East Palo Alto, California Housing Market Prices

East Palo Alto Home Prices and Rent at a Glance

The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.

  • Median home price 92% above the California median
    $1,250,000
  • Median rent 10% above the California median
    $2,249

Housing Market Overview

Metric East Palo Alto California Avg US Average
Median Home Price $1,250,000 $650,794 $248,835
Price Trend (Annual %) 17.4% 8.9% 7.5%
Median Gross Rent $2,249 $2,036 $1,407
Rent Trend (Annual %) 4.7% 5.8% 5.1%
Household Income Trend (Annual %) — — —

The median home price in East Palo Alto is about 92% higher than in California. Rent is about 10% higher than the California average.

Median Home and Rent Price Trends

Median Home Prices, 2015-2023

East Palo Alto
California
United States
Year East Palo Alto California United States

Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024

East Palo Alto
California
United States
Year East Palo Alto California United States

Both home prices and rent are rising in East Palo Alto, up about 17.4% and 4.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

Median rent in East Palo Alto rose about 51.1% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,488 to $2,249. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.

Affordability

On average, housing unit costs 11.6 yearly household incomes in East Palo Alto.

Buying the median-priced home in East Palo Alto costs roughly 46.3 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in East Palo Alto. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 26.6.

Metric East Palo Alto California Avg US Average
Median Home Price $1,250,000 $650,794 $248,835
Median Household Income $107,317 $99,161 $80,455
Price-to-Income Ratio 11.6 6.6 3.1

Home Prices vs Income Over Time

Home Prices
Household Income

Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in East Palo Alto rose about 669.2%, while median household income rose about 106.5% between 2009 and 2025 — the home price grew faster than income.

Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)

Compare income and housing cost trends.

Household Income Growth %
Housing Cost Growth %
Year Income Growth % Housing Cost Growth % Gap (Cost - Income)

Occupancy & Tenure

Metric East Palo Alto California Avg US Average
Homeownership Rate 45.3% 51.7% 58.5%
Rental Rate 45.3% 40.8% 31.2%
Vacancy Rate 9.3% 7.5% 10.2%
Median Tenure (years) 15.0 15.0 15.0
Median Year Moved In 2011 2011 2011

East Palo Alto has a homeownership rate of 45.3%, lower than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 9.3%, compared with 7.5% in California.

Housing Stock

Metric East Palo Alto California Avg US Average
Average Household Size 3.40 people 2.84 people 2.53 people
Median Structure Built Year 1970 1975 1978
Median Number of Rooms 4.6 5.0 5.5

The typical housing unit in East Palo Alto was built around 1970. On average, 3.4 people live in a home with about 4.6 rooms, staying for about 15.0 years on average.

East Palo Alto, CA Housing Compared With Nearby Cities

How East Palo Alto, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.

Area Population Median home price Median rent Homeownership
East Palo Alto, CA 24,524 $1,250,000 #2/2 $2,249 #2/2 50.0% #2/2
Palo Alto, CA 68,352 $2,034,923 $3,446 53.6%

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the housing market in East Palo Alto, California.

What is the median home price in East Palo Alto, California?

The median home price in East Palo Alto, California is $1,250,000, higher than the California average of $650,794.

What is the average home price in East Palo Alto, California?

The typical home price in East Palo Alto, California, reported as the median sale price, is $1,250,000. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.

What is the median rent in East Palo Alto, California?

The median gross rent in East Palo Alto, California is $2,249 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.

What was the median gross rent in East Palo Alto in 2020?

In 2020, the median gross rent in East Palo Alto, California was $1,785 per month.

What is the price-to-rent ratio in East Palo Alto, California?

The price-to-rent ratio in East Palo Alto, California is about 46.3, meaning it would take roughly 46.3 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in East Palo Alto.

Are home prices or rent rising faster in East Palo Alto, California?

Both home prices and rent are rising in East Palo Alto, up about 17.4% and 4.7% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.

What is the homeownership rate in East Palo Alto, California?

45.3% of households in East Palo Alto, California own their home, lower than the California average of 51.7%.

What is the vacancy rate in East Palo Alto, California?

The housing vacancy rate in East Palo Alto, California is 9.3%, higher than the California average of 7.5%.

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