Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A city of 58,333, settled in 1882. Public schools that outperform most of California.
Trash & recyclingFor most people who can afford it, yes. Cupertino grades A− overall, 26th of 841 graded towns in California. Its schools score near the top of California on tests and graduation. Residents are healthier than 98% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and the median household earns $235K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $3.0 million for a typical one and 18.2 times the San Jose metro’s $162K median household income. 82% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Cupertino, against 29% in California’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Cupertino is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns. Cupertino is home to De Anza College.
Where Cupertino beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln Elementary | K–5 | 662 |
| William Faria Elementary | K–5 | 614 |
| L. P. Collins Elementary | K–5 | 498 |
| Widest gap | Cupertino | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3% | 10.6% |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Cupertino is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,664 in 1960, 60,381 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 7 maps from 1897 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cupertino. Close and well known come first.
Big draw7 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw7 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
8 mi Stadium & arenaSAP Center
Big draw34 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw36 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw37 mi Stadium & arenaOracle ParkLevi's Stadium: Matthew Roth, CC BY-SA 2.0 · California's Great America: Oleg Alexandrov, CC BY-SA 4.0 · SAP Center: Dicklyon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS Hornet: kitmasterbloke, CC BY 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cupertino, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Cupertino.
Cupertino fares better on crime within California than nationally, has schools in the top 5% of California and draws workers from San Jose and beyond.
At 18.2 years of the San Jose metro’s $162K median household income, the typical home (about $2.96M) costs more against local pay than in 95% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
Cupertino’s median rent is $3,501 a month. The typical Cupertino home is worth about $2,958,000, up 2.9% in a year, 4 times the California typical home. 33% of Cupertino renter households spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
| Cupertino | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 33% | 55% | 48% |
| Households that own their home | 61% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #2 of the 847 California towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $2.96M.
Its public schools are run by the Cupertino Union school district. Three of its 18 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 880 | A+ |
| Homestead HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,224 | A+ |
| Cupertino HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,800 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 3% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 541 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cupertino’s, it is healthier than 62%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
16% of adults have obesity in Cupertino. Only 7 of the 847 California towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Cupertino. 26% of adults have high blood pressure in Cupertino.
| Cupertino | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 7.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Cupertino | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 2.6% | 7.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
57,063 jobs are based in Cupertino, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 31,687 in 2013 to 57,063.
Most working residents leave Cupertino for work: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Cupertino has added 25,376 jobs, to 57,063 in 2023. The average trip to work in Cupertino is 24 minutes.
| Cupertino | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 32% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $235,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.1% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
17 miles of trail in 23 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, 202 acres with 4.7 miles of trail.
| Cupertino | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.5 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 8.1% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fremont Older Open Space Preserve | 4.7 mi | 202 |
| 2. Stevens Creek County Park | 3.1 mi | 90 |
| 3. Rancho San Antonio County Park | 2 mi | 127 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cupertino.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Los Gatos weather station, 8 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 310 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Cupertino has mild winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 17.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 81% of California’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 41 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
18 within 15 miles of the center of Cupertino
About 7 of every 100 Cupertino residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
Where Cupertino’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Cupertino on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Cupertino.
City in California, United States
Cupertino ( KOOP-ər-TEEN-oh) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 60,381 as of the 2020 census, decreasing by 1,671 (-2.9%) to a Census-estimated 58,710 by 2024. The city is the home of Apple Inc., headquartered at Apple Park. Named for a local creek, which Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza's cartographer had named after Saint Joseph of Cupertino, Cupertino was officially incorporated in 1955, though it saw economic activity in the early 19th century. The area was originally an agricultural community pr…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Cupertino.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Cupertino grades A− overall, better than 85% of U.S. towns and #26 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, B− for safety and A+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $2,958,000, 288% above the California typical home and up 2.9% in a year.
13 notable people were born here, including Aaron Eckhart and Bryan Mantia.
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