Bay Area City Guides
SANTA CLARA
Your insider's guide to living, eating, and exploring the Mission City — the sports, tech, and university heart of Silicon Valley, home to Levi's Stadium, the 1777 mission, and four global headquarters.
Dining
Where to Eat
Santa Clara's food scene runs deep — especially Korean, thanks to its "Koreatown Silicon Valley" community. A few of my favorites below; always confirm hours before you go.
01Jang Su Jang
Michelin-recommended Korean
Korean BBQ and tofu stews at the heart of Santa Clara's "Koreatown Silicon Valley" — a standout in a city full of them.
02JOEY Valley Fair
Celebration & date night
A local's favorite for a celebration dinner or a nice night out — polished, lively, and reliably good.
03Izaka-ya
My hidden-gem pick
An amazing selection of Japanese small plates just outside the city — do yourself a favor and try the okonomiyaki.
Family Life
Things to Do
Major-league sports, a classic theme park, a historic mission and university, and leafy parks along Saratoga Creek — Santa Clara packs a lot into one central, easy-to-reach city.
01Levi's Stadium
Home of the 49ers
Home of the 49ers and host to Super Bowl LX and 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, with year-round behind-the-scenes stadium tours.
02California's Great America
Bay Area thrills
40+ rides, a Planet Snoopy area, and the South Bay Shores waterpark — all included with admission, right next to the stadium.
03Mission Santa Clara de Asís
The Mission City's heart
The restored 1777 mission church and gardens at the center of the Santa Clara University campus — where the whole city began.
Education
Top Schools
Most of the city is served by the Santa Clara Unified School District (K–12), home to some of the South Bay's highest-rated public schools. Ratings change yearly and vary by home address — always confirm the attendance boundary before you buy.
Highly Rated Schools
Laurelwood Elementary10/10
Millikin Elementary10/10
Washington Elementary10/10
Mission Early College High10/10
Real Estate
The Market
Santa Clara is a premium Silicon Valley market right at the region's geographic center — with steady demand from in-city tech HQs and the rare perk of its own low-cost city utility, Silicon Valley Power.
~$1.7M
Median single-family price
~1.1–1.3%
Property tax rate
$179K
Median household income
Popular Places to Live
Old Quad / DowntownHistoric · walkable to SCU
Rivermark / Santa Clara SquareNewer · amenity-rich
The Santa Clara Advantage
Silicon Valley PowerUtilities below PG&E
Tech HQs in-cityNvidia · Intel · ServiceNow
