California

Living wage in Los Gatos, California

Most of Los Gatos is in Santa Clara County, where a full-time job needs to pay at least $96.48 an hour before taxes to take home four times the typical studio rent.

Pay needed, before taxes$96.48/hrSanta Clara County standard
At Los Gatos's middle rent$98.83/hrstudio rent $2,615 a month
Check a job's pay hereAll the numbers for Santa Clara County

Across the 4 ZIP codes in Los Gatos with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,460 to $3,390 a month. At the middle rent, $2,615, a full-time job would need to pay $98.83 an hour before taxes.

Parts of Los Gatos are also in Santa Cruz County.

ZIP codes in Los Gatos

What the standard would be at each ZIP code's own studio rent. The calculator and the official standard use the county figure.

ZIPCountyStudio rentPay needed
95030Santa Clara County$2,500/mo$94.15/hr
95031Santa Clara County$2,460/mo$92.42/hr
95032Santa Clara County$2,730/mo$103.33/hr
95033Santa Cruz County$3,390/mo$130.88/hr

Questions

How much do you need to make to live in Los Gatos, California?

Under the Four Times Rent standard, a full-time job in Los Gatos needs to pay at least $96.48 an hour before taxes, about $200,675 a year. That is the figure for Santa Clara County, where the typical studio rent is $2,555 a month.

Does it vary by neighborhood?

Yes. Across the 4 ZIP codes in Los Gatos with HUD rent figures, studio rents run from $2,460 to $3,390 a month. At the middle rent of $2,615, the pay needed would be $98.83 an hour.

How does that compare with the minimum wage?

The minimum wage in Santa Clara County is $16.90 an hour. The Four Times Rent standard there is 5.7 times that.

The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal and state income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent? · Method and data downloads