On Feb. 25, 2026, the latest Silicon Valley Index released by Joint Venture Silicon Valley reported that the region continues to be one of the most productive and wealthy areas globally. The annual report tracks economic, demographic, and social trends in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
The report highlights a growing divide between those benefiting from investment-driven gains and those facing increasing housing costs and demographic changes. According to The Mercury News, investment income reached $95 billion in 2023, more than double what it was about a decade ago and outpacing wage growth.
Seventy percent of households earning over $200,000 collect investment income, while less than one percent of households earning under $200,000 do so. The top ten percent of households (excluding billionaires) hold seventy-five percent of the region’s liquid wealth, compared to just one percent held by the bottom half of households.
Housing affordability remains a significant issue. The median price for a single-family home at the end of 2025 was $1.98 million—nearly five times the national median. Only twenty-five percent of potential first-time buyers could afford a median-priced home in Silicon Valley, compared to more than half nationally. Average monthly rent is around $3,000 for apartments and $4,200 for single-family homes; forty percent of renters are considered cost-burdened as they spend more than one-third of their income on housing.
Demographic shifts are also noted in the report: there has been a fifteen percent decline in children under eighteen over the past decade alongside a twenty-nine percent increase in seniors. Nearly thirty years of net domestic outmigration have been recorded for the region. Three in ten young adults aged eighteen to thirty-four live with their parents.
The workforce data show that there are approximately 410,000 jobs aligned with artificial intelligence-capable tasks in Silicon Valley. Nine percent of the total workforce is employed by the region’s twenty largest firms.
