Santa Clara's Real Estate Market:
The County of Santa Clara, also referred to as "Silicon Valley," is unique because of its combination of physical attractiveness and economic diversity. With its numerous natural amenities and one of the highest standards of living in the country, the County has long been considered one of the best areas in the United States in which to live and work.
The Mediterranean climate of the region remains temperate year round due to the area''s geography and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. The area is warm and dry much of the year. Rarely is the humidity uncomfortable, and the thermometer seldom drops below freezing. Rain generally confines itself to the winter and snow to the tops of the local mountains, the Mt. Hamilton Range lining the eastern border of the County and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west.
The County of Santa Clara is located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay and encompasses 1,312 square miles. The fertile Santa Clara Valley runs the entire length of the county from north to south, ringed by the rolling hills of the Diablo Range on the east, and the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west. Salt marshes and wetlands lie in the northwestern part of the county, adjacent to the waters of San Francisco Bay.
Today, the County is a major employment center for the region, providing more than a quarter of all jobs in the Bay Area. It has one of the highest median family incomes in the country, and a wide diversity of cultures, backgrounds and talents. The County of Santa Clara continues to attract people from all over the world.
The County''s population of nearly 1.7 million is one of the largest in the state, following Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange Counties, and the largest of the nine Bay Area counties. Its population constitutes about one fourth of the Bay Area''s total population. There are 15 cities including Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale ranging from Palo Alto to the north, to Gilroy in the south. San Jose is the largest city in the County, with a population of nearly 900,000, and is the administrative site of County Government. A significant portion of the county''s land area is unincorporated ranch and farmland. Nearly 92% of the population lives in cities.
