San Jose's Highest-Scoring Neighborhoods, Ranked (2026)
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · July 13, 2026
San Jose's ZIP 95129 tops the metro with a 90/100 school score, but also carries its weakest value score. See how all five of San Jose's best ZIP codes compare on crime, schools, and home value right here.
San Jose's highest-scoring ZIP code on NeighborScore's composite index is 95129 in the Cambrian Park area, at 66 out of 100, powered by an exceptional 90/100 school score. According to NCES assessment data and the FBI Crime Data Explorer, here's how San Jose's top five ZIP codes compare on crime, schools, and home value, and why even the metro's best-scoring neighborhoods carry some of the weakest value scores in this dataset.
San Jose's Top 5 ZIP Codes, Ranked
- 95129 — overall 66, crime 45, school 90, value 20
- 95120 — overall 63, crime 45, school 84, value 22
- 95135 — overall 61, crime 45, school 79, value 28
- 95124 — overall 61, crime 45, school 79, value 24
- 95132 — overall 59, crime 45, school 74, value 28
Every ZIP code on this list shares Santa Clara County's crime score of 45 out of 100, so school score is what primarily separates the ranking, with value score adding a secondary factor. 95129's 90/100 school score is the strongest of any ZIP code in this entire comparison set across all the metros NeighborScore has covered in recent roundups, reflecting the well-regarded Cambrian and Union school districts that serve the area.
95129: Elite Schools, the Metro's Weakest Value Score
95129 posts the best school score in this comparison by a wide margin, six points ahead of second-place 95120, but it also carries the lowest value score of the five, at just 20 out of 100. That combination is consistent with San Jose's position as one of the most expensive housing markets in the country, driven by its proximity to major Silicon Valley technology employers. Buyers targeting 95129 specifically for its schools should expect to pay a significant premium relative to San Jose's own metro-wide median, let alone the California or national median.
San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley and one of the most expensive housing markets in the United States, a status that shapes every value score in this comparison. Even households with above-average incomes for their profession often find that San Jose's top-scoring school ZIP codes require a meaningfully larger share of income toward housing than the same household would spend in most other major metros NeighborScore has covered.
95135 and 95124: A Closer Look at the Middle Tier
95135 and 95124 tie on overall score at 61/100 but arrive there through slightly different combinations. 95135 posts the stronger value score of the two, 28 versus 24, while 95124 comes in marginally ahead on the raw overall calculation due to rounding in the underlying component weights. In practice, the two ZIP codes are close enough that most buyers would reasonably treat them as comparable options rather than a clear first-and-second choice.
95132: The Most Affordable Option in the Top Five
95132 ranks last among this top five on overall score, at 59/100, but it ties for the best value score in the group at 28 out of 100, alongside 95135. Its school score of 74 is still comfortably above the national median even though it trails the other four ZIP codes here. For buyers who want to stay inside San Jose's top-scoring tier without paying for the absolute highest school score available, 95132 is the most balanced entry point in this ranking.
How These ZIP Codes Compare to the Rest of the Bay Area
San Jose's top ZIP codes post school scores broadly comparable to strong suburban ZIP codes elsewhere in the greater Bay Area, though value scores across the entire region tend to run low for the same underlying reason: home prices well above the California state median that NeighborScore's value component is calibrated against. Buyers comparing San Jose specifically to San Francisco or the Peninsula should expect similar affordability pressure rather than meaningfully different pricing dynamics, even though the two areas can differ noticeably on commute patterns and neighborhood character.
Why San Jose's Value Scores Run So Low Across the Board
Even San Jose's best value score in this comparison, 28 out of 100, would rank as mediocre-to-weak in most other metros NeighborScore has profiled. That reflects a genuine market condition rather than a scoring quirk: San Jose's home prices sit well above the California state median that NeighborScore's value score is calibrated against, and no ZIP code in the metro currently escapes that pricing pressure entirely. Prospective buyers should read every value score on this page in that context — a 20 or 28 in San Jose does not mean the same thing as a 20 or 28 in a lower-cost Midwest or Sun Belt metro.
What This Means for School-Focused Buyers
Buyers relocating to San Jose specifically for schools should treat 95129 and 95120 as the clear shortlist, since both post school scores at or above 84 out of 100 — well ahead of the rest of this top-five list. Buyers who can accept a school score in the high 70s in exchange for a meaningfully better value score have more room to work with across 95135, 95124, and 95132, all of which remain solidly above the national median on schools despite their lower rank within this specific San Jose comparison.
Bottom Line
San Jose's ZIP 95129 leads the metro's top five on NeighborScore's overall index at 66/100, anchored by the strongest school score in this comparison, though it also carries the weakest value score of the group. ZIP 95132 offers the most balanced combination of still-solid schools and comparatively better affordability for buyers unwilling to pay 95129's premium. Crime scores are identical across all five ZIP codes, so schools and value remain the two factors worth comparing directly. Full data for each ZIP code is available on their NeighborScore profiles, and more neighborhood guides are posted on the NeighborScore blog.