By Patricia Jones Santa Clara County is the administrative, technological and economic centre of Silicon Valley. Located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area, it contains major cities, global technology companies, research institutions, agricultural land, suburban communities and extensive public-service systems.
San José is the county seat and its largest city. Other major communities include Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Milpitas, Campbell, Morgan Hill and Gilroy. County government operates separately from these city governments and provides healthcare, courts, elections, public safety, social services, property administration, roads, parks and other essential services for approximately 1.9 million residents.
Quick Overview of Santa Clara County
| Category | Details |
| State | California |
| Region | San Francisco Bay Area |
| County seat | San José |
| Established | 1850 |
| Estimated population | 1,914,391 in 2025 |
| Land area | Approximately 1,291 square miles |
| Incorporated cities and towns | 15 |
| Governing body | Five-member Board of Supervisors |
| Board president | Otto Lee |
| Board vice president | Sylvia Arenas |
| County executive | James R. Williams |
| Chief operating officer | Greta S. Hansen |
| Presiding judge | Judge Julie A. Emede |
| Assistant presiding judge | Judge Eric S. Geffon |
| Court executive officer | Rebecca J. Fleming |
| Current county budget | Approximately $14.7 billion for FY 2026–2027 |
| Major economic sectors | Technology, semiconductors, software, healthcare, research, finance and professional services |
Santa Clara County’s estimated population declined by approximately 1.1% between the April 2020 population base and July 2025. The county had about 711,900 housing units in 2025 and more than 659,000 households during the 2020–2024 reporting period.
Location and Geographic Structure
Santa Clara County is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay. San Mateo and Alameda counties border it to the north, Santa Cruz County lies to the west, and Stanislaus, Merced and San Benito counties border its eastern and southern areas.
The county includes:
- Densely developed Silicon Valley cities
- Corporate and research campuses
- Residential suburbs
- Agricultural communities
- Unincorporated foothill areas
- Santa Cruz Mountain communities
- Diablo Range landscapes
- Wetlands near San Francisco Bay
- Reservoirs, parks and protected open spaces
Major transport routes include:
- S. Highway 101
- Interstate 280
- Interstate 680
- Interstate 880
- State Route 85
- State Route 87
- State Route 17
- State Route 237
The northern section is heavily urbanised, while southern Santa Clara County contains more farmland, rural communities and open land. Approximately 95% of residents live inside incorporated cities, although county government remains responsible for unincorporated communities and countywide services.
Cities and Local Government Structure
Santa Clara County contains 15 incorporated cities and towns:
- Campbell
- Cupertino
- Gilroy
- Los Altos
- Los Altos Hills
- Los Gatos
- Milpitas
- Monte Sereno
- Morgan Hill
- Mountain View
- Palo Alto
- San José
- Santa Clara
- Saratoga
- Sunnyvale
Each city has its own council, administrative staff and municipal responsibilities. Cities generally manage local police, fire services, zoning, neighbourhood streets, recreation programmes and municipal utilities where applicable.
Santa Clara County is a separate government. It provides services that operate across city boundaries, including:
- Courts and criminal justice
- Public healthcare
- Elections
- Property assessment and tax administration
- Child and adult protection
- Public health
- Social services
- Emergency management
- County roads and expressways
- Regional parks
- Services for unincorporated communities
Residents should therefore identify whether a matter is controlled by their city, the county, a school district or another regional agency before contacting a government office.
Population and Housing
Santa Clara County has one of the country’s most culturally and linguistically diverse populations.
Important population figures include:
- Residents under 18 years: 18.8%
- Residents aged 65 or older: 16.3%
- Asian population: 44%
- Hispanic or Latino population: 24.9%
- Foreign-born population: 41.5%
- Residents speaking another language at home: 55.2%
- Average household size: 2.82 people
Housing costs are among the county’s most important long-term concerns.
Key housing figures for 2020–2024 include:
- Owner-occupied housing rate: 55.1%
- Median owner-occupied home value: $1,490,600
- Median gross monthly rent: $2,857
- Housing units in 2025: 711,927
- Residential building permits in 2025: 5,323
High housing costs affect public employees, service workers, young families and other residents who may earn substantial incomes but still struggle to live near their workplaces. County housing programmes therefore focus on affordable housing, homelessness prevention, supportive housing and assistance for vulnerable residents.
Education, Income and Workforce
Santa Clara County has a highly educated workforce connected with technology, healthcare, research and professional services.
Approximately:
- 3% of residents aged 25 and older have completed high school.
- 5% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- 3% of residents aged 16 and older participate in the civilian labour force.
- Median household income was $164,281 during 2020–2024.
- Per-capita income was approximately $80,312.
Major educational institutions include:
- Stanford University
- Santa Clara University
- San José State University
- Mission College
- West Valley College
- De Anza College
- Foothill College
- Evergreen Valley College
- San José City College
Public school districts and community college districts are legally separate from county government. They have their own boards, budgets and administrative leadership.
Economy and Employment
Santa Clara County is internationally associated with Silicon Valley. Its economy includes global corporations, start-ups, research centres, manufacturers and specialised professional firms.
Major economic sectors include:
- Software and cloud computing
- Semiconductor manufacturing and design
- Artificial intelligence
- Internet services
- Computer hardware
- Biotechnology
- Medical technology
- Healthcare
- Finance and venture capital
- Professional and technical services
- Construction
- Education
- Retail and hospitality
The county recorded approximately 49,154 employer establishments and more than 1.17 million jobs in 2023. Its annual payroll exceeded $212 billion, reflecting both the concentration of high-paying industries and the size of the regional workforce.
Technology remains central to the economy, but the county government itself is also a major employer. It operates hospitals, clinics, social-service agencies, law-enforcement functions, parks and administrative departments. The county employs more than 24,000 people, making it one of the region’s largest public employers.
County Administration and Government
Santa Clara County is a charter county governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. Each supervisor represents a geographic district and is elected on a non-partisan basis to a four-year term.
The current Board consists of:
- District 1 and Board Vice President: Sylvia Arenas
- District 2: Betty Duong
- District 3 and Board President: Otto Lee
- District 4: Susan Ellenberg
- District 5: Margaret Abe-Koga
The Board of Supervisors is responsible for:
- Passing county ordinances
- Adopting the annual budget
- Setting county policies
- Approving contracts
- Appointing the County Executive
- Funding healthcare and social services
- Overseeing county property and facilities
- Approving land-use matters in unincorporated areas
- Supporting public safety and justice programmes
- Appointing members of boards and commissions
The Board generally meets at the County Government Center at 70 West Hedding Street in San José.
County Executive and Administrative Leadership
James R. Williams serves as the Santa Clara County Executive. He has held the position since July 2023 and acts as the county’s chief executive and senior administrative officer.
The County Executive is responsible for:
- Preparing the recommended county budget
- Implementing Board policies
- Coordinating departments and agencies
- Monitoring organisational performance
- Managing long-term planning
- Supervising appointed department leaders
- Supporting emergency response
- Coordinating legislative advocacy
- Protecting the county’s healthcare and social-service systems
- Advising the Board on financial and operational matters
Greta S. Hansen serves as Chief Operating Officer. The senior leadership team also includes deputy county executives and directors responsible for healthcare, social services, finance, employee services, communications, housing, public safety and sustainability.
The County adopted a balanced budget of approximately $14.7 billion for the 2026–2027 financial year. Major spending areas include the Health and Hospital System, public safety, justice, social services, housing and general government operations.
Other Important County Officials
Santa Clara County has three independently elected countywide officers:
- County Assessor: Neysa Fligor
- District Attorney: Jeffrey F. Rosen
- County Sheriff: Robert Jonsen
Neysa Fligor became the county’s 23rd Assessor in January 2026 following a special election. The Assessor determines the taxable value of real and business property and prepares the county’s annual assessment roll.
District Attorney Jeffrey Rosen leads the office responsible for prosecuting criminal cases, supporting victims, investigating fraud and operating diversion and community-prosecution programmes.
Sheriff Robert Jonsen leads the Office of the Sheriff, which provides law enforcement in unincorporated areas and contract cities, manages custody operations and performs court-security and specialised countywide duties.
Other important appointed offices include:
- County Clerk-Recorder
- Registrar of Voters
- Controller-Treasurer
- Department of Tax and Collections
- County Counsel
- Public Defender
- Medical Examiner-Coroner
Matt Moreles serves as Registrar of Voters and oversees voter registration, vote centres, ballot processing and election administration.
Judiciary and Court System
The Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara is the county’s principal trial court. It belongs to California’s state judicial branch and is independent of the Board of Supervisors.
Current court leadership includes:
- Presiding Judge: Julie A. Emede
- Assistant Presiding Judge: Eric S. Geffon
- Court Executive Officer: Rebecca J. Fleming
The Presiding Judge oversees judicial assignments and court administration. The Court Executive Officer manages the court’s non-judicial operations, staff, facilities, budgets and administrative services.
The Superior Court handles:
- Felony and misdemeanour criminal cases
- Civil lawsuits
- Family law
- Divorce and child custody
- Juvenile justice
- Juvenile dependency
- Probate
- Wills and estates
- Conservatorships and guardianships
- Small claims
- Traffic matters
- Appeals from limited-jurisdiction cases
- Collaborative and treatment courts
Major courthouse locations include:
- Downtown Superior Court
- Family Justice Center Courthouse
- Hall of Justice
- Juvenile Justice Courthouse
- Old Courthouse
- Palo Alto Courthouse
- South County Morgan Hill Courthouse
Different case types are assigned to different locations. Residents should confirm the courthouse, department number, hearing time and filing instructions before attending.
Public Safety and Corrections
Law-enforcement responsibility depends on the location. Most incorporated cities operate their own police departments.
The Sheriff’s Office provides services involving:
- Unincorporated-area patrol
- Contract law enforcement
- Criminal investigations
- County jail and custody operations
- Court security
- Civil-process service
- Search and rescue
- Transit patrol
- Emergency response
- Specialised enforcement units
The county also operates:
- Probation services
- Pretrial services
- Public Defender services
- Alternate Defender services
- Juvenile justice programmes
- Victim-support programmes
- Emergency Medical Services
- Medical Examiner-Coroner services
- Emergency management
Municipal fire departments and special fire districts provide fire protection in many areas. The county coordinates regional emergency planning for earthquakes, wildfires, flooding, extreme heat and other disasters.
Healthcare and Social Services
Santa Clara County operates one of the largest county-run public healthcare systems in the United States.
Santa Clara Valley Healthcare includes:
- Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
- O’Connor Hospital
- Louise Regional Hospital
- Regional Medical Center
- Primary and specialty clinics
- Behavioural health services
- Public health programmes
- Valley Health Plan
- Custody health services
The healthcare system acts as the region’s principal medical safety net. It provides emergency, trauma, preventive and specialist care, including services for people covered by Medi-Cal and residents who may otherwise struggle to obtain treatment.
The Social Services Agency manages programmes involving:
- Child protection
- Adult Protective Services
- CalFresh
- Medi-Cal eligibility
- Employment assistance
- In-home supportive services
- Foster care
- Adoption
- Assistance for older adults
- Support for families in financial difficulty
Infrastructure, Parks and Public Services
Santa Clara County maintains approximately 62 miles of expressways, unincorporated roads and two general-aviation airports.
Other responsibilities include:
- Road maintenance
- Bridges
- Planning and development
- Building permits
- Code enforcement
- Environmental health
- Agriculture inspections
- Waste management
- Vector control
- Animal services
- Libraries
- Flood and emergency coordination
The county operates 28 parks covering more than 50,000 acres. It also provides branch-library services in eight cities and manages protected natural areas, reservoirs, trails and recreational facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is Santa Clara County the same government as San José?
A: No. San José is an incorporated city with its own mayor, council, police department and municipal services. Santa Clara County is a separate government responsible for courts, elections, healthcare, social services and other countywide functions.
Q2. Which office handles property assessments and property taxes?
A: The County Assessor determines property values. The Controller-Treasurer calculates taxes, and the Department of Tax and Collections issues bills and collects payments. These offices perform different stages of the property-tax process.
Q3. Is the Superior Court controlled by the Board of Supervisors?
A: No. The Superior Court is part of California’s independent judicial branch. The county may support court security and facilities, but the Board of Supervisors does not decide cases or direct judges.
Q4. Where are the main Santa Clara County government offices located?
A: The County Government Center is located at 70 West Hedding Street in San José. Some services, including the Assessor, Clerk-Recorder, tax offices and courts, operate from other locations.
Q5. Which police agency serves unincorporated Santa Clara County?
A: The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is the main law-enforcement agency for unincorporated areas. Incorporated cities generally operate their own police departments, although some may contract for Sheriff’s Office services.