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Santa Clara County, CA: population growth, jobs and income

Santa Clara County gained 6,481 residents between 2024 and 2025 (+0.3%).

Santa Clara County had an estimated 1,914,391 residents in 2025, down 0.9% (16,958 fewer people) since 2020. That is slower than California as a whole (−0.4%), and the 31st fastest growth of 58 counties in California.

Data as of 2025 · updated

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In the Santa Clara County report

One-time $99 PDF: everything on this page for Santa Clara County, ranked against California and the U.S., plus these figures that are not on the free page:

  • Median gross rent$2,857/mo2020–24
  • Vacant homes, incl. seasonal and second homes5.6%2020–24
  • New homes permitted, last 12 months6,6052025-10/2026-09
  • Rent growth, 5 yearsIn the report
  • Permits in 5+ unit buildingsIn the report
  • IRS income moving in (net AGI)In the report
  • Neighbouring-county comparison tableIn the report

What's inside: 5 pages

  1. 1 Summary, headline numbers and ranks (free preview)
  2. 2 Ranks and the neighbouring-county table
  3. 3 Migration, with IRS mover and income flows
  4. 4 Rent, vacant homes, permits and employers
  5. 5 Every source and the methods
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Headline numbers

What the numbers say

Net domestic migration was negative in 2025: 19,775 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in.

Private employers had 1,171,397 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.0% since 2018 (County Business Patterns).

Unemployment averaged 4.3% in 2025, 1.7 points higher than in 2019 (before the pandemic).

Builders were authorized to start 5,323 new homes in 2025, or 2.8 per 1,000 residents.

Median household income was $164,281 in the 2020–24 American Community Survey, +25.5% since 2016–20.

Across the 3,107 U.S. counties with a comparable estimate, its population growth ranks 2,153rd.

Part of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area.

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Santa Clara County population by year

Resident population, July 1 estimate (Census Bureau)
YearPopulationChange
20251,914,391+6,481
20241,907,910+17,533
20231,890,377+10,226
20221,880,151−2,377
20211,882,528−48,821
20201,931,349–

Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year.

What drove the change in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County lost 16,958 people since 2020; the biggest drag was domestic migration (−168,614).

Components of population change, people (Census Bureau)
Component20252020–25Share
Natural changebirths minus deaths+7,608+38,052
International migrationfrom and to other countries+18,658+116,259
Domestic migrationfrom and to other U.S. counties−19,775−168,614
Census adjustmentbalancing residual−10−2,655
Total change+6,481−16,958

Census Bureau population estimates, components of change, each year July 1 to June 30. The components add up to the change in the estimate; the Census adjustment is the small balancing figure the Bureau publishes.

How it ranks

MeasureIn CaliforniaAmong U.S. counties
Population growth31st of 582,153rd of 3,107
Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents49th of 582,879th of 3,108
Private-sector job growth23rd of 58870th of 3,092
Median household income1st of 582nd of 3,107
Lowest unemployment rate8th of 581,880th of 3,108
New homes permitted per 1,000 residents22nd of 581,199th of 3,005

1st = highest (lowest for unemployment). Counties are ranked only against others with a figure for the same period.

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The County Growth and Demographics Report for Santa Clara County, CA as a PDF, from federal data: population and migration, housing and rents, permits, private employers and jobs, unemployment, ranks in the state and the country, and neighbouring counties, with a source next to every number. Pay once, no subscription.

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Neighbouring counties

Over 2020–25, Santa Clara County's population change (−0.9%) was ahead of 3 of its 6 neighbouring counties and behind 3.

Its median household income ($164,281, 2020–24) is higher than in all 6 of its neighbouring counties.

Santa Clara County, CA and its 6 neighbouring counties: public federal figures
CountyPopulation2025Population change2020–25Net domestic migration per 1,000 residents2025Homes permitted per 1,000 residents2025Median household income2020–24
Santa Clara County, CA This county1,914,391−0.9%−10.32.8$164,281
Santa Cruz County, CA258,852−4.7%−10.41.8$111,093
Alameda County, CA1,636,630−2.6%−9.81.7$129,367
San Mateo County, CA743,568−2.5%−5.53.0$158,855
San Benito County, CA70,082+8.6%9.73.5$114,394
Stanislaus County, CA557,719+0.7%−4.32.2$81,468
Merced County, CA297,260+5.1%−4.42.6$65,510

Census Bureau population estimates and building permits, American Community Survey 5-year income. Rates per 1,000 residents. – means no figure, or a base too small for a change or rate (it would swing on a few people). A figure from another period shows its year and is left out of the comparison.

All 58 California counties · Every state

Questions

Is Santa Clara County growing?

No. Its population fell 0.9% between 2020 and 2025, about 16,958 fewer people (Census Bureau population estimates). California as a whole changed −0.4% over the same years. That ranks 31st of 58 counties in California for population growth.

How many people moved to Santa Clara County?

On net, none in 2025: about 19,775 more people moved out to other U.S. counties than moved in (Census Bureau net domestic migration estimate).

What is the unemployment rate in Santa Clara County?

It averaged 4.3% in 2025 (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual average).

What is the population of Santa Clara County?

About 1,914,391 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's population estimate for July 1, 2025.

How many jobs are in Santa Clara County?

Private employers there had 1,171,397 paid employees in mid-March 2023, +8.0% since 2018 (Census Bureau County Business Patterns; government jobs and the self-employed are not counted).

What Beacon CRE covers in California

Map, parcel and listing layers cover North and South Carolina only for now. This page and the other California county pages carry the public federal growth figures.

Santa Clara County data alerts

Email me when Santa Clara County gets new Census numbers: population, building permits, jobs and income. About 4 emails a year, one click to stop.

We use your address only to email you when new data for Santa Clara County is out: what changed, with a link to that county's report. No newsletter, no other sales emails. Delete it any time with the link in every email. We'll email you a link to confirm first; nothing starts until you click it. Privacy notice.

Sources and method

Each number shows its own period. Changes compare the latest period with five years earlier (or the earliest period available). Beacon CRE last refreshed these figures on 2026-11-05. Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how we compute every number. More on every layer: data sources and licences.

Jobs outside North and South Carolina use County Business Patterns (paid private-sector employees in mid-March); wages and government jobs are not included.