San Jose vs New York

A side-by-side comparison of San Jose, California and New York, New York — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.

PlaceSan JoseSan Jose

California, United States

New YorkNew York

New York, United States

Location
State / regionCaliforniaNew York
Country🇺🇸 United States🇺🇸 United States
Coordinates37.296, -121.81540.663, -73.939
Elevation25 m23 m
TimezonePacific Time Zone
Founded1777
Size
Population997,3958,478,072
Land area177.9 mi²300.5 mi²
Water area3.1 mi²172.0 mi²
Density (per mi²)5,60528,217
Housing units345,8843,737,632
Demographics
Median age38.638.5
White (non-Hispanic)23.2%33.4%
Black or African American3.1%21.6%
Asian42.1%15.3%
Hispanic or Latino30.0%28.7%
Economy & education
Median household income$148,226$81,228
Median home value$1,271,200$778,600
Bachelor's or higher49.0%42.5%
Poverty rate8.1%18.0%
Unemployment5.5%6.9%
Climate
Avg high temp73°F63°F
Avg low temp51°F48°F
Annual precipitation20.9 in50.5 in
Sunshine % of year76.0%57.0%
Annual solar (kWh/m²)1,9421,464
Air & environment
US AQI3192
Air quality categoryGoodModerate
PM2.5 (µg/m³)5.646.2
PM10 (µg/m³)8.447.3
Ozone (µg/m³)57.026.0
NO₂ (µg/m³)4.158.0
Wildlife species observed1010
Wildlife observations1,717,9606,243,273
Risk & hazards
Earthquakes (last 10y)14
Largest earthquake (mag)4.8
Active weather alerts1
Health
Obesity23.5%25.2%
Diabetes10.7%11.5%
Smoking9.3%11.6%
Schools
Schools total257571
Elementary schools165298
Middle schools45100
High schools44147
Civic & interest
Mayor / leaderMatt Mahan
Sister cities9
Notable people (Wikidata)1616
Books about this place88
Wikipedia views (last 30d)47,4074,277
Overview
Summary

San Jose, officially the City of San José, is the most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California, and the 13th-most populous in the United States, with an estimated 989,814 residents as of 2025. The city's metropolitan area is home to nearly two million people, while the broader combined statistical area has a population of over nine million. Located in the center of the Santa Clara Valley on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay, San Jose covers an area of 179.97 sq mi (466.1 km2) and is the county seat of Santa Clara County.

Wikipedia

New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island; each is coextensive with its respective county. It is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance and commerce, culture, technology, entertainment and media, academics and scientific output, the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy. New York City is known for its fast pace and continuous urban energy.

Wikipedia

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