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Cupertino is a city in Santa Clara County, California in the United States, directly west of San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The population was 58,302 at the 2010 census. Forbes ranked it as one of the most educated small towns. It is known as the home of Apple Inc.’s corporate headquarters. It is one of many cities that claim to be the “heart” of Silicon Valley, as many semi-conductor and computer companies were founded here and in the surrounding areas. The worldwide headquarters for Apple Inc. is located here in a modern complex circled by the Infinite Loop.

Cupertino is known for its expensive housing prices as the majority of residential properties are multimillion-dollar homes, with the entry-point into a single family home at about 1.5 million dollars. Many homes are in the upper $1 million to $3.5 million range. The high cost of living in Cupertino is attributed to the high-quality schooling, safety of the town, and its central location within the Silicon Valley. The city has attracted many high-income professionals and executives many of which are all cash buyers. The price of housing in Cupertino seems to have weathered even the 2007–8 slump in economy.

There is no commuter rail or light rail service in the city. Caltrain commuter rail runs through the cities to the north and east, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)’s Mountain View – Winchester light rail line runs to Campbell, California to the south. Bus service is also provided by VTA. Air transportation is available at San Jose International Airport in San Jose. The closest general aviation airport is in Palo Alto; it is known as Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County.

Cupertino is known for its high achieving primary and secondary schools. For example, Murdock-Portal Elementary and Faria Elementary School are tied for highest score for elementary public school in the state of California, per California 2011 API test scores. As of 2013, John F. Kennedy Middle School is the best school in the state. Lawson Middle School is the third best in the state. Furthermore, Monta Vista High School is ranked number 23 out of all the public schools in the nation.

Primary (K-8) public schools are organized into the Cupertino Union School District, while the Fremont Union High School District is responsible for high school students. Cupertino High School and its feeder school, Hyde Middle School, are located in the Rancho Rinconada section of Cupertino, while Monta Vista High School and its feeder, Kennedy Middle School, are in the Monta Vista neighborhood in the western half of Cupertino. There is also a new school called Lawson Middle School that feeds mostly Cupertino and Monta Vista High. In addition, Homestead High School is located in the northwestern portion of Cupertino, along the city border with neighboring Sunnyvale. The school system covers Cupertino plus some southern areas of Sunnyvale and Los Altos and some western areas of San Jose. Monta Vista, Lynbrook, and Cupertino High School are all noted for being some of the highest achieving public schools in the nation with many students attending Ivy League and other top institutions.

There are a variety of popular restaurants in the area. Few of them being The Mandarin Gourmet, Noodles & Company, Fontana, Pizza My Heart and The Melt. Paris baguette cafe is really popular as well.

Cupertino Market Report

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In the Neighborhood