Should I Move To
Mountain View, California comes in at about 82,132 residents. Cost of living comes out very expensive — 54% above the national average. Rent typically lands near $2,855/mo, and the median household income is about $174,156. Overall, 48/100 on our composite score, which works out to a D, putting it at #576 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Inverse of violent + property crime rate per 100,000 residents.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 154 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's very expensive territory. With median rent at $2,855/mo and median household income at $174,156, housing takes about 20% of gross income — comfortably under the 30% rule of thumb, which is unusual. Homes typically value around $1,833,300.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect mild weather — summers near 80°F, winters around 42°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 13 inches annually. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Crime runs a touch higher than the typical US city — citywide numbers, of course, mask big neighborhood differences. Air quality reads good (AQI 48).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Mountain View is a tougher sell for families. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on education (98/100); weakest on affordability (0/100).
Mountain View is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 38/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (98/100); weakest on affordability (0/100).
Mountain View is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 31/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (98/100); weakest on affordability (0/100).
On the young professionals profile, Mountain View sits squarely in the middle. It earns 60/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (98/100); weakest on affordability (0/100).
Mountain View, California pulls a 48/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade D), currently ranked #576 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Mountain View's cost-of-living index is 154 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the very expensive band — 54% above the national average. Median rent runs about $2,855/mo.
Mild — summer averages around 80°F, winter averages around 42°F, with about 13 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 87/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Mountain View has about 82,132 residents, 74% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 36.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Mountain View head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Mountain View stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Mountain View with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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