Census place 0655282

Palo Alto

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Palo Alto city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Palo Alto.

According to the 2025 estimate, Palo Alto has a population of 67,609 and 2,811 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 376 covered California places are: median home value is $2,000,001, above the comparison median of $717,000; median household income is $231,101, above the comparison median of $98,132; and median gross rent is $3,484, above the comparison median of $2,086. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$2,000,001
Above the comparison median of $717,000
median household income
$231,101
Above the comparison median of $98,132
median gross rent
$3,484
Above the comparison median of $2,086

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Palo Alto's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
67,609
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.6%
Population estimate
Density
2,811/sq mi
24.1 sq mi land area
Median age
43.6 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$231,101
Median home value
$2,000,001
Median gross rent
$3,484
Bachelor’s degree or higher
82.3%
Typical commute
21.4 min
Drive-alone commute
44.2%
Public transit commute
2%
Walked to work
4.6%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
45.4%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
44.3%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
59.8%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.4%
Working from home
35.4%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
96.1%
Homes built 2020+
1.1%
Households without a vehicle
8.5%
Households with children
32.8%
Residents with a disability
7.8%
Residents without insurance
1.9%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Santa Clara County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
12
Fire declarations
5
Flood declarations
4
Severe Storm declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: MOFFETT FED AIRFIELD (5 mi from place center)
Average high
69.3°F
Average low
50.6°F
Annual rainfall
13.4"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Palo Alto.

Typical high and low °F
40°F50°F60°F70°F80°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Encinitas, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
60,736
Median home
$1,646,800

Newport Beach, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
81,977
Median home
$2,000,001

Pleasanton, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
74,556
Median home
$1,537,100

Keep exploring

Compare Palo Alto with Encinitas