San Jose is actually larger than San Francisco? (Cupertino, Morgan Hill: income, live in)

[timeofseasons]

So as I was viewing more California cities, I came across San Jose. So far from what I've seen ( and very little) I actually like the city. I was almost in surprise and thought of Portland, Oregon.
How has San Fransico manage to overshadow San Jose? San Jose population is larger, growing, and the city is actually known to be safer. I'm confused, looking at maps I thought San Jose may have had a population of 350-500,000...

Opinion of San Jose?
Compare and contrast San Jose and San Fransico.

[timeofseasons]

As I'm reading more, it appears San Jose is usually for those who are in a relationship and would like to get away from the San Fransico scene. While San Fransico attract the younger crowd. Though according to City-Data.com San Fransico median resident age is around 36.5, while San Jose is 32.6... not that much of a difference speaking of giving the comparison that San Fransico attracts younger ( with San Jose median age younger). I also still question San Fransico overshadowing San Jose giving that San Fransico is smaller, losing population, and less safer. Most probably have to do with the cities age/ history and being historical.

[krudmonk]

San Francisco has been big for a long, long time. San Jose was a town for a couple centuries.

[sonarrat]

San Francisco has a geographical limit, because it has a small footprint and it's already extremely dense. By comparison, San Jose still has space to grow, though it needs some significant infrastructure upgrades before it can handle too many more warm bodies. Even so, that won't stop developers from trying to create new housing units here. San Francisco can only really grow "laterally" - tearing down old projects and building new places for the upwardly mobile.

[krudmonk]

San Jose is now also restricted outward, thankfully, though the limits are hardly comparable.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

I'll be posting a thread on this later this summer. It will be a multi installment essay. Looking forward to it.

Sneak preview of the title: "San Francisco and the Bay Area: The World's Oddest Megacity."

[timeofseasons]

^

I'll be looking for the thread also
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San Jose is restricted to grow outwardly, how?

[hsw]

Can't fixate on population stats

Need to understand where are most valuable companies based and where do high-income/net worth workers choose to reside

SJ has Cisco; Google is in MtnView; Apple is in Cupertino; Intel in SantaClara; Oracle in RedwoodShores; most VCs are in MenloPk, etc etc...point is SV's major cos. are sprawled around various SV suburbs, not just SJ

Most affluent families live in various suburbs nr PaloAlto, not SJ...and a few 1000 yuppies live in SF and a few hedge funds are in SF, but SF itself is largely economically irrelevant vs SV; SF is effectively a bedroom suburb of SV for various high-income yuppies

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

San Jose is now also restricted outward, thankfully, though the limits are hardly comparable.

If it's restricted, it's entirely artificial. Hop on Monterey Hwy sometime and go south of Bernal. You will see nothing until you hit Bailey (where there's an IBM campus), then nothing until you hit Burnett Ave in Morgan Hill.

[NewToCA]

When you go to the downtown area of both cities, San Francisco clearly seems bigger than San Jose, much larger.