Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Monte Sereno grades A overall, 16th among California's 841 graded towns. On CDC health estimates it is near the top nationally. Its schools rank ahead of 98% of California towns and the median household earns $250K. What holds it back is price: the typical home is worth about $2.0 million, 12.3 years of the San Jose metro’s $162K median household income. 85% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Monte Sereno, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). On safety, just 19 of California’s 426 towns do better. Monte Sereno's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Monte Sereno beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Monte Sereno | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.5% | 10.6% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Daves Avenue Elementary | K–5 | 549 |
Where Monte Sereno’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Monte Sereno is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,506 in 1960, 3,479 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1953 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Monte Sereno. Close and well known come first.
Big draw11 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw11 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
8 mi Stadium & arenaSAP Center
8 mi Stadium & arenaPayPal Park
13 mi MuseumComputer History Museum
36 mi Park & preserveOyster Point Marina/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 · PayPal Park: Jbburgess0, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Computer History Museum: Dzou, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oyster Point Marina/Park: Sharon Hahn Darlin, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monte Sereno, 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 Monte Sereno.
Monte Sereno has schools in the top 5% of California, fares better on crime within California than nationally and has less no health insurance than most of California.
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 2.5% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like Monte Sereno’s, it is healthier than 62%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
11% of adults report frequent mental distress in Monte Sereno. Only 9 of the 847 California towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Monte Sereno. 9.2% of adults report frequent physical distress in Monte Sereno.
| Monte Sereno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 29% | 35% |
| What stands out | Monte Sereno | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.4% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its A+ ranks #6 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 $2M.
Its public schools are run by the Los Gatos Union Elementary school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daves Avenue ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 549 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Monte Sereno.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 10 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 96% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 38 to 16 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Monte Sereno is 0 per 1,000 residents. Monte Sereno reports less crime per resident than 75% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade. The property crime rate in Monte Sereno is 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Monte Sereno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 13.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Monte Sereno has 411 jobs for its 1,552 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. 27.5% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Monte Sereno for work: only 3% work in town. 1.2% of Monte Sereno residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Monte Sereno grew to 411 in 2023, 33 more than in 2013.
| Monte Sereno | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 1.2% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Los Gatos weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 310 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Monte Sereno has mild winters and warm summers. Monte Sereno’s July high is 85°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 12.3 years of the San Jose metro’s $162K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 87% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
Among 847 California towns, just 3 have a higher share of households owning their home than Monte Sereno.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
14 within 15 miles of the center of Monte Sereno
About 3 of every 100 Monte Sereno residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
City in California, United States
Monte Sereno (Spanish for "Serene Mountain") is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 3,479 at the 2020 census. The city is located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of San Jose, and is bordered by the town of Los Gatos to the north, east, and south, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the southwest, and the city of Saratoga to the northwest. The city is named for the 2,580-foot (790 m) El Sereno Mountain, upon the slopes of which the southern portion of the city is built. The community is entirely residential with no commercial zoning and 99% single-family housing. It is an upscale Silicon Valley commuter town. Mont…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Monte Sereno.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monte Sereno | #16 | A | D− | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Los Gatos | #50 | A− | D− | B− | A | A+ |
| Saratoga | #2 | A | D− | A− | A+ | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Monte Sereno grades A overall, better than 87% of U.S. towns and #16 of 841 in California. It grades A+ for health, A− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $2,000,000, 163% above the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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