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São José

SC · South · Greater Florianópolis

Population: 301,218 (IBGE estimate 2026)

About São José

Photo of São José
Photo: Madrerosa · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Machine translation of the Portuguese Wikipedia article (November 2026 version).

São José is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, in the South Region of Brazil. According to the 2022 IBGE census, its population is 270,299 inhabitants. It is the fourth largest city in Santa Catarina and the 104th in Brazil. It is part of Greater Florianópolis, with its urban area conurbated with the neighbouring cities of Florianópolis, Biguaçu and Palhoça, thus forming the largest urban concentration in Santa Catarina.

The city, colonised mainly by Azoreans, has been settled since the 18th century and has gone through several phases in its history. For decades it was an important trading post, received the first German settlers of Santa Catarina and reached the status of a commercial and cultural axis. A period of decline followed between the 1930s and the 1960s, when the municipality became a dormitory town for Florianópolis, which shares its only land border with São José. This situation has changed in recent years, and although the capital still influences the neighbouring municipality, its main neighbourhoods are today as relevant as those of Florianópolis. The economy is one of the largest in the state, with the 5th largest GDP in Santa Catarina, and it was one of the 20 cities that generated the most jobs in Brazil in 2019. Its quality of life has high indices by Brazilian standards.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Read the full article on Wikipedia (in Portuguese)

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Attractions nearby

Well-known places within 50 km of the city center, closest first. Source: Wikidata (public domain).

Scores by topic

0 to 100, compared with Brazilian municipalities of 100,000+ residents (rent: compared among the 36 cities with rent data).

Cost of living

56

SC average (3 cities): 47 · All 36 cities: 46

Asking rent (BRL/m²)

Mid-range rent Shown as a band among the 36 cities with rent data (thirds). See the source for exact prices.

Source: Índice FipeZAP de Locação Residencial · Reference: Sep 2026 · License: Proprietary

Healthcare

50

SC average (14 cities): 42 · All 338 cities: 34

Hospital beds per 1,000

3.14 per 1,000 residents

Source: CNES / DATASUS (TabNet) · Reference: Sep 2026 · License: Public data

Doctors per 1,000

4.18 per 1,000 residents

Source: CNES / DATASUS (TabNet) · Reference: Sep 2026 · License: Public data

Airport access

89

SC average (14 cities): 70 · All 338 cities: 60

Distance to intl. airport (km)

9.57 km

Source: ANAC – Voo Regular Ativo e Aeródromos · Reference: Sep 2025–Aug 2026 · License: Open data

International departures within 100 km

4,242 departures in 12 months

Source: ANAC – Voo Regular Ativo e Aeródromos · Reference: Sep 2025–Aug 2026 · License: Open data

Nearest international airport

Hercílio Luz (SBFL), 10 km in a straight line · 4,242 international departures in 12 months

Social Progress Index (overall)

66.3

score 0–100 · Source: Índice de Progresso Social Brasil · Reference: SPI Brazil 2026 (2024 data) · License: CC BY 4.0 (report)

Climate month by month

Mild Average temperature: 21.5 °C (Average temperature below 22 °C (72 °F))

10 15 20 25 30 35 °C 0100200300 mm Jan: 241 mm Feb: 198 mm Mar: 180 mm Apr: 116 mm May: 126 mm Jun: 86 mm Jul: 101 mm Aug: 93 mm Sep: 147 mm Oct: 153 mm Nov: 147 mm Dec: 177 mm Jan: 29.4 °CFeb: 29.5 °CMar: 28.7 °CApr: 26.9 °CMay: 24 °CJun: 21.9 °CJul: 21.1 °CAug: 21.8 °CSep: 22.4 °COct: 24.2 °CNov: 26.1 °CDec: 28.3 °C Jan: 21.6 °CFeb: 21.7 °CMar: 20.7 °CApr: 18.7 °CMay: 15.7 °CJun: 13.6 °CJul: 12.9 °CAug: 13.8 °CSep: 15.4 °COct: 17.5 °CNov: 18.8 °CDec: 20.5 °C JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg. high (°C) Avg. low (°C) Rain (mm)
Show monthly table
Month JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg. high (°C) 29.429.528.726.924.021.921.121.822.424.226.128.3
Avg. low (°C) 21.621.720.718.715.713.612.913.815.417.518.820.5
Rain (mm) 2411981801161268610193147153147177

Weather station Florianópolis, 2 km away · climate normals 1991-2020 · Source: INMET Normais Climatológicas · License: Public data

Location

Nearby cities

Up to 150 km in a straight line. Scores use your weights.

  1. Palhoça SC · 5 km 57
  2. Florianópolis SC · 8 km 75
  3. Brusque SC · 65 km 68
  4. Camboriú SC · 66 km 52
  5. Balneário Camboriú SC · 70 km 69
  6. Itajaí SC · 79 km 66

Cities with a similar profile

Topic scores closest to those of São José. Scores use your weights.

  1. Blumenau SC · South 70
  2. Bragança Paulista SP · Southeast 68
  3. Sorocaba SP · Southeast 69
  4. Itu SP · Southeast 68
  5. Araras SP · Southeast 69
  6. Araucária PR · South 65

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