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CITY

Sunnyvale

California · 156,577 residents (2025 est.) · 22.1 sq mi
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Part of the San Jose metro area
The short version

Sunnyvale is a city of 154,236 people in California. This is an unusually credentialed place: 69% of adults have a four-year degree. The typical home is worth $1,801,800, having more than tripled since 2000. Households here earn about 88% more than in California as a whole. 50% of people here were born outside the United States. The median household earns $186,170, about 126% above the national median.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $186,170, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.2
US median: 38.9
More educated
69% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 124%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Sunnyvale

What changed most since 1990

  • Asian share19.0% → 49.4% (+30.4 pts)US over the same years: +3.1 pts
  • White share64.6% → 26.5% (−38.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree37.1% → 69.3% (+32.3 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 28 cities and towns in the San Jose metro

  • 13th in household income$186,170
  • 12th in share with a bachelor's degree69.3%
  • 12th in home value$1,801,800
  • 9th in diversity score81.7

Its weight in Santa Clara County

Sunnyvale's population equals 8.1% of Santa Clara County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 11% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
154,236
+17%since 2000
from 131,760 in 2000
156,577 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
6,992 / sq mi
+17%since 2000
from 5,973 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
35.2
+3%since 2000
from 34.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
22.1 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
113K125K137K148K160K19902000201020202024Sunnyvale
2024154K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.5%(9,977)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.2%(7,945)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.2%(7,995)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 193.9%(5,982)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.2%(7,977)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3423.8%(36,647)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4415.9%(24,516)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.2%(17,209)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.4%(16,003)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.1%(10,895)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.9%(6,062)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(3,028)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$186,170
+37%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $74,409 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$101,185
+177%since 2000
from $36,524 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
81.4%
+22.3 ptssince 2009
from 59.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
5.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 5.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.462
+14%since 2010
from 0.407 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade15.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Arts, entertainment, food12.7%
US avg: 1.9%
Information8.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services3.6%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.5%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical3.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade2.5%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration2.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.3%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$1,801,800
+124%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $441,400 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$3,039
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,270 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
43.8%
−3.9 ptssince 2000
from 47.6% in 2000
56.2% rent
Vacancy rate
4.7%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.54 people
−1%since 2009
from 2.57 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.8%
−12.0 ptssince 2009
from 34.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
33.8%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 32.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
9.7
+20%since 2009
from 8.1 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
88
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic46.5%(61,221)
Black2.1%(2,790)
Hispanic / Latino15.5%(20,390)
Asian32.1%(42,296)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic26.5%(40,843)
Black1.5%(2,383)
Hispanic / Latino17%(26,230)
Asian49.4%(76,137)
Other5.6%(8,643)
Diversity Score
82
−3%since 2009
from 84 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican12%(18,567)
Central American1.7%(2,627)
South American1.7%(2,613)
Colombian1.1%(1,633)
Salvadoran0.8%(1,212)
Guatemalan0.7%(1,135)
Puerto Rican0.4%(593)
Spaniard0.3%(500)
Peruvian0.3%(406)
Cuban0.3%(386)
Venezuelan0.2%(251)
Argentine0.1%(122)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(112)
Honduran0.1%(110)
Bolivian0%(52)
Chilean0%(37)
Dominican0%(11)
Asian origin
Asian Indian17.9%(27,642)
Chinese17.5%(26,948)
Filipino4.6%(7,037)
Korean2.6%(3,974)
Vietnamese1.9%(2,900)
Japanese1.5%(2,257)
Taiwanese1.1%(1,746)
Nepalese0.4%(547)
Pakistani0.3%(401)
Sri Lankan0.2%(257)
Bangladeshi0.1%(174)
Cambodian0.1%(137)
+ 8 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0.1%(113)
Indonesian0.1%(100)
Singaporean0.1%(86)
Malaysian0%(70)
Hmong0%(53)
Laotian0%(52)
Uzbek0%(17)
Burmese0%(7)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.3%(477)
Samoan0.1%(160)
Guamanian0%(28)
Tongan0%(21)
Ancestry
German5.2%(8,076)
Irish4.2%(6,533)
English4.1%(6,369)
Italian2.3%(3,491)
American2.2%(3,428)
Russian1.6%(2,450)
French1.2%(1,863)
Polish1%(1,572)
Israeli0.9%(1,461)
Swedish0.8%(1,193)
Scottish0.7%(1,021)
Iranian0.6%(964)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
British0.5%(823)
Arab0.5%(813)
Portuguese0.5%(800)
Ukrainian0.5%(772)
Norwegian0.4%(606)
Dutch0.4%(596)
Brazilian0.4%(547)
Romanian0.3%(479)
Welsh0.3%(473)
Austrian0.3%(460)
Czech0.3%(394)
Hungarian0.2%(385)
Canadian0.2%(379)
West Indian0.2%(353)
Swiss0.2%(349)
Turkish0.2%(330)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(276)
Armenian0.2%(272)
Nigerian0.2%(272)
Iraqi0.2%(242)
Greek0.2%(235)
Croatian0.2%(233)
Lithuanian0.1%(225)
Finnish0.1%(220)
Danish0.1%(194)
Ethiopian0.1%(185)
Bulgarian0.1%(170)
Jamaican0.1%(134)
Lebanese0.1%(129)
Egyptian0.1%(123)
Moroccan0.1%(111)
Latvian0.1%(99)
Jordanian0.1%(87)
Belgian0.1%(87)
Slovene0%(72)
Slovak0%(57)
Guyanese0%(43)
Haitian0%(43)
Kenyan0%(38)
Serbian0%(35)
Somali0%(28)
Barbadian0%(19)
Syrian0%(7)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
69.3%
+18.6 ptssince 2000
from 50.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.4%
+5.0 ptssince 2000
from 89.4% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
39.2%
+17.2 ptssince 2000
from 21.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.0 min
+67%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
53.7%
−23.0 ptssince 2009
from 76.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.3%
−1.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
3.9%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
29.2%
+24.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.4%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.0%
+2.5 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−3.2 ptssince 2011
from 7.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
72.5%
+1.8 ptssince 2011
from 70.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.9%
+3.6 ptssince 2020
from 73.3% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
7.5%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 7.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
70.8%
+13.2 ptssince 2009
from 57.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
52.4%
+0.6 ptssince 2009
from 51.8% in 2009
Female
47.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 48.2% in 2009
Foreign born
50.2%
+7.4 ptssince 2009
from 42.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
2.7%
−3.4 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
7.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2012
from 6.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
2.9%
−7.2 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
96.5%
+5.6 ptssince 2017
from 90.9% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
99.0%
+1.4 ptssince 2020
from 97.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
80.2%
+0.2 ptssince 2020
from 80.0% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
39.5%
−4.8 ptssince 2016
from 44.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
12.4%
−0.8 ptssince 2016
from 13.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.7%(26,730)
Married54%(36,346)
Widowed1.6%(1,052)
Divorced4.7%(3,169)
Women 15+
Never married30.4%(18,539)
Married55.8%(34,039)
Widowed6.5%(3,974)
Divorced7.3%(4,470)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
2.9%
−7.2 ptssince 2013
from 10.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
74.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 76.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
10.5%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 10.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
12.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 11.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
11.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 11.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
83.3%
−0.7 ptssince 2020
from 84.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
21.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 20.8% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)30.9%(1,053)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.9%(678)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era28.3%(962)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War6.8%(231)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.2%(108)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 3,403 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Sunnyvale, decade by decade

Sunnyvale population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990117,229$111,370$796,82337.1%66.2
2000131,760$135,548$804,07950.8%81.9
2010140,081$129,722$1,018,36456.1%84.7
2020155,805$182,368$1,693,46165.9%80.7
2024154,236$186,170$1,801,80069.3%81.7

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

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Compare Sunnyvale to nearby cities

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SUNNYVALE VS
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Income$178,958−4%
Home value$1,582,600−12%
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SUNNYVALE VS
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Home value$2,000,000+
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SUNNYVALE VS
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Home value$2,000,000+
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Sunnyvale, California?

Sunnyvale, California has about 154,236 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Sunnyvale, California?

The typical household in Sunnyvale, California earns about $186,170 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Sunnyvale, California expensive?

In Sunnyvale, California, the median home is worth about $1,801,800, and the typical rent is about $3,039 a month.

How educated are people in Sunnyvale, California?

About 69.3% of adults age 25 and over in Sunnyvale, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Sunnyvale, California?

About 5.8% of people in Sunnyvale, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Sunnyvale, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Sunnyvale, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 37,007 residents, a change of about 32 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →