“A melting pot of cultural diversity and architectural styles offering the best in education make Cupertino one of the “Best Places To Live” and a top choice among homebuyers.”

The epitome of the post-war California suburb, Cupertino (MLS #18) remained mostly uninhabited until after World War II when extensive agriculture and, ultimately, technology generated the need for residential expansion. Its inaugural subdivision, Monta Vista, was created less than 70 years ago and the city has since earned its steadfast spot as one of the “Best Places to Live”.

The city, one of few in the Silicon Valley that does not have distinct neighborhoods,
is a melting pot of cultural diversity, attracting young families with children under the age of 18 because of it stellar educational system.

Buyers looking to purchase in Cupertino will find an abundance of characteristic ranch and Eichler homes. The 223 home Fairgrove tract is an iconic Eichler paradise and an excellent option for buyers looking to break into this sought-after neighborhood. Fans of Cliff May, the ‘father of the California ranch house’, can find his designs in “Rancho Rinconada”. These homes were built between 1952 and 1954 and were highlighted in Sunset magazine’s 1955 “New Homes for Western Living”.

Since the 1990s, new construction reflects the demand for upscale residences. The grand luxury homes one identifies with much of the Silicon Valley can be found in the city’s rural southern quadrant. One of the hottest building trends in Cupertino is the creation of boutique developments, intimate tracts of 10 or fewer homes with generous square footage and 4+ bedrooms.

Neighborhood Price Point

$700,000 – $3,800,000

Favorable Attributes
  • Consistently on “Best Places To Live” Lists
  • Diverse housing options, from post-war ranch and Eichlers to boutique developments and upscale, large homes
  • Excellent public schools
  • One of the most desirable Silicon Valley communities
  • Lively housing market

History of Cupertino

Once the location of native Ohlone villages, in 1776, Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and his party of 20 trekked through the Santa Clara Valley, stopping briefly to camp along what is now Stevens Creek, naming it Arroyo San Joseph Cupertino.

Elisha Stephens, the future namesake of Stevens Creek, was a leader of a wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains, reaching California in 1844. His pursuit of gold futile, Stephens tried his had at farming on a 69-acre plot called Blackberry Farm. Stephens left the area in the mid-1860s and his farm eventually became a vineyard.

The 1880s heralded in the ‘salad days’ for grape growers with more than a few retired sea captains settling to plant vineyards. Real Admiral Charles S. Baldwin built a French-inspired manor he deemed Le Petit Trianon which still stands on the De Anza College campus.

A decade later, blight swept across the valley, shifting the agriculture from grapes to fruit orchards and soon, plum and apricot trees swathed the land of Cupertino.

By the time of its incorporation in 1955, Cupertino had begun its metamorphosis from orchard to suburb to support burgeoning Silicon Valley technology. In 1960 when an association of farmers amassed their land to construct the Vallco Business and Industrial Park (later Vallco Mall), Cupertino was a flourishing residential community. Modern-day Cupertino revolves around the high tech industry but if you look closely, evidence of it’s roots can still be found.