Cupertino ranks near top of California livability
- U.S. News & World Report ranked Cupertino No. 3 in California for 2025-2026, placing the Santa Clara County city behind only Folsom and Palo Alto. - Cupertino posted a 6.1 overall score, tied with the top three cities, alongside a $238,532 median household income and $2.53 million median home value. - The ranking lands as Silicon Valley cities keep scoring high despite housing pressure and affordability fights. (sanjosespotlight.com)
Cupertino ranked No. 3 in California in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Places to Live list, behind Folsom and Palo Alto. (usnews.com) U.S. News gave Cupertino a 6.1 overall score, the same score shown for Folsom and Palo Alto in the statewide ranking. The list covers 161 California cities. (usnews.com) (cupertino.gov) The ranking uses public data and user opinions, with scores built from job market, value, quality of life and desirability. U.S. News says places rise by scoring well on measures including quality of life and desirability. (usnews.com) (prnewswire.com) Cupertino’s profile in the ranking shows why it scored well on paper: a median household income of $238,532, a 23-minute average commute and a median monthly rent of $3,295. U.S. News lists the median home value at $2,526,599. (usnews.com) Federal census data points the same way on income and education. The Census Bureau reports 82.2% of Cupertino adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median value of owner-occupied homes is above $2 million. (census.gov) School performance remains a major draw. EdSource reports that in 2025, 82.73% of students in Cupertino Union School District met or exceeded the English standard and 84.47% met or exceeded the math standard. (edsource.org) The same data also shows the tradeoff residents face. Census QuickFacts lists median gross rent above $3,500 and median monthly owner costs with a mortgage above $4,000. (census.gov) That tension is shaping local politics in real time. San José Spotlight reported this month on Cupertino housing fights, including a 51-townhome project approved April 2 after residents raised traffic and evacuation concerns, and an affordable housing project the council declined to reconsider on April 1. (sanjosespotlight.com) Silicon Valley cities dominated the top of the California list, with Sunnyvale at No. 8 and Mountain View at No. 6. San José Spotlight said the pattern reflects a region that keeps posting strong quality-of-life and job-market numbers even as affordability stays strained. (usnews.com) (sanjosespotlight.com) So Cupertino’s new ranking says two things at once: it remains one of California’s most credentialed and affluent cities, and one of its hardest to afford. (usnews.com) (census.gov)
