Los Altos and Sunnyvale receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Los Altos
Sunnyvale
Opportunity
68 · Top 26%
vs78 · Top 9%
Growth
46 · Bottom 43%
vs33 · Bottom 22%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs51 · Bottom 11%
Access
99 · Top 8%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
62 · Top 46%
vs78 · Top 11%
Measured values
| Metric | Los Altos | Sunnyvale | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,698 | 154,236 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $250,000+ | $186,170 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $149,247 | $101,185 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,694/sq mi | 6,992/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $1,801,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,501 | $3,039 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 81.7% | 43.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 3.5% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 88.1% | 69.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.2% | 5.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 121 | 103 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 0.7 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -53.1% | -20.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 42°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 13.4" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 9 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 24.1 min | 25.0 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 45.9 | 35.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 6 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 20.16 | 20.10 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 5.6% | 23.9% | 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.
Sunnyvale
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Los Altos, CA · Sunnyvale, CA · How this is calculated: methodology