Campbell () is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 census, Campbell's population was 43,959. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Campbell's population at 42,490 as of July 1, 2025.
Campbell is home to the Pruneyard Shopping Center, a sprawling open-air retail complex which was involved in a famous Supreme Court case that established the extent of the right to free speech in California.
History
Prior to the city Prior to the founding of the neighborhood of Campbell, the land was occupied by the Ohlone, the Native American people of the Northern California coast.
About a third of present-day Campbell was part of the 1839 Alta California Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos land grant. The northern extent of the grant land was along present-day Rincon Avenue, and across the north end of John D. Morgan Park in central Campbell.
Industrialization The city was founded by Benjamin Campbell (1826–1907), after whom the city is named. Benjamin came to California in 1846 with his father, William M. Campbell I (1793–1885). William started a sawmill in Saratoga, and surveyed the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara. In 1851, Benjamin bought in southern Santa Clara Valley and cultivated hay and grain on it. This area later became Campbell's historical downtown core.
In 1878, Campbell sold his land for $5 an acre to a railroad company. By 1887, the first subdivision was recorded west of the railroad, from Campbell Avenue to the spot where the Water Tower Plaza now stands. He and his wife Mary (née Rucker) Campbell (1834–1913) founded the city which was first known as Campbell's Place, but would later become the town of Campbell.
In 1888, the Campbell School District was formed.
The area became the center for shipping fruit grown in the surrounding area, and within a short time, the drying grounds and canneries made Campbell an important rail center. By 1892, the Campbell Fruit Growers' Union became a well-known cooperative with its drying yard. J.C. Ainsley Packing Company, Hyde Cannery, and Payne Cannery were the main fruit packing companies.
In 1895, The Bank of Campbell was founded and the first newspaper, the Campbell Weekly Visitor, began publication.
Campbell was incorporated as a city in 1952. The city then grew rapidly as orchard lands disappeared, tract by tract. Today, Campbell is a suburban residential neighborhood in the southern part of the Santa Clara Valley.
Geography Campbell is bordered on the east and north by San Jose, on the south by Los Gatos, and on the west by a small portion of Saratoga.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Of the total area, 0.32% is water, consisting of percolation ponds in Los Gatos Creek Park and in other locations; San Tomas Aquino Creek, which flows north on the west side of the city, is completely enclosed with fences and runs through concrete culverts; and Los Gatos Creek, which flows north-north-east on the east side of the city and has paths along both banks for hikers and joggers (locally called the "Perc Ponds"). Residents are able to reach Los Gatos by continuing on the creek trail. Downtown Campbell contains many local stores and shops, and every Sunday the downtown street close from 8am-1pm for a local farmers market.
State Route 17 runs roughly parallel to Los Gatos Creek on its eastern side; State Route 85 runs roughly east–west through Los Gatos just south of Campbell and cuts through the southwest corner of the city.
Demographics
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Campbell had a population of 43,959. The median age was 39.3 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.1 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 17,530 households in Campbell, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.6% were married-couple households, 19.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 18,385 housing units, of which 4.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.3%.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 22,440 51.0% Black or African American 1,078 2.5% American Indian and Alaska Native 335 0.8% Asian 10,626 24.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 147 0.3% Some other race 3,714 8.4% Two or more races 5,619 12.8% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 8,424 19.2%
Recent estimates According to Census Bureau QuickFacts estimates, there were 16,121 households, with an average of 2.64 persons per household. About 84.1% of residents lived in the same house one year earlier, and 35.6% of residents age 5 and over spoke a language other than English at home.
The owner-occupied housing unit rate was 49.2%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $1,156,000, and the median gross rent was $2,323.
2010 census The 2010 United States census reported that Campbell had a population of 39,349.
The racial makeup of Campbell was 26,315 (66.9%) White, 7,247 (18.4%) Hispanic or Latino of any race, 6,320 (16.1%) Asian, 1,158 (2.9%) African American, 275 (0.7%) Native American, and 161 (0.4%) Pacific Islander. A remaining 2,713 (6.9%) identified as other races, and 2,407 (6.1%) from two or more races.
The Census reported that 39,148 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 79 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 122 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 16,163 households, out of which 4,897 (30.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 7,133 (44.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,741 (10.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 812 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,092 (6.8%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 138 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,805 households (29.7%) were made up of individuals, and 1,328 (8.2%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42. There were 9,686 families (59.9% of all households); the average family size was 3.05.
The population was spread out, with 8,271 people (21.0%) under the age of 18, 2,982 people (7.6%) aged 18 to 24, 12,834 people (32.6%) aged 25 to 44, 10,868 people (27.6%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,394 people (11.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
There were 16,950 housing units at an average density of , of which 8,093 (50.1%) were owner-occupied, and 8,070 (49.9%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.8%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 20,975 people (53.3% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 18,173 people (46.2%) lived in rental housing units. Demographic profile 2010 Total Population 39,349 - 100.0% One Race 36,942 - 93.9% Not Hispanic or Latino 32,102 - 81.6% White alone 22,866 - 58.1% Black or African American alone 1,109 - 2.8% American Indian and Alaska Native alone 101 - 0.3% Asian alone 6,222 - 15.8% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 140 - 0.4% Some other race alone 85 - 0.2% Two or more races alone 1,579 - 4.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 7,247 - 18.4%
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 39,200 people, 15,920 households, and 9,122 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 16,286 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 72.78% White, 2.53% African American, 0.65% Native American, 14.16% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 4.87% from other races, and 4.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.33% of the population.
28.0% of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02.
The city population was 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 40.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
About 48% of the adult population has at least one college-level degree. However, this has declined in recent years as a greater number of working-class immigrants move into the city.
The median income for a household in the city was $67,214, and the median income for a family was $78,663 (these figures had risen to $70,928 and $89,285 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $52,454 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,441. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Climate Campbell has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers.
Economy 8x8, Barracuda Networks, List Biological Laboratories, Move, ChargePoint, Hightail and ZURBCampbell's ZURB gets wired for 24-hour marketing campaign, San Jose Mercury News, September 24. 2014. are among the companies based in Campbell.
Top employers According to the city's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
# Employer # of Employees1Chargepoint, Inc.1,02928x8, Inc.7423Barracuda Networks Inc.3154Home Depot2305Family Matters In-Home Care2106Whole Foods Market2087Moss Adams LLP2018SAAMA Technologies1859Bioreference Laboratories Inc.17010Groupware Technology Inc.170
Politics At the county level, Campbell is located entirely within the 4th supervisorial district, represented on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors by Susan Ellenberg.
In the California State Legislature, Campbell is in , and in .
In the United States House of Representatives, Campbell is in .
The city is represented by the city council, which internally elects a mayor and vice-mayor every calendar year.
Campbell is strongly Democratic in presidential elections, with the last Republican to win the city being Ronald Reagan in 1984.
The city is policed by its own police force, the Campbell Police Department, which shares its building with the rest of city hall. It sponsors a Law Enforcement Exploring program.
Layout
Campbell is in the southwest portion of Santa Clara Valley. It is bisected by Highway 17 passing through eastern Campbell. Highway 85 is to its south. The historic downtown section sits just west of the railroad in the central area. The southwestern area of Campbell is known as the San Tomas neighborhood and varies somewhat from most of Campbell in the size of its lots and styles of housing. East–west running Hamilton Avenue is one of the northernmost roads in Campbell.
The largest park in Campbell is Los Gatos County Park near Highway 17, and the second largest is John D. Morgan Park.
Transportation State Route 17 State Route 85 Interstate 280
Campbell is served by several major roads, including State Route 17, State Route 85, Interstate 280, and San Tomas Expressway (Santa Clara County Route G4). Major local arterial roads include Winchester Boulevard and Bascom Avenue.