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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-LOS-ALTOS-CA · Los Altos, CA 30,736 pop · income 99th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Los Altos
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Los Altos on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
North Chicago · lowest
56,815
North Chicago · lowest
56,815 median HH income
22.7% of the leader · rank #1
Los Altos · this city
250,001
Los Altos · this city
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #2
Candlewood Is… · highest
250,001
Candlewood Is… · highest
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #3
Altona · near
250,001
Altona · near
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #4
Cherry Hills · near
250,001
Cherry Hills · near
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #5
Columbine Val… · near
250,001
Columbine Val… · near
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #6
Upper Witter… · near
250,001
Upper Witter… · near
250,001 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Los Altos on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 30,736.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Los Altos - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Los Altos places in the 99th percentile for household income and the 53rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
99th
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
53rd
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Los Altos, CA
30,736 people live in Los Altos, California - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income in Los Altos is reported as $250,000+ under the Census ACS top-code, meaning $250,000 or more rather than an exact figure, with a poverty rate of 2.4%. ACS top-codes median home value at $2,000,000 or more, so Los Altos is published at that ceiling ($2,000,000+) rather than as an exact figure, and the median resident age is 46.0 years. 87.2% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 55.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 246 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 364% from five years earlier. Los Altos reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1289.3 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
California carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts California at 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Well Above Average). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,053 monthly. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). Workers in Los Altos report an average commute of 14.9 minutes, with 53.5% driving alone and 35.2% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 out of 100 (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Los Altos's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to work and mobility to housing and income to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Los Altos, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, local building permits, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Los Altos?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 10 public schools within the city match. 87.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
What does the journey to work look like in Los Altos?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 53.5%. The reported mean trip to work is 14.9 minutes.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
How far does income reach against housing in Los Altos?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 8.0 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Los Altos?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within California, the closest population matches are Banning (30,680 residents, $57,699 income); La Verne (30,804 residents, $104,565 income); Laguna Hills (30,921 residents, $122,778 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Oakleaf Plantation, FL (30,737 residents); Miami Lakes, FL (30,731 residents); Westfield, NJ (30,760 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Population change
Is Los Altos growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -383 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.2% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 246 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
2020 estimate
31,348
2025 estimate
30,965
Period change
-1.2%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Los Altos?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1289.3 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 43% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1289.3
Violent rate
77.8
Property rate
1211.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
Note: Census ACS censors the tails of median household income ($250,000+ / under $2,500) and median home value ($2,000,000+ / under $10,000).
Los Altos's income is shown as $250,000+ - a bound shared with other high-income places, not an exact annual figure. Home value is shown as $2,000,000+ for the same reason.
B
City profile score · Los Altos, CA
73/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income A+
$250,000+
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share A+
87.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate A-
2.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime B+
78 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Los Altos profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 100/100 (A+) · $250,000+
Bachelor's+ share: 100/100 (A+) · 87.2%
Poverty rate: 83/100 (A-) · 2.4%
Violent crime: 76/100 (B+) · 78 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Los Altos sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Los Altos's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Los Altos highlighted among 11 peers.Read the chart values
Los Altos, CA (this city): home $2,000,000+, crime 1,289/100k
Miami Lakes, FL : home $577,300, crime 1,415/100k
Westfield, NJ : home $930,500, crime 572/100k
North Chicago, IL : home $147,800, crime 742/100k
Washington, UT : home $511,100, crime 999/100k
Banning, CA : home $322,900, crime 1,392/100k
La Verne, CA : home $793,900, crime 2,586/100k
Laguna Hills, CA : home $944,000, crime 1,365/100k
Burlingame, CA : home $2,000,000+, crime 2,209/100k
Lawndale, CA : home $726,000, crime 2,459/100k
Saratoga, CA : home $2,000,000+, crime 689/100k
How does Los Altos compare to other US cities?
Los Altos measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income99% higher than other cities
Home value99% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety53% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at California, Los Altos ranks #111 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Los Altos against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
California-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Los Altos near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Los Altos ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Los Altos only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#1 of 1,338
98th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#1 of 1,343
95th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#1,083 of 1,450
25th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#7 of 1,458
100th percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
99th percentile nationally for median household income · 53rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Los Altos's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Los Altos's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Los Altos's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$2,000,000+1st percentilemore affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Los Altos's home-value-to-income ratio: 8.0×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,011 of 15,516
More affordable than 3% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,196 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 8.0×, Los Altos sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,011 of 15,516 and #3,196 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$250,000+Los Altos, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Los Altos, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Los Altos, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)87.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)55.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
30,736
Median Income
$250,000+
Median Home Value
$2,000,000+
Median Age
46.0
Poverty Rate
2.4%
Labor force participation
55.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
87.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
1289.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
77.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1211.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
10
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Los Altos's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
31,348 residents
2021
30,566 residents
2022
30,285 residents
2023
30,347 residents
2024
30,692 residents
2025
30,965 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
246
housing units authorized
Single-Family
70
detached homes
Multifamily
176
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
8
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
53
53
0
$46.7M
2020
49
49
0
$36.4M
2021
134
77
57
$69.7M
2022
45
45
0
$36.9M
2023
34
29
5
$45.3M
2024
246
70
176
$132.4M
Permit volume increased 364% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
14.9 minutes
Drive Alone
53.5%
Carpool
4.9%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
35.2%
Other
3.6%
Based on 13,328 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Los Altos. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Los Altos is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Los Altos sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Los Altos compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.