What is the rental vacancy rate in San Jose, CA?

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

The rental vacancy rate in San Jose, CA is 4.8% (±0.4 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 0.6% (±0.1 points).

16,516 (±1,121) homes, 4.8% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In San Jose, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.3% in 2015–2019 to 4.8% in 2020–2024 (+1.5 percentage points), a measurable increase.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 4.8% (±0.4 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 0.6% (±0.1 points)
Vacant homes: 16,516 (±1,121)

Vacancy in San Jose against Santa Clara County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Jose	Santa Clara County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	4.8% (±0.4 points)	5.1% (±0.4 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.6% (±0.1 points)	0.7% (±0.1 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	16,516 (±1,121)	39,484 (±1,910)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In San Jose, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from Santa Clara County (5.1%).

It is also higher than in California (4.2%).

It is lower than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near San Jose

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Jose
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
San Jose	—	4.8% (±0.4 points)	—
Alum Rock	5.1 mi	3.5% (±3.4 points)	Not measurably different
East Foothills	6.0 mi	8.0% (±12.2 points)	Not measurably different
Burbank (community)	6.6 mi	8.4% (±8.0 points)	Not measurably different
Cambrian Park	6.9 mi	0.0% (±11.0 points)	Not measurably different
Campbell	7.7 mi	3.6% (±1.7 points)	Not measurably different
Los Gatos	9.1 mi	5.8% (±3.5 points)	Not measurably different
Santa Clara	9.7 mi	5.8% (±1.3 points)	Not measurably different
Monte Sereno	10 mi	42.4% (±42.4 points)	Not measurably different

None of the nearby places differs measurably from this one on this figure.

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

Rental vacancy rate across Santa Clara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
6	Burbank (community)	8.4% (±8.0 points)
7	East Foothills	8.0% (±12.2 points)
8	Morgan Hill	5.9% (±2.7 points)
9 (tie)	Los Gatos	5.8% (±3.5 points)
9 (tie)	Santa Clara	5.8% (±1.3 points)
11	Cupertino	5.0% (±2.5 points)
12	San Jose	4.8% (±0.4 points)
13	Los Altos	4.6% (±3.5 points)
14	Milpitas	3.7% (±2.2 points)
15	Campbell	3.6% (±1.7 points)
16	Alum Rock	3.5% (±3.4 points)
17	Sunnyvale	3.2% (±0.8 points)
18	Gilroy	1.6% (±1.3 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

Is it hard to find a rental in San Jose?

The rental vacancy rate in San Jose, CA is 4.8% (±0.4 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in San Jose tighter than it was?

In San Jose, the rental vacancy rate went from 3.3% in 2015–2019 to 4.8% in 2020–2024 (+1.5 percentage points), a measurable increase.

How many homes are vacant in San Jose?

An estimated 16,516 (±1,121) housing units, 4.8% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

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) 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_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

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.