What percentage of people rent in San Jose, CA?

Name: Renters and owners in San Jose, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

44.2% (±0.7 points) of the occupied homes in San Jose, CA are rented (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is 145,219 renting households against 183,331 that own their home.

In San Jose, the share of households that rent went from 43.2% in 2015–2019 to 44.2% in 2020–2024 (+1.0 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Households that rent: 44.2% (±0.7 points)
Renting households: 145,219 (±2,359)
Median renter income: $103,391 (±$2,235)

Who rents and who owns in San Jose

Tenure, estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Jose	Santa Clara County	California	United States
Renter-occupied share	44.2% (±0.7 points)	44.9% (±0.5 points)	44.1% (±0.2 points)	34.8%
Renting households	145,219 (±2,359)	296,206 (±3,317)	5,980,523 (±22,985)	45,017,354
Owning households	183,331 (±2,428)	363,147 (±3,294)	7,567,568 (±37,334)	84,210,142
Average renter household size	2.8 (±0.0)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.7 (±0.0)	2.3
Average owner household size	3.1 (±0.0)	3.0 (±0.0)	3.0 (±0.0)	2.6
Median renter household income	$103,391 (±$2,235)	$122,974 (±$2,206)	$71,186 (±$298)	$52,966
Median owner household income	$191,106 (±$2,769)	$208,519 (±$2,856)	$127,456 (±$424)	$100,009

In San Jose, the renter share is not measurably different from Santa Clara County (44.9%).

It is not measurably different from California (44.1%).

It is higher than the national figure (34.8%).

In Santa Clara County, San Jose ranks 7 of 23 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest renter share.

Statewide, it ranks 298 of 1,076.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

How renting in San Jose has changed since 2015–2019

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Households that rent	43.2% (±0.5 points)	44.2% (±0.7 points)	+1.0 percentage points	Measurable increase
Median gross rent	$2,107 (±$19)	$2,669 (±$28)	+26.7%	Up after inflation
Median household income	$109,593 (±$1,176)	$146,427 (±$2,140)	+33.6%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Households that rent in places near San Jose

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Jose
Place	Distance	Households that rent	Compared with this place
San Jose	—	44.2% (±0.7 points)	—
Alum Rock	5.1 mi	29.8% (±6.4 points)	Lower
East Foothills	6.0 mi	13.7% (±5.2 points)	Lower
Burbank (community)	6.6 mi	42.3% (±7.8 points)	Not measurably different
Cambrian Park	6.9 mi	29.6% (±10.7 points)	Lower
Campbell	7.7 mi	48.3% (±2.4 points)	Higher
Los Gatos	9.1 mi	35.1% (±2.8 points)	Lower
Santa Clara	9.7 mi	59.2% (±1.7 points)	Higher
Monte Sereno	10 mi	2.6% (±2.6 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Alum Rock, CA (29.8%), East Foothills, CA (13.7%), Cambrian Park, CA (29.6%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Campbell, CA (48.3%), Santa Clara, CA (59.2%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Households that rent across Santa Clara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that rent
1	Stanford	73.2% (±5.2 points)
2	Mountain View	61.4% (±1.7 points)
3	Santa Clara	59.2% (±1.7 points)
4	Sunnyvale	56.2% (±1.4 points)
5	Campbell	48.3% (±2.4 points)
6	Palo Alto	45.4% (±2.2 points)
7	San Jose	44.2% (±0.7 points)
8	Burbank (community)	42.3% (±7.8 points)
9	Milpitas	41.6% (±2.6 points)
10	Cupertino	39.4% (±2.3 points)
11	Gilroy	37.6% (±2.4 points)
12	Los Gatos	35.1% (±2.8 points)
13	Alum Rock	29.8% (±6.4 points)

Showing 13 of 23 places in Santa Clara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about San Jose

How many renters are there in San Jose?

San Jose has an estimated 145,219 (±2,359) renting households, 44.2% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Is renting growing in San Jose?

In San Jose, the share of households that rent went from 43.2% in 2015–2019 to 44.2% in 2020–2024 (+1.0 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How big are renting households in San Jose?

A renting household in San Jose has 2.8 people on average, against 3.1 in an owned home.

How much do renters earn in San Jose?

The median renting household in San Jose, CA has an income of $103,391 (±$2,235) a year, against $191,106 for households that own their home.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) and detailed tables (acs/acs5) for San Jose city, California (place:68000, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B19013_001E, B19013_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0047E, DP04_0047M, DP04_0046E, DP04_0046M, DP04_0049E, DP04_0049M, DP04_0048E, DP04_0048M, B25119_003E, B25119_003M, B25119_002E, B25119_002M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.