Tool
Compare places
Put up to four U.S. cities, towns or census-designated places side by side on 29 figures: 22 measures from the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, each with its margin, and their 2025 population estimate, growth, density, new homes and housing costs against income. A filled square marks a figure that differs from the first place by more than both margins of error allow; without it, the survey cannot tell the two apart.
How do Palo Alto, CA compare?
| Figure | Palo Alto, CA |
|---|---|
| Residents, July 2025 (estimate) | 67,609 |
| Change since April 2020 | −1.4% |
| Residents counted in the 2020 Census | 68,572 |
| Residents per square mile (2020) | 2,851 |
| Homes permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 3.2 |
| Median home value ÷ median household income | 8.7 years of income |
| A year of median rent ÷ median income of all households (renters usually earn less) | 18.1% |
| Measure | Palo Alto, CA |
|---|---|
| Total population | 67,237±73 |
| Median age | 43.6±1.4 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 7.9%±1.5 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 45.0%±2.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 1.8%±0.5 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 38.1%±2.1 pts |
| Born outside the United States | 37.0%±1.6 pts |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 82.3%±1.7 pts |
| Median household income | $231,101±$9,859 |
| Per capita income | $123,939±$5,208 |
| People below the poverty line | 6.0%±1.6 pts |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9%±0.8 pts |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $2,000,000 or more |
| Median gross rent | $3,484±$157 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 35.0%±3.7 pts |
| Owner-occupied homes | 54.6%±2.2 pts |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.1%±0.5 pts |
| Worked from home | 35.4%±2.7 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 44.2%±2.2 pts |
| Public transportation | 2.0%±0.6 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.4 min±0.7 |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.9%±0.7 pts |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census Bureau population estimates, Vintage 2025; 2020 Census; Building Permits Survey 2025 · Check it at data.census.gov