Palo Alto, CA
Census place 0655282 · pop 67,237
Often called the birthplace of Silicon Valley, home to Stanford University and the HP garage where Hewlett-Packard began.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
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.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$4,037/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
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.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3064 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
54.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
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.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
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.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
217 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
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.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
96.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
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.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
16.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
11.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
20.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
3.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$231,101 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
5.8% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
82.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Frequently asked
- Is Palo Alto, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Palo Alto scores 52/100 — 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 bachelor's degree or higher 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 Palo Alto, CA?
- Palo Alto reports 217 violent crimes per 100k and 3064 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Palo Alto, CA expensive to live in?
- Palo Alto has a median home value of $2,000,001 and typical rent around $4,037/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Palo Alto, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($2,000,001) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Palo Alto, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is bachelor's degree or higher (82.3%) — 99/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Often called the birthplace of Silicon Valley, home to Stanford University and the HP garage where Hewlett-Packard began.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.