https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/21/silicon-valley-income-wealth-gap [p] Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/1Next imagePrevious imageToggle caption Skip to navigation Print subscriptions Newsletters Sign in US[ ] * US edition * UK edition * Australia edition * Europe edition * International edition The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian [ ] * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle Show moreHide expanded menu * [ ]News + View all News + US news + US politics + World news + Climate crisis + Middle East + Ukraine + US immigration + Soccer + Business + Environment + Tech + Science + Newsletters + Wellness * [ ]Opinion + View all Opinion + The Guardian view + Columnists + Letters + Opinion videos + Cartoons * [ ]Sport + View all Sport + Soccer + NFL + Tennis + MLB + MLS + NBA + WNBA + NHL + F1 + Golf * [ ]Culture + View all Culture + Film + Books + Music + Art & design + TV & radio + Stage + Classical + Games * [ ]Lifestyle + View all Lifestyle + Wellness + Fashion + Food + Recipes + Love & sex + Home & garden + Health & fitness + Family + Travel + Money * Search input [ ] google-search Search + Support us + Print subscriptions + Newsletters + Download the app * + Search jobs + Digital Archive + Guardian Licensing + About Us + The Guardian app + Video + Podcasts + Pictures + Inside the Guardian + Guardian Weekly + Crosswords + Wordiply + Corrections + Tips * Search input [ ] google-search Search + Search jobs + Digital Archive + Guardian Licensing + About Us * US news * US politics * World * Climate crisis * Middle East * Ukraine * US immigration * Soccer * Business * Environment * Tech * Science * Newsletters * Wellness an aerial view of a city [ ] Downtown San Jose, California. Photograph: Steve Proehl/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Downtown San Jose, California. Photograph: Steve Proehl/Getty Images California Nine households control 15% of wealth in Silicon Valley as inequality widens Report finds that wealth divide widened in Silicon Valley at double the rate of the whole US over the past decade Cecilia Nowell Mon 21 Jul 2025 17.17 EDTLast modified on Mon 21 Jul 2025 17.24 EDT Share Economic inequality has reached a staggering milestone in Silicon Valley: just nine households hold 15% of the region's wealth, according to new research from San Jose State University. A mere 0.1% of residents hold 71% of the tech hub's wealth. The findings come from the 2025 "Silicon Valley Pain Index", a report published by SJSU's Human Rights Institute each year since 2020. The report aims to quantify "structured inequalities" in Silicon Valley, and measures "pain" as "both personal and community distress or suffering". This year's index reports that the wealth divide has widened in Silicon Valley at double the rate of the whole United States over the past decade. The nine wealthiest households in the valley control $683.2bn - a $136bn increase over the past year. At the same time, 110,000 households reported nearly none or no assets. The cost of living in Silicon Valley has risen as well: renters must earn $136,532 to afford an apartment - the highest in the nation. The report ranked San Jose No 4 in "impossibly unaffordable" cities worldwide (after Hong Kong, Sydney and Vancouver). Yet, no cities in Silicon Valley have raised the minimum wage in the past three years. The report finds that 54,582 low-income households do not have access to an affordable home in San Jose and that homelessness grew 8.2% from 2023. When they created the Silicon Valley Pain Index in 2020, shortly after the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, San Jose State University researchers were inspired by the Katrina Pain Index, which aimed to quantify the injustices New Orleans residents faced after Hurricane Katrina. The index continues to show stark racial inequalities. Hispanic workers in San Jose, Sunnyvalle and Santa Clara can expect to make 33 cents for every $1 their white peers take home. And although shareholders have voiced commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion, only 3% of employees working in research and development at Apple are Black (compared with 6% Hispanic/Latino, 36% white and 50% Asian). Meanwhile, police violence remains a real concern - even years after the Black Lives Matter protests. Ten people died in police custody in the Santa Clara county sheriff's office in 2024 - the highest in two decades. And San Jose reported five office involved shootings, up three from 2023. However, the report did note certain improvements in the Silicon Valley area - including a decrease in police use of force incidents in San Jose, an expansion in services to prevent homelessness and environmental sustainability programs. 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