Santa Clara County Homeowners vs Renters Statistics
42.2% of Santa Clara County residents live in renter-occupied housing and 57.8% live in owner-occupied housing. The county ranks 4th of 58 California counties for per capita income and 48th for owner-occupied housing share, a 44 place gap that is the second widest in the state. Only three California counties have a renter majority, and neighboring Monterey County is one of them.
Key Santa Clara County Homeowners vs Renters Statistics
Census Bureau ACS B25008 and BEA- 42.2% of the Santa Clara County population lives in renter occupied housing. (Census Bureau, ACS table B25008)
- 57.8% lives in owner occupied housing, an owner majority but a narrow one by California standards. (Census Bureau, ACS table B25008)
- Santa Clara County ranks 4th of 58 California counties for per capita personal income at $157,620. (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024)
- The same county ranks 48th of 58 for owner occupied housing share. (Aegis Luxury Real Estate calculation from Census Bureau ACS)
- That 44 place gap is the second widest in California, behind only San Francisco at 55. (Aegis Luxury Real Estate calculation from Census Bureau and BEA)
- Only three California counties have a renter majority: San Francisco, Monterey and Los Angeles. (Aegis Luxury Real Estate calculation from Census Bureau ACS)
- Monterey County, at 50.3% renter, is the only county in this region without an owner majority. (Census Bureau, ACS table B25008)
- San Mateo County has the smallest renter share of the four at 38.9%. (Census Bureau, ACS table B25008)
- Santa Clara County has a smaller owner occupied housing share than Kern, Fresno and Tulare counties, all of which rank far below it on income. (Aegis Luxury Real Estate calculation from Census Bureau and BEA)
What Percentage of Santa Clara County Rents?
42.2% of the Santa Clara County population lives in renter occupied housing and 57.8% in owner occupied housing.
Santa Clara County has an owner majority, but a slim one by California standards. The county ranks 48th of 58 for owner-occupied housing share, meaning forty seven counties in the state have a larger owner share. Only ten California counties have a lower owner-occupied housing share than Santa Clara County, which ranks 48th of 58 on this population-based tenure measure.
| County | Owner share | Renter share | Owner-share rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo County | 61.1% | 38.9% | 38 of 58 |
| Santa Cruz County | 59.9% | 40.1% | 43 of 58 |
| Santa Clara County | 57.8% | 42.2% | 48 of 58 |
| Monterey County | 49.7% | 50.3% | 57 of 58 |
Source: Census Bureau, American Community Survey five year estimates, table B25008, ending 2024.
Why Do Income and Owner-Occupied Share Ranks Diverge in Santa Clara County?
Santa Clara County ranks 4th of 58 California counties for per capita personal income and 48th for owner-occupied housing share. That 44 place gap is the second widest in the state.
Across most of California the two ranks sit close together. In the coastal employment counties they separate. San Francisco ranks 3rd for income and last for owner-occupied housing share. Santa Clara County, at $157,620 per capita, is the fourth richest county in California and has a smaller owner-occupied housing share than Kern, Fresno and Tulare counties.
Read in reverse, the divergence is just as visible. Amador County ranks 47th for income and 2nd for owner-occupied housing share. Trinity County is last in California for income and 19th for owner-occupied housing share. Santa Clara County demonstrates that a high per capita income and a high owner-occupied housing share do not necessarily coincide. This comparison identifies the divergence; it does not establish why it occurs. Home prices, housing supply, household composition and other factors may contribute.
| County | Income rank | Owner-share rank | Gap | Renter share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | #3 | #58 | +55 | 55.7% |
| Santa Clara County | #4 | #48 | +44 | 42.2% |
| Santa Barbara County | #12 | #55 | +43 | 48.2% |
| Alameda County | #5 | #47 | +42 | 42.1% |
| Orange County | #8 | #50 | +42 | 43.1% |
| Los Angeles County | #16 | #56 | +40 | 50.3% |
| San Diego County | #15 | #52 | +37 | 43.3% |
| San Mateo County | #2 | #38 | +36 | 38.9% |
| Monterey County | #21 | #57 | +36 | 50.3% |
| Santa Cruz County | #9 | #43 | +34 | 40.1% |
Source: Ranks computed by Aegis across all 58 California counties. Income from Bureau of Economic Analysis per capita personal income, 2024. Owner-occupied share from Census Bureau ACS five year estimates ending 2024. The gap is owner-share rank minus income rank; a positive number means the county ranks worse for owner-occupied share than for income.
Which California Counties Have More Renters Than Owners?
Three. San Francisco at 55.7% renter, Monterey County at 50.3% and Los Angeles County at 50.3%. Every other California county has an owner majority.
Monterey County appearing on that list matters locally. It is the only county in this four county region without an owner majority, and it sits alongside the two largest urban centers in the state on a measure usually associated with dense city housing.
| County | Renter share | Owner share |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | 55.7% | 44.3% |
| Monterey County | 50.3% | 49.7% |
| Los Angeles County | 50.3% | 49.7% |
Source: Census Bureau, ACS five year estimates ending 2024.
How These Santa Clara County Figures Are Calculated
Tenure shares come from Census Bureau American Community Survey five year estimates, table B25008, which measures population in occupied housing units by tenure. This is a population based tenure measure, not the conventional household based homeownership rate. Income comes from Bureau of Economic Analysis per capita personal income for 2024. Ranks are computed across all 58 California counties on each measure separately.
| Element | Definition |
|---|---|
| Tenure source | Census Bureau, American Community Survey five year estimates, table B25008 |
| Tenure basis | Population in occupied units, not households |
| Not a conventional homeownership rate | Table B25008 measures the share of people living in owner occupied housing. The standard household based homeownership rate uses a different denominator and produces a different figure |
| Renter share | Derived: 100 percent minus the owner share, on the same population base |
| Income source | Bureau of Economic Analysis, per capita personal income by county, 2024 |
| Ranks | Computed by Aegis Luxury Real Estate across all 58 California counties, each measure ranked separately |
| Rank gap | Derived by Aegis Luxury Real Estate: owner-share rank minus income rank |
| Caution | Income is per capita personal income, not median household income; the two rank counties differently |
No figure on this page originates from a consumer portal or a commercial aggregator. Source values are read from federal statistical releases; ranks, rank gaps and derived shares are calculated by Aegis Luxury Real Estate from those published values, and each computation is stated above.
Official Sources
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Using these figures
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Timothy Alston. "Santa Clara County Homeowners vs Renters Statistics." Aegis Luxury Real Estate, DRE# 01328224, updated August 17, 2026. https://aegishomesre.com/santa-clara-county-homeowners-vs-renters-statistics/
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Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of Santa Clara County residents rent?
42.2 percent of the Santa Clara County population lives in renter occupied housing, against 57.8 percent in owner occupied housing, from the Census Bureau American Community Survey five year estimate ending 2024.
Does Santa Clara County have more homeowners or renters?
More homeowners, but by a narrower margin than most of California. The county is 57.8 percent owner and 42.2 percent renter, measured as the share of residents living in each tenure, which ranks 48th of 58 California counties for owner occupied housing share.
Which California counties have more renters than owners?
Three. San Francisco is 55.7 percent renter, Monterey County is 50.3 percent renter and Los Angeles County is 50.3 percent renter. Every other California county has an owner majority.
Why do income rank and owner occupied share rank diverge in Santa Clara County?
The two measures diverge sharply. Santa Clara County ranks 4th of 58 California counties for per capita personal income at $157,620, and 48th of 58 for owner occupied housing share. That 44 place gap is the second widest in the state, behind only San Francisco. This comparison identifies the divergence; it does not establish why it occurs. Home prices, housing supply, household composition and other factors may contribute.
Which California county has the widest gap between income rank and owner occupied share rank?
San Francisco, which ranks 3rd for per capita income and 58th, last, for owner occupied housing share, a gap of 55 places. Santa Clara County is second at 44 places, followed by Santa Barbara at 43 and Alameda and Orange at 42.
How does the renter share in Santa Clara County compare to its neighbors?
Monterey County has the highest renter share of the four at 50.3 percent, followed by Santa Clara at 42.2 percent, Santa Cruz at 40.1 percent and San Mateo at 38.9 percent.
Timothy Alston
Timothy Alston is a licensed California real estate Broker serving all 15 cities of Santa Clara County. This reference page is maintained as part of an ongoing statistical series and is updated in place when its source data or methodology materially changes.