Livability Awards
Mountain View is a medium-sized city located in the state of California. The city has a population of 78,827 residents. With a population density of 6,573 people per square mile, Mountain View is well above the nation's average density level. Individuals of White (59%) and Asian (28%) backgrounds make up a significant portion of the population of Mountain View. Mountain View is known to be family friendly as more than 78% of the population has already tied the knot. It might also be worth noting that 52% of residents also have children under the age of 18.
If you’re considering moving to any new city, it could be a very discouraging task. However, it could also be a positive experience if you are willing to get to know the area before actually living in Mountain View, California. Finding the best places to live in Mountain View and nearby areas is a much easier task when you can rely on information and data from the livability score, which includes amenities, crime, education and other important metrics.
Mountain View has a livability score of 82 out of 100 and is ranked #28 in California and #881 in the USA. Compared to the US average, Mountain View ranks among some of the best places to live in the country! Mountain View has also earned the rare honor of ranking in the top 10 percentile among all cities. For each of the livability categories, we see that Mountain View ranks very well for amenities (A+), crime (A), weather (B+), education (A-), employment (A-) and housing (B+). Regrettably for Mountain View, there are some categories for which it does not rank well, this includes: cost of living (F).
Based on the proximity of local amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, librairies, etc., Mountain View has received a higher than average score for its local amenities. If you’re planning on relocating and making this area your permanent home, it’s nice to know that there is an ample amount of amenities and things to do within walking distance or a short drive.
Feeling a sense of safety in the area that you live in is a must for most people. Low crime rates can have a positive impact on things like home prices, home appreciation rates and the overall sense of community. Mountain View has a violent crime rate of 184 crimes per 100,000 residents which is far lower than the national average.
Finding affordable real estate and apartments for rent in Mountain View can be tricky. Having said that, this area might be the place to get the best of both worlds. Based on factors like home/rental affordability and appreciation rates, this area has received an above average score in the housing category.
Certain items on your wish list like shopping, restaurants, nightlife and proximity to public transportation are all important factors to search for. Having said that, perhaps the most important metric to consider when contemplating a move to Mountain View is real estate affordability. The median home price for Mountain View homes is $973,000, which is 137.7% higher than the California average. If we take a closer look at the affordability of homes in Mountain View, we’ll see that the home price to income ratio is 8.9, which is 39.1% higher than the California average. Year over year appreciation rates for homes in the Mountain View area were 14.2% and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 15.1%. Why is this important? Knowing the appreciation rates for any area is a quick and easy way to determine if you will see a solid return on your investment.
| Statistic | Mountain View | California | National |
| Average one way commute | 22min | 28min | 26min |
| Workers who drive to work | 71.2% | 73.5% | 76.4% |
| Workers who carpool | 7.7% | 10.6% | 9.3% |
| Workers who take public transit | 6.7% | 5.2% | 5.1% |
| Workers who bicycle | 6.1% | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Workers who walk | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Working from home | 4.1% | 5.4% | 4.6% |
| Walk | Bike | Compact | Car | S.U.V. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | |||||
| Duration | |||||
| Cost/Month |
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