Apple Computer Cupertino

Cupertino is a small central Californian town located in the heart of Santa Clara County. It is most famous as the headquarters of Apple Computer, Inc. While other major technology manufacturers, such as Hewlett-Packard, Semantic, NetManage, IBM, and Sun all maintain offices in Cupertino, the town is, by and large, an Apple town. All told, more than 25,000 people work in Cupertino--most of whom have jobs in the high-tech sector.

Cupertino's relationship with Apple Computer has generally been symbiotic. Starting in the 1960s, Cupertino began to host industrial technology businesses, particularly in its VallCo Business Park. In 1976, Steve Jobs founded a small computing company--which quickly grew to be a major player. All told, Apple has generated billions of dollars in revenue and made the town "Cupertino" one of the most recognizable cities in the world.

That said, non-industry residents of Cupertino complain that Apple Computer and the other technology companies rule the town almost like a fiefdom. Residents complain that there's no sense of community and that the high-tech businesses have driven up property taxes and made life in Santa Clara County unlivable for people who don't earn six figures a year.

There is truth to these complaints. What were once $90,000 home lots now sell for millions of dollars, and the median household income in the town now approaches $100,000. Moreover, the housing developments that have gone up are somewhat "cookie cutter" in design--more like high-tech, high-quality barracks than individual homes. Yet at the end of the day, Cupertino maintains one of CA's high standards of living due in part to Apple Computer's high profile role in the town.