Cost of living in San Jose, California
San Jose, California has about 990,138 people. Typical rent is $2,669 a month, including utilities, and a typical household earns $146,427 a year. Both figures are Census 2020–2024 medians, not a listing or your pay. This site does not approve or deny benefits. A missing figure stays blank. We do not guess it.
Ranked #339 in California on the 2026 Most Affordable Towns Index.
Simple answer
Typical rent is $2,669 a month.
San Jose is a city in California. That rent number includes utilities. A typical household earns $146,427 a year.
- People
- 990,138
- Census average, 2020–2024
- Typical rent
- $2,669
- Median gross rent, includes utilities
- Typical pay
- $146,427
- Median household income, yearly
- Typical home
- $1,233,200
- Median home value
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $3,272
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
San Jose, California has about 990,138 people. That count is a 2020–2024 Census average, not a headcount from one day.
A typical home is worth about $1,233,200.
HUD's fair-market rent for a 2-bedroom in Santa Clara County is $3,272 a month. That is the county number, not an apartment listing in San Jose. It runs from October 2026 through September 2027.
In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, prices sit at 110.4 when the U.S. average is 100. That is a 2024 BEA index.
California taxes wages. A typical combined sales tax is 9.0% as of January 1, 2026. That mix is statewide, not San Jose's exact store tax.
In July 2026, a typical California home paid 33.61¢ per kilowatt-hour. That is a state average from EIA, not San Jose's bill.
In 2025, all-grades gas in California averaged $4.53 a gallon. EIA prints this yearly price for only some states.
Among 982 places we list in California with a rent figure, 159 have higher typical rent than San Jose.
Nearby places
- Alum Rock
Typical rent $2,389
Compare with San Jose - East Foothills
Typical rent $3,321
Compare with San Jose - Burbank
Typical rent $2,566
Compare with San Jose - Cambrian Park
Typical rent $3,179
Compare with San Jose - Campbell
Typical rent $2,737
Compare with San Jose - Los Gatos
Typical rent $3,247
Compare with San Jose - Santa Clara
Typical rent $3,016
Compare with San Jose - Monte SerenoCompare with San Jose
EBT nearby
USDA has a live map of stores that take SNAP. We did not copy that store list here. The downloadable file is a history file for 2005 through 2025, so the live map is the one to use.
Locator page updated 2026-09-11. Last checked 2026-10-16.
Food stamps (SNAP) tools in California
Bigger places in California
Census 2020-2024. HUD rents for October 2026–September 2027. BEA prices for 2024. Taxes as of January 1, 2026. Checked 2026-10-16. 15,000 places are in this guide.