City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Palo Alto, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Palo Alto - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

67,231
Residents
$220,408
Median income
$2,000,001
Median home
$3,604
Median rent (state)

Palo Alto - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Palo Alto places in the 99th percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

99th
percentile, household income
99th
percentile, home value
99th
percentile, median rent
13th
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: Palo Alto, CA

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 67,231 residents in Palo Alto, a small city within California. Palo Alto households earn a median of $220,408 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.2%. Typical homes in Palo Alto are valued around $2,000,001, and the median resident age is 42.5 years. About 82.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 220 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 116% from five years earlier. Palo Alto's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3245.2 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 58.5°F with 15.1 inches of precipitation per year.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $3,604 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Palo Alto workers runs 15.2 minutes, with 46.7% driving alone and 33.3% working from home. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 99.2 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

67,231 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$220,408 /yr

Poverty 3.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Palo Alto compare to other US cities?

Palo Alto measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 99% higher than other cities
Home value 99% pricier than other cities
Median rent 99% pricier than other cities
Safety 13% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, Palo Alto ranks #382 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Palo Alto's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

99thIncome percentile
13thSafety percentile

99th percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Palo Alto's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Palo Alto'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 38 Avg. percentile National median
Palo Alto'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 Palo Alto's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$2,000,001 1st percentile more affordable than 1% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Palo Alto $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Palo Alto, CA Palo Alto, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Palo Alto, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Palo Alto, CA median $220,408/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Palo Alto, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Palo Alto, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 82.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
67,231
Median Income
$220,408
Median Home Value
$2,000,001
Median Age
42.5
Poverty Rate
3.2%
Labor force participation
60.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
82.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3245.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
212.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3033.2
per 100,000 residents

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.

Climate

Avg Temperature
58.5°F
Annual Precipitation
15.1"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
17
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
66,000 residents67,000 residents68,000 residents69,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 68,354 residents 67,609 residents ▼ -1.1%
Palo Alto's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
220
housing units authorized
Single-Family
170
detached homes
Multifamily
50
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 102
2020 206
2021 129
2022 139
2023 171
2024 220

Permit volume increased 116% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
15.2 minutes
Drive Alone
46.7%
Carpool
3.9%
Public Transit
3.1%
Walk
4.3%
Work from Home
33.3%
Other
8.7%

Based on 32,463 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Palo Alto sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$3,604/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Madera
67,133 people
Yorba Linda
67,407 people
Lodi
67,008 people
Davis
66,801 people
Union City
68,141 people
Castro Valley
65,389 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Palo Alto's 67,231 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Rockville, MD
67,218 people
Spring, TX
67,103 people
Haverhill, MA
67,387 people
Bethesda, MD
67,403 people
Grand Junction, CO
67,027 people
Waterloo, IA
66,947 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Palo Alto's $220,408 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Hortense, GA
$220,313 median income
Echo Hills, CO
$220,306 median income
Lowes Island, VA
$220,238 median income
Thornburg, PA
$220,625 median income
Flagtown, NJ
$220,677 median income
Chappaqua, NY
$220,139 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Palo Alto, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Palo Alto, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 48.4% 36.1% 9.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 7.1% White 48.4% Black or African American 2.2% Asian 36.1% American Indian 0.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 3.5% Two or more races 9.5% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Palo Alto compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Palo Alto (this city) 67,231 $220,408
Madera 67,133 $63,619
Yorba Linda 67,407 $152,060
Lodi 67,008 $84,402
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Palo Alto, CA?

What is the population of Palo Alto, CA? +

Palo Alto, CA has a population of 67,231 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Palo Alto, CA? +

The median household income in Palo Alto is $220,408 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Palo Alto? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Palo Alto; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Palo Alto, CA safe? +

Palo Alto has a total crime rate of 3245.2 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Palo Alto, CA? +

The median home value in Palo Alto is $2,000,001, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Palo Alto? +

The average annual temperature in Palo Alto runs 58.5°F, 15.1 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.