By Robert Haugh
In a recent study by SmartAsset, Santa Clara ranks as the best of the largest U.S. cities when it comes to jobs.
SmartAsset is a consumer-focused financial information website.
Here are the key findings for the Mission City:
- Income Growth: Santa Clara experienced a remarkable 53.4% increase in workers’ wages over the past three years, the highest among all cities evaluated.
- Median Earnings: The average income for individual workers in Santa Clara is $100,182, the highest in the study.
- Unemployment Rate: The city’s unemployment rate stands at 4.8%, which is around the average compared to other cities in the study.
- Housing Costs: Average monthly housing payments are $2,851, which constitutes 34.1% of the average income. This is more affordable than the median of 40.2% observed in the study.
- Commute Time: Workers in Santa Clara have an average commute time of 20.9 minutes.
- Remote Work: About 26.6% of Santa Clara’s workforce is working remotely.
- Health Insurance: A high percentage (88.6%) of employed residents have health insurance through their employers.
The study analyzed 344 cities with populations of 100,000 or greater, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey.
Here’s a chart of Smart Asset’s top 15 cities:
Similar to Carlsbad, the only other Calif. city on the top 15 list, Santa Clara is “land-locked” in regards to growth and surrounded by some of the largest and most profitable industries in their county – healthcare services and computer technologies, respectively.
Santa Clara is also at the top of the list for unemployment. While the City may be under California’s current state average (5.1%), it is also over the national average of 3.9% which this list portrays.
The private sector income information should not be used for city employee unions to justify asking for higher salaries as many of those employees don’t live in Santa Clara and in addition to their salary, city employees receive an overly generous pension benefit. Hopefully the Santa Clara City Council is well educated on total compensation and disregards the above numbers before hearing any more requests for grossly inappropriate benefits packages.
Mr. Haugh,
Great news, but anyone of us who have lived here for any length of time could have told you that.
It’s our next phase that I am very concerned with, and rightfully so.
We are a great City.
All that said, we were a great City well before the 49ers approached us to help them find a new permanent home.
Our initial assessment was correct. It’s true, we can’t change the past, but we can reset our path to the future.
We need to focus on education, and getting residents to register to vote.
Just remember the classic question
How can you tell anyone associated with the 49ers is lying?
Answer is,
“Their lips are moving”.
“Talk is cheap”. Only action matters.
Vote in office people who will represent you and your families best interest.
Burt Field
burt.field@gmail.com
Gee – I can’t wait to see which member of the “5” take credit for this.