The City of Milpitas is located near the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, 45 miles south of San Francisco. With a population of more than 65,000, Milpitas is a progressive community that is an integral part of the high tech Silicon Valley. Milpitas features quality schools, conveniently located neighborhood parks and shopping centers and a population rich in diversity.

Milpitas is an affluent community. The 2000 U.S. Census reported a median family household income in Milpitas of $93,531. More than 70 percent of Milpitas households have an annual income that exceeds $50,000. The homeownership rate is 73 percent with a median home value of $429,000. Though home prices increased 4.6percent during 2002, Milpitas’ housing market remains affordable relative to the majority of Santa Clara County. Milpitas residents are also well educated with more than a third having a college or graduate degree.

Incorporated in 1954, Milpitas is a general law city operating under the City Council/City Manager form of government.

Milpitas is an ethnically diverse community. In 2000, Asians constituted 52 percent of the population. with Filipino the largest Asian group at 15 percent. The balance of the community is 24 percent Caucasian, 17 percent Hispanic and 3 percent African-American.

Milpitas has a large daytime population of over 62,000 workers. The two largest employers in Milpitas are Cisco Systems and Lifescan, Inc. with over 2,500 employees apiece.

Milpitas is often called the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley” with most of its 14.5 square miles of land situated between two major freeways (I-880 and I-680), State Route 237 and a county expressway. Light rail service opened in 2004 and an extension of BART, with a major multi-modal station, is in the planning stages.