Santa Clara vs Sunnyvale: Housing Market Insights

Introduction

If you’re deciding between Santa Clara and Sunnyvale for your home purchase in 2025, you’re looking at two vibrant Silicon Valley cities with shared tech roots but distinct housing markets, amenities, and lifestyle flavors.

This guide compares the two across real estate pricing, community features, schools, and economic context to help you make the best choice.

Overview of Santa Clara Real Estate Market

The average home value in Santa Clara city is approximately $1.756 million, rising around 4% year over year, with homes typically going under contract in about 14 days. It reports a median sale price around $1.675 million, with homes on the market about 20 days on average and common multiple offer scenarios 5 offers per listing.

On the broader county level, Santa Clara County’s median home price is about $1.7 million, increasing 5.5% year over year, and average days on market sit at 16 days. Despite slight seasonal softening, demand remains strong, particularly for well priced and recently updated homes.

Overview of Sunnyvale Real Estate Market

Sunnyvale reflects even higher prices puts the median sale price at $2.3 million in May 2025, up 20.7% year over year; homes sell in about 13 days, with an average sale to list ratio around 110%, indicating fierce competition. Estimated average home values at $2.118 million, up roughly 4.1% annually, with homes hitting pending status in about 10 days.

Comparison of Home Prices Key takeaways:

Sunnyvale is notably pricier overall, often commanding $400K+ more than similar homes in Santa Clara.
Homes in Sunnyvale sell faster and more aggressively reflecting higher demand or tighter inventory relative to Santa Clara.

Community Features and Lifestyle.

Lifestyle in Santa Clara.

A mix of residential neighborhoods, tech campuses, and civic assets like Central Park, Santa Clara University, and Levi’s Stadium.
Slightly more suburban with a variety of housing types from historic bungalows near the Old Quad to newer townhomes in Rivermark.
Offers a broad mix of local restaurants, cafes, community events, and a moderate pedestrian presence downtown.

Lifestyle in Sunnyvale.

Features a well known “Heritage District” of Eichler homes and a dense downtown near Caltrain and light rail.
Widely considered one of the safest cities in the U.S. and ranks highly on walkability and bike friendliness with many parks and public plazas.
Home to major tech campuses Google, LinkedIn, Apple, Amazon, often with convenient shuttle and transit access.

Both cities offer excellent public services, parks, and central locations, but Sunnyvale tends toward a more walkable, village type layout in core neighborhoods.

Schools and Education.

Santa Clara.

Served by Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD), which includes well rated schools near mission neighborhoods and the university.
Offers both neighborhood public schools and access to nearby high performing districts, plus Santa Clara University itself.

Sunnyvale.

Served primarily by Sunnyvale School District for elementary,middle, and Fremont Union High School District for high schools including Homestead High and Fremont High known overall for strong academic performance.
Includes parts zoned to Cupertino Union or Santa Clara Unified, offering flexibility in school options.
Several private schools as well French American School of Silicon Valley, Challenger School, Kings Academy,etc.

Both cities offer strong educational opportunities, though Sunnyvale households may enjoy slightly higher rankings in public school ratings, especially in the FUHSD system.

Job Market and Economy.

Santa Clara’s top employers include industry anchors like Applied Materials, Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Kaiser Health, and SCU. Sunnyvale hosts major tech campuses for Google, LinkedIn, Amazon, Meta, and others in Moffett Park and downtown areas.

Proximity to jobs is excellent in both cities, with Sunnyvale slightly more oriented around tight clusters of corporate campuses. Santa Clara offers strong access too but is more spread out, offering both urban and suburban options.

Final Thoughts: Which Is Better?

Buy in Santa Clara if you want:

Somewhat lower entry prices, especially for condos and townhomes.
A blend of suburban and urban life, with parks, university energy, and mixed housing styles.
Access to tech employers, but with more variety in neighborhood layouts and architectural character.

Buy in Sunnyvale if you prefer:

A more walkable, transit oriented lifestyle with established downtown and rail connections.
Top-tier schools mostly in FUHSD, with consistently high test scores and family-friendly zoning.
Direct access to larger tech campuses and city services, in a city repeatedly ranked among the safest in the US.

Your Decision Checklist:

Budget : Santa Clara is more budget friendly. Expect to pay $1.7M on average vs. $2M+ in Sunnyvale.
Commute & Access : Sunnyvale edges out for walkability and transit, especially for tech workers using Caltrain or shuttle buses.
Schools : FUHSD Sunnyvale often outranks SCUSD Santa Clara, but both offer solid options.
Lifestyle : Santa Clara offers a mix of university, stadium, and classic suburban neighborhoods; Sunnyvale presents dense, safe, and polished residential life.

Choosing between Santa Clara and Sunnyvale depends on your priorities. Santa Clara offers more accessible entry prices, particularly for condos and townhomes, and a diverse lifestyle blending suburban comfort with urban elements, university vibrancy, and varied architecture, while still providing access to tech jobs. Sunnyvale, though generally more expensive, excels in walkability, public transit, and boasts top-tier schools, especially within the FUHSD. It also provides direct access to major tech campuses and is consistently recognized as one of the safest cities in the US, making it ideal for those prioritizing a polished, family-friendly, and highly connected environment.