Palo Alto receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Hollister
Palo Alto
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 30%
vs74 · Top 16%
Growth
60 · Top 33%
vs63 · Top 28%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 14%
vs26 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
64 · Bottom 25%
vs57 · Bottom 16%
Access
76 · Bottom 18%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
72 · Top 24%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Hollister | Palo Alto | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,811 | 67,237 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $111,834 | $231,101 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,015 | $123,939 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,503/sq mi | 2,796/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $717,500 | $2,000,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,914 | $3,484 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.4% | 54.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.3% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.1% | 82.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 136 | 371 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.1 | 5.5 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 5.4% | 64.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 71°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 12.6" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 46 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 39.2 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 34.1 | 43.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 23.56 | 17.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 60.5% | 27.2% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Hollister
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, drought, wildfire.
Palo Alto
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Hollister, CA · Palo Alto, CA · How this is calculated: methodology