San Jose residents face the highest household bills among major U.S. cities, with annual costs reaching almost $45,000 when housing is included. This finding comes from a new report by doxoINSIGHTS, a research service operated by bill payment platform doxo.
According to doxoINSIGHTS, households in San Jose spend a median of $44,947 a year on 13 common bills, including rent or mortgage payments, utilities, insurance, and car loans. This figure represents 31% of income and is 78% above the national median of $25,266. New York City ranked second with annual household bills at $40,794, followed by San Francisco at $39,696, San Diego at $39,345, and Boston at $38,630.
Even when housing costs are excluded, San Jose still ranks first among the 50 largest U.S. cities. Households pay a median of $16,329 a year for non-housing bills, which is 47% above the national median. The report highlights several specific costs that are particularly high in San Jose: auto insurance bills are 208% above the national median, water and sewer costs are 121% higher, and waste and recycling bills are 115% higher.
Lifelong San Jose resident Amber Long, a 45-year-old mother of three, described the challenges of raising children amidst today’s high costs. She estimates her household spends about $4,200 a month on expenses including housing, and a little less than $3,000 without rent. Long said that politicians are "missing the whole community that does not make six figures" and worries about families trying to afford childcare and other necessities.
Michael O’Connell, a 72-year-old resident who has lived in San Jose since 1960, also expressed concern for younger generations attempting to afford life in the city. While he covers his expenses on about $5,000 a month in retirement income, with a mortgage of about $1,100 a month due to selling a previous home and buying a condo, he notes that it took decades of working multiple jobs to establish himself in the area. O'Connell stated, "I don’t see how people do it nowadays. Because rent’s so outrageous.”
Alison Cingolani, director of policy at affordable housing advocacy group SV@Home, explained that housing costs impact the price of other necessities. When workers cannot afford to live close to their jobs, they may face longer commutes, and businesses can experience higher labor and service costs. Cingolani noted that "Housing costs kind of feed into even the things that it’s not obvious that housing costs feed into.” She added that for lower-income residents, rising housing costs often outpace wage growth, leading some renters to spend more than half their income on housing.
Russell Hancock, president and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, pointed out that the region’s housing shortage is compounded by resistance to new development, as some residents seek to preserve their communities while limiting growth. He emphasized that the high cost of living extends beyond just housing, stating that even households earning six figures can struggle to afford childcare, transportation, and other necessities. Hancock observed that current residents are glad to be here, but they often do not want anyone else to join them.
Financial pressure is widespread across the Bay Area. A 2026 Silicon Valley Poll, commissioned by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, found that 48% of residents reported they could not consistently cover their monthly expenses while also saving or investing. Additionally, 59% had cut back on groceries or other necessities in the previous five years, and 47% had taken on debt or relied on credit cards to cover expenses during the same period.
