County Profile - Planning, Office of (DEP)

Located just to the south of San Francisco Bay, Santa Clara County has a land area of 1,315 square miles. As of April 1, 2000, the county's population was approximately 1.7 million, making it the largest of the Bay Area counties, and the fifth most populous county in California.

Demographic Profile
From US Census Bureau

Fact Sheets
From 2003 California County Fact Book

Natural Environment

The major topographical features of the county are the Santa Clara Valley, the Diablo Range to the east, the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west, and the Baylands in the northwest.

The fertile Santa Clara Valley is ringed by rolling hills. The Diablo Range covers the entire eastern half of the county. It consists mainly of grasslands, chaparral and oak savannah. The Santa Cruz Mountains contain rolling grasslands and oak-studded foothills, along with mixed hardwoods and dense evergreen forests. Higher elevations of the Santa Cruz Mountains are home to redwoods forests, steep slopes, and active earthquake faults. Areas of geologic instability are prevalent in both mountain ranges.

The Baylands in the northwestern corner of the county, adjacent to the southern San Francisco Bay waters consist mostly of vast salt evaporation ponds and remnant areas of salt marsh and wetlands.

The regional climate is Mediterranean and remains temperate due to the area's geography and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. During fall and winter months, the daily high temperatures range from 55 to 77 degrees fahrenheit while the summer months see warm dry weather with high temperatures typically between 65 and 82 degrees. The county's average rainfall is 15 inches in San Jose to more than 40 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Built Environment

The North Valley is extensively urbanized, housing approximately 90 percent of the county's residents. Thirteen of the county's fifteen cities are located in the North Valley, while Gilroy and Morgan Hill are located in the South Valley. The South Valley differs in that it remains predominantly rural, with the exception of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and the small unincorporated community of San Martin. Low-density residential developments are also scattered though the valley and foothill areas.

Population Growth

Between 1980 and 1990, Santa Clara County grew by 202,506 people. This growth represents a 16% increase in population. Similarly, between 1990 and 2000, the county grew by an additional 185,008, which accounts for a 12% change in population. It is predicted that the county's population will continue to grow, but at a slower rate. Moderate rates of growth in employment and housing development may account for this slow down in population growth. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments, by 2010, Santa Clara County's population is projected to increase by 197,115 people to 1,879,700. From 2010 to 2020, Santa Clara County's population is predicted to increase an additional 127,800 people to 2,007,500.

Location of Population Growth

Between 1990 and 2000, most of the population growth in Santa Clara County occurred in San Jose and in the North Valley cities (Campbell, Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale). Although, North Valley cities experienced a larger increase in population numbers, the Southern Valley cities (Morgan Hill and Gilroy) experienced a larger percentage increase in population.

Household and Demographic Characteristics

As of 2000, there were 565,863 households in Santa Clara County. This is an 8% increase in the number of households from 1990. The number of people living in each household has also been increasing from 2.81 persons per household in 1990, to 2.92 in 2000. Homeowner vacancy rates since 1990 have dropped from 1.4% to 0.5% in 2000. Rental vacancy rates have similarly dropped from 4.5% in 1990 to 1.8% in 2000.

Race and Ethnicity Characteristics

Santa Clara County is made up of people from diverse cultures, nationalities, and racial groups. As of 2000, approximately 26% of the population was Asian, 3% Black, 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 17% of the population was of some other race or two or more races. The Hispanic or Latino population comprises 24% of the total population.

Many people bring diverse cultures into Santa Clara County from places outside of the United States. In 2000, approximately 34% of the population in Santa Clara County was born outside of the United States.

Economic Characteristics

The Valley has been a leader in technological innovations and entrepreneurship for the several decades. In 1996, Silicon Valley companies accounted for 40% of California's export sales. Santa Clara County accounted for 74%, or 23.9 billion dollars in total exports for the region, making it the number one export region in the nation. However, in 1999 and since, the Valley has been experiencing a much slower growth or boom in the economic sector, much of which is due to the slowing of the computer, semiconductor and other traditional technology sectors. In addition, the sudden demise of internet-related companies has added to the economic slow-down.

Santa Clara County has one of the highest personal income levels in the Bay Area and in the State of California. In 1999, Santa Clara County had the highest median household income ($74,335) of all California counties. Additionally, Santa Clara County had the second highest median family income ($81,717) and forth highest per capita income ($32,795) of all California counties.

While Santa Clara County is one of the largest and most prosperous counties in the State of California and in the nation, it will require the cooperative efforts of its governing officials and the residents to continue to maintain the high standard of living and the economic growth the county has seen. How Santa Clara County continues to grow and change will be determined by the decisions and policies adopted to provide affordable housing, encourage and support of homeownership, improve infrastructure, keep the air and water clean, and provide support services to its increasingly diverse population.