Los Altos, CA

Census place 0643280 · pop 30,698

D60/ 100
😐 Meh
A
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Uninsured2.5% · top 1%
🚽 Cost$2,000,001 · bottom 1%
💡 Did you know?

Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 in the Crist Drive garage of Steve Jobs's family home here.

Source ↗
Taxes
0.50% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Housing cost$2,000,0010

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$2,000,001 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$7,513/mo0

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$7,513/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Natural disaster riskCounty-level100/1003

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Income inequality0.4818

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Air quality (AQI)County-level47 AQI33

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

47 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)+0.6%34

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+0.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.9%39

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

3.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Property crime rate1215/100k53

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

1215 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Commute time22 min60

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level1 days62

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Violent crime rate71/100k79

U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities

71 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Homeownership81.7%88

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

81.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Property-tax burden0.50%91

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.50% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Physical inactivity15.7%94

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

15.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Poverty rate3.2%95

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

3.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Broadband access98.6%98

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

98.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Adult obesity19.7%99

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

19.7% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Poor mental health10.9%99

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

10.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Median household income$250,001100

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$250,001 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult smoking5.1%100

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

5.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Bachelor's degree or higher88.1%100

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

88.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Uninsured adults2.5%100

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

2.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Frequently asked

Is Los Altos, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Los Altos scores 60/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Los Altos, CA?
Los Altos reports 71 violent crimes per 100k and 1215 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Los Altos, CA expensive to live in?
Los Altos has a median home value of $2,000,001 and typical rent around $7,513/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Los Altos, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($2,000,001) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Los Altos, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (2.5%) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Apple Inc. was founded in 1976 in the Crist Drive garage of Steve Jobs's family home here.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.