Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 30,418, settled in 1865. Public schools that outperform most of California.
Trash & recyclingFew places in the country grade higher. Saratoga earns an A, 2nd of 841 graded towns in California. Its schools score near the top of California on tests and graduation, residents are healthier than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household earns $250K. The exception is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $4.0 million, 24.5 years of the San Jose metro’s $162K median household income. 81% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Saratoga, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). Only 12 of California’s 426 towns score higher on safety. Saratoga is home to West Valley College.
Where Saratoga beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall Lane Elementary | K–5 | 427 |
| Blue Hills Elementary | K–5 | 424 |
| Argonaut Elementary | K–5 | 367 |
Census counts: 297 in 1880, 31,051 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 1915 and 7 maps from 1897 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Saratoga is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Saratoga. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaLevi's Stadium
Big draw9 mi Theme parkCalifornia's Great America
8 mi Stadium & arenaSAP Center
Big draw38 mi MuseumUSS Hornet
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
8 mi Stadium & arenaPayPal 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 · PayPal Park: Jbburgess0, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Saratoga, 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 Saratoga.
Saratoga has schools in the top 5% of California, reports less crime than Monte Sereno or any other graded neighbor and has less no health insurance than most of California.
At 24.5 years of the San Jose metro’s $162K median household income, the typical home (about $3.97M) costs more against local pay than in 98% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Its typical home is the priciest on its borders; Cupertino is next at $2.96M.
Saratoga’s median rent is $3,501 a month. The typical Saratoga home is worth about $3,974,000, up 4.2% in a year, 5 times the California typical home. 86% of Saratoga households own their home.
| Saratoga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 86% | 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 $3.97M.
Three of its 12 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 709 | A+ |
| Prospect HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,460 | A |
| Saratoga HighTop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,161 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with California is no health insurance: 2.6% of those 18–64 have no health insurance, against 10.6% statewide. Against the 436 U.S. towns with household incomes like Saratoga’s, it is less healthy than 75%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
18% of adults have obesity in Saratoga. Saratoga beats the California average on 24 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 15% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Saratoga.
| Saratoga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 29% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Saratoga | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 2.6% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.6% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.8% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
17 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. The trail density in Saratoga is 1.3 miles per square mile. Quarry Park, at 60 acres with 1.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Saratoga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quarry Park | 1.9 mi | 60 |
| 2. Kevin Moran Park | 0.3 mi | 10 |
| 3. San Marcos Open Space | 0.2 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Saratoga.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its A− tops all 5 graded towns on its borders; Monte Sereno (A−) comes closest. At 8.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 98% of California’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
37.4% of workers work from home, against 17.2% across California.
Most working residents leave Saratoga for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are San Jose (20%), Santa Clara (9%) and Sunnyvale (8%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
| Saratoga | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 37% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $250,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 6.6% | 8% |
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.
Saratoga has mild winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 39° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
15 within 15 miles of the center of Saratoga
About 5 of every 100 Saratoga residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
8 places in Saratoga on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Saratoga.
City in California, United States
Saratoga is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Located in Silicon Valley, in the southern Bay Area, it had a population of 31,051 at the 2020 census. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Saratoga's population at 30,418 as of July 1, 2025.. Saratoga is known for its wineries, restaurants, and historic landmarks like Villa Montalvo, Mountain Winery, and Hakone Gardens.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Saratoga.
At #2 in CA, it grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; Monte Sereno (A) comes closest.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Saratoga grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #2 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 $3,974,000, 422% above the California typical home and up 4.2% in a year. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
13 notable people were born here, including Lance Guest and Ed Solomon.
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