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
Palo Alto
Los Altos
Opportunity
74 · Top 16%
vs68 · Top 26%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
26 · Bottom 21%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 16%
vs61 · Bottom 21%
Access
98 · Top 20%
vs99 · Top 8%
Economic stability
60 · Bottom 49%
vs62 · Top 46%
Measured values
| Metric | Palo Alto | Los Altos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 67,237 | 30,698 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $231,101 | $250,000+ | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $123,939 | $149,247 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,796/sq mi | 4,694/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $2,000,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $3,484 | $3,501 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 54.6% | 81.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 82.3% | 88.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 6.0% | 3.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 371 | 121 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.5 | 3.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 64.2% | -53.1% | 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 | 12 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 24.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.6 | 45.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 24 | 6 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.19 | 20.16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 27.2% | 5.6% | 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
Palo Alto
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Los Altos
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Palo Alto, CA · Los Altos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology