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Sunnyvale, CA


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Sunnyvale, California

Introduction to Sunnyvale, California

Sunnyvale was incorporated in 1912 and is the 34th largest city in California. The city is home to approximately 130,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area including San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara has a population of about 1.7 million people. Sunnyvale is located 40 miles southeast of San Francisco, in the heart of the Silicon Valley. It is 4 miles from San Francisco Bay and 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

When the Spanish first arrived in the late 1700's, Ohlone Indians populated the Santa Clara Valley, in which present day Sunnyvale is located. The valley is also now referred to as "Silicon Valley". In the 1870's, a wheat economy gave way to one based on fruit, aided by the innovation of refrigerated rail cars. In 1905, marine steam engines were produced here, the region's first non-agriculture product. The transition to high tech began during World War II. However, the term Silicon Valley was not used to describe the area until 1971.

In 2002 Sunnyvale was one of the "Finalist Communities" for the "All-America City Award" given by the National Civic League.

In July the average daily high is 79 degrees Fahrenheit while the average daily low temperature is 57 degrees. In January the average daily high temperature is 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The January average daily low is 40 degrees.

Sunnyvale, being one of the larger cities in the Silicon Valley, is where the following Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters:

  • Advanced Micro Devices
  • Yahoo
  • SanDisk
  • Spansion
  • Maxim
  • Network Appliance
Arts and Leisure

Leisure opportunities include not only cultural and historical ones, but also, after travelling a short distance, spectator sports as well:

  • The Asian Art Museum
  • The Sunnyvale Community Players
  • The Sunnyvale Singers
  • The Sands Mechanical Museum
  • The Lace Museum
  • The Sunnyvale Historical Museum
  • The Iron Man Museum
  • Many cultural institutions in the greater San Francisco metropolitan area
  • Sports teams in greater San Francisco
  • Minor league baseball, arena football, and other sports in nearby San Jose

High Points

Sunnyvale strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in California):

CategoryTrophy
Low Violent Crime
(vs. Peers)
Top 1%trophySunnyvale Low Violent Crime
Well-Paid Single Men
(vs. Peers)
Top 1%trophySunnyvale Well-Paid Single Men
Median Family Income
(vs. Peers)
Top 3%trophySunnyvale Median Family Income
Low Rate of Poverty
(vs. Peers)
Top 3%trophySunnyvale Low Rate of Poverty
Well-Paid Single Women
(vs. Peers)
Top 3%trophySunnyvale Well-Paid Single Women
People in Middle Class or Better
(vs. Peers)
Top 3%trophySunnyvale People in Middle Class or Better
College Educated Adults
(vs. Peers)
Top 4%trophySunnyvale College Educated Adults
Low Property Crime
(vs. Peers)
Top 4%trophySunnyvale Low Property Crime
Racial Diversity
(vs. State)
Top 12%Sunnyvale Racial Diversity

Comparative Profile of Sunnyvale, CA

Comparing Sunnyvale to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in California (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Well-Paid Single Men1010
Male Share of the Population109
Well-Paid Single Women109
Racial Diversity99
Age of the Population85
Senior Citizens55
Children Under 5 Years Old46
Female Share of the Population12

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Portion of People Married84
Average Household Size53

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
People in Middle Class or Better109
People Above Poverty108
Median Family Income109
College Educated Adults109

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Short Commute Times68
Public Transportation Use68
Working at Home64
Walking and Biking to Work65

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals910
Seasonal and Vacation Housing87
Housing Recently Built55
People Living Alone48
Affordability of Property Taxes23
Affordability of Rents11

Crime

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers
Compared
to State
Low Violent Crime109
Low Property Crime109

Detailed pages on related topics: Sunnyvale collegesSunnyvale travelSunnyvale mortgage and property.

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Additional Details

Sunnyvale CollegesSunnyvale Colleges
Sunnyvale colleges and trade schools.
Sunnyvale Hotels & TravelSunnyvale Hotels & Travel
Sunnyvale hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Sunnyvale MortgageSunnyvale Mortgage
Sunnyvale property, mortgage, and real estate.

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