Santa Clara County · California
San Jose, CA demographics
Population, income and the local tax burden that sits on top of them — sourced from the Census Bureau and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Quick answer
San Jose, CA has a population of 969,655 and a median household income of $141,565 — about $11,797 a month before tax. That ranks 1 of 94 covered metros by income and 13 of 94 by population.
Population
969,655
City limits, ACS 5-year
Median household income
$141,565
ACS 5-year estimate
Combined sales tax
9.375%
California + local
Income rank
#1
of 94 covered metros
Estimated annual sales tax on a median household
A San Jose household at the median income of $141,565 spending roughly a quarter of pre-tax income on taxable retail goods would pay about $3,318 a year in sales tax at 9.375%. This is an illustration, not a filing figure: the taxable share of spending varies with household composition, and California exempts or discounts several categories. Santa Clara County's VTA transit measures account for most of San Jose's premium over the California floor.
Method: median household income × 25% taxable share × combined rate. The 25% share is a rough national benchmark from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, not a San Jose-specific measurement.
Sources
What each figure on this page comes from.
- Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates
- Source: California Department of Tax and Fee Administration rate tables · rates as published for 2026