Signals
Stanford
Palo Alto
Opportunity
64 · Top 33%
vs74 · Top 16%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
25 · Bottom 20%
vs26 · Bottom 21%
Housing affordability
25 · Bottom 1%
vs57 · Bottom 16%
Access
97 · Top 23%
vs98 · Top 20%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs60 · Bottom 49%
Measured values
| Metric | Stanford | Palo Alto | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,662 | 67,237 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $75,208 | $231,101 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,106 | $123,939 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 6,786/sq mi | 2,796/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $2,000,001 | $2,000,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,976 | $3,484 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 26.8% | 54.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 3.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.7% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 92.3% | 82.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 15.9% | 6.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| 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 | 14 mi | 12 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 16.3 min | 23.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 22.0 | 43.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 2 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.62 | 17.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 14.1% | 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
Stanford
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Palo Alto
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Stanford, CA · Palo Alto, CA · How this is calculated: methodology