Why Gilroy?
Key Advantages
STRATEGIC LOCATION
Gilroy is strategically located in southern Silicon Valley, approximately 25 miles south of San Jose, California. It has excellent freeway access to the entire Bay Area, the Salinas Valley, and Central California. Gilroy is also a planned stop for the proposed High Speed Rail line from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Over the past decade, Gilroy has been diversifying its economy to become a major retail and employment destination.
TALENTED WORKFORCE
Gilroy is an affordable and family-friendly “bedroom community” for nearby Silicon Valley. Approximately, 30% of our residents presently commute daily to the high-tech companies in the San Jose/San Francisco area. Gilroy has commuter train access to the entire Bay Area and offers a reverse commute for talent from northern Santa Clara County. With abundant regional Venture Capital opportunities and the most productive workforce in the nation, you really do have the innovation of Silicon Valley at your doorstep.
RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES
Already considered a major center for regional shopping, Gilroy offers three large retail complexes with a vast array of products and services. Gilroy’s retail market share attracts well over 200,000 shoppers and has taxable retail sales over $1 billion. It also has a vibrant historic downtown district, providing competitive opportunities for innovative retail and service-oriented businesses.
ECONOMIC INCENTIVES
The City of Gilroy is business-friendly and offers a wide range of incentive programs including one-stop permit processing, permit expediting and financial incentive programs for high sales tax or job-creation businesses.
Incentives for Downtown Businesses and Properties
Our downtown businesses are an important part of our community and provide services and experiences that make our community unique. The incentive programs will help downtown businesses by assisting efforts to revive and refresh their business properties which in turn may stimulate growth in our local economy. More Information
Living & Working
POPULATION
Gilroy is a dynamic growing community of 57,084, expected to reach a population of about 65,000 by 2025.
HOUSING
Homes and condos range from the mid $650,000 to well over $1,000,000. The median sales price was $810,000 for a single family home in 2019. Recently, the City Council established a 15% target for affordable housing in areas that are designated as “neighborhood districts.”
CLIMATE
Gilroy’s mild Mediterranean climate strikes a pleasant balance between warm and cool, making it perfect for both agriculture and recreational businesses. Gilroy residents enjoy mild temperatures without most of the coastal fog. The average rainfall is only 19.11 inches and the annual average temperature is 62.8 degrees.
NATURE
Today, Gilroy is known for its “urban forest,” for which the City has won Tree City USA awards annually since 1979. Gilroy has 16 parks, from 1/8 to 125 acres in size, and has won more park design awards from the California Park and Recreation Society than any other city in California.
SCHOOLS
Gilroy has 7 Elementary Schools, 3 Middle Schools, 4 High Schools, and Gavilan Community College. Gilroy Unified School District is located in the southernmost region of Santa Clara County. The Gilroy Business and Education Partnership (GBEP) was formed in 2009 to create a rich pool of resources to assist businesses, educators, employees, and students with a clearinghouse of information. The GBEP group is a collaboration of business professionals, educators, business associations, and training agencies. Their focus is to develop connections so that skill sets, training, and educational opportunities keep the south county region primed for emerging job markets.
RECREATION AND CULTURE
The area abounds with outdoor activities, including award-winning parks, golf courses, hiking trails, camping, nearby water sports, fishing and horseback riding. The city’s organized youth and adult recreational baseball, football, softball, basketball, swimming and soccer programs are among the best in California. Residents also enjoy a broad selection of cultural activities in music, the visual arts, and theater.
GILROY IS A PERFECT FIT FOR:
Food Processing
Manufacturing
Health Care and Associated Businesses
Retail Destination
LIVING & WORKING IN GILROY
RESOURCES
California Welcome Center – Gilroy
Gilroy Downtown Business Association
City of Gilroy
Gilroy Unified School District
Gavilan College
Santa Clara County Office of Education
State of California
City of Gilroy Parks
Henry Coe State Park
Chitactac-Adams County Park
Uvas Canyon County Park
Coyote Lake
Mount Madonna
Anderson Lake
Coyote Creek Parkway