Los Altos receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Los Altos
Los Gatos
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs66 · Top 29%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs14 · Bottom 4%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs55 · Bottom 15%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs98 · Top 19%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs65 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Los Altos | Los Gatos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,698 | 32,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $250,000+ | $217,554 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $149,247 | $130,293 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,694/sq mi | 2,838/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $2,000,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,501 | $3,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 81.7% | 64.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 88.1% | 75.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.2% | 4.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 121 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 81°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 13.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.1 min | 29.4 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.9 | 44.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.16 | 21.29 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 5.6% | 8.1% | 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
Los Altos
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Los Gatos
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Los Altos, CA · Los Gatos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology