes, fair employee wages, and non-franchisement of the locations. However, we recommend going to one of the locations in San Jose, like the ones on Newhall Drive, Capitol Expressway, or Cottle Road.
A Sports Fan? San Jose Will Spoil You
Numerous sports teams here bring in athletes, spectators, and fans from all over the country—and the world! The most popular sports teams are the San Jose City Jaguars, San Jose Sharks, San Jose State Spartans, San Jose Apaches, Bay Area Panthers, San Jose Rhinos, San Jose Stealth, and Bakersfield Jammers.
The most famous sports team in San Jose is the San Jose Sharks. The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team that competes in the NHL in the Pacific Division. The San Jose Sharks play in the SAP Center, commonly known to locals as the ‘Shark Tank.’
This famous sports team has the infamous logo of a giant, great white shark gnawing on a hockey stick on the front of their jerseys. They also include the San Francisco Bay Area Red Triangle on their jersey.
Outstanding Public Transit System
The San Jose public transit system is part of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which controls the public transportation options in Santa Clara County, CA.
The most popular public transit options include the Valley Transportation Authority light rail and buses, the Caltrain commuter rail service near San Francisco, and the Bay Area Rapid Transit public transit system that spans five counties. Other standard options for commuters and visitors include scooters, bikes, and pedicabs.
- E-scooters – E-scooters and the city-wide bike share system make it easy to get around Napa Valley, San Francisco, and the East Bay, featuring over 1,000 scooters and 1,000 bikes.
- Pedicabs – Eco City Cycles offers an eco-friendly way to travel around the city.
Plus, transportation is very inexpensive compared to other major world cities. The average ticket costs just $1.25 for a single adult ride to the city center.
A City Environmental and Sustainability-Conscious
The Bay Area is great for public transportation (reducing car emissions) and nature-centric activities, and this city is exceptionally eco-friendly and sustainable.
San Jose is home to ‘The Green Vision,’ a burgeoning 15-year plan focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable practices and economic backing. In addition, the city has created community initiatives to make changes, engage residents, and collaborate with local organizations.
In addition, The Green Vision aims to create 25k+ ‘clean’ jobs, reduce per capita energy use, utilize 100% of clean, renewable energy sources, convert waste into energy, recycle 100% of wastewater, ensure 100% of public fleet vehicles use alternative fuel, and create 100+ miles of trails.
FAQs: Moving To San Jose
Still have questions about San Jose? Here are some more frequently asked questions to help you decide about the city.
Is it worth moving to San Jose?
Whether it is worth it to move to San Jose depends on why and where you are moving from. Overall, relocating to San Jose is excellent for those who want to live in the tech hub, raise a family, work with a startup, enjoy the unique culture, ingratiate into a sports scene, and earn a suitable income.
Why are people moving to San Jose?
There are a few reasons people are moving to San Jose compared to other cities in the United States or California. Part of the main attraction of living in San Jose is the proximity to Silicon Valley, one of the central hubs for the tech industry and innovation in the United States.
People looking at houses here enjoy the different home styles and neighborhood types. There are Spanish houses, Ranch-style homes, Terracotta-roofed houses, condos, and much more for you to choose from.
Young adults and sports fans will also love the sports-centric nature of this city! San Jose has numerous sports teams, ranging from professional women’s soccer coming to the Bay Area to the infamous men’s ice hockey team.
What is a good salary in San Jose?
The average salary in San Jose comes to $87K per year. The top 25% of earners in San Jose make $112K per year, whereas the 25th percentile earns $62K per year. Therefore, any annual salary greater than $87K is considered above average. This comes to more than $7.2K per month.
Is $100K a year enough to live in San Jose?
An above-average income for those who live in San Jose is $100,000 per year. However, a South Florida Business Journal study shows that $100K decreases to approximately $72K after income taxes.
After subtracting $41K for rent, $4K for groceries, $1.5K for utilities, $15K for driving costs, and $7K for healthcare per year, a San Jose resident would be left with approximately $1.8K in income.
Is it more expensive to live in L.A. or San Jose?
The average cost of living comparison between San Jose, California, and Los Angeles, California, shows that San Jose is generally a more expensive city. For example, a person would need around $400 more per month to maintain the same standard of living in San Jose compared to Los Angeles.
Rent, consumer, and grocery prices are higher in San Jose than in Los Angeles. On the other hand, restaurant prices are lower in San Jose. Finding an affordable price for a living typically involves living further away from the city center or sharing a one-bedroom apartment.
Which is better: San Jose or San Francisco?
There are pros and cons to every city, so let’s analyze the pros of these two so you can see which may be best for you.
- The pros of San Jose are the lower cost of living by California standards, a warm climate, solid school districts with plenty of public schools, good private schools, and lower crime rates compared to other cities in the state.
- The pros of San Francisco are the widespread public transportation network (although San Jose’s is comparable) and better nightlife.
Can you live in San Jose without a car?
Yes, you can. Although having a car is convenient for long-distance commuting, residents of San Jose find that some of the best ways to get around the city include walking, cycling, or public transportation. Most neighborhoods in San Jose feature safe sidewalks and bike paths that are great for reducing road emissions and lower commute time to nearby towns.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is the overarching organization in charge of bus lines, light rail, and special transportation services for those who need extra accessibility aid in Santa Clara County. Plus, Caltrain runs the commuter rail line within San Jose for employees.
Which city in California has the best cost of living?
The cheapest city in California with the best cost of living is Sacramento. Sacramento is inexpensive and offers access to other destinations, features ample diversity, and offers unique cultural experiences you won’t find in other cities. Other affordable cities to live in California include:
- Clovis, a small city near Fresno, offers pristine access to the Sierra Mountains and unspoiled nature.
- Stockton is a bustling city in the San Joaquin Valley that is good for young professionals and solo adults.
- Eureka is a port city with old-world charm, beautiful scenery, and historic buildings.
Is Seattle or San Jose more expensive?
The cost of living in San Jose is more expensive than in Seattle. San Jose is more expensive than Seattle in terms of the cost of living for one person, single-person rent, family rent, and transport expenses. However, San Jose is the cheaper option in terms of the cost of living for a family and food expenses.
What is the average electric bill in San Jose, CA?
The city average electric bill for residents in San Jose, CA, comes to around $88 per month. The average utility bill is usually around $213 for electricity, gas, water, and fuel.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it, everything you need to know about moving to San Jose! From the best neighborhoods and suburbs to the top attractions, this guide has got you covered. And if you’re thinking of putting down roots in the area, don’t forget to take a look at the great homes for sale in San Jose.
So what are you waiting for? Start planning your move to San Jose today! Sign up with us to get daily, weekly, or monthly alerts of new listings when they come on the market. Have you already found your dream property in San Jose? Talk to one of our local real estate agents to begin your home buying journey in California.
