East Palo Alto, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
East Palo Alto, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | East Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,524 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9277.7 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.11% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,219 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in East Palo Alto declined by 6.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,524 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in East Palo Alto is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.4% of residents. That is 4.6 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,466 26.4% +4.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,112 24.9% +1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,627 18.9% -1.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,521 10.3% -5.0 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.8% of the people living in East Palo Alto and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% California 49.9%
- Men 50.2% California 50.1%
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Economy
East Palo Alto has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | East Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $107,317 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 8.29% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in East Palo Alto is about 8% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | East Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,250,000 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,249 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 50.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in East Palo Alto is about 46.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,249 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in East Palo Alto spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 176 hours, about 7.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | East Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.1 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.3 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 176 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,463 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 28,357 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,625 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in East Palo Alto is 21 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
East Palo Alto has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | East Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 24.5% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.40 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
East Palo Alto has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | East Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
East Palo Alto, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How East Palo Alto, CA compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Palo Alto, CA | 24,524 | $107,317 #3/3 | $1,250,000 #3/3 | 21.1 min #2/3 |
| Menlo Park, CA | 35,824 | $200,700 | $2,206,839 | 21.6 min |
| Palo Alto, CA | 68,352 | $203,799 | $2,034,923 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about East Palo Alto, California.
How many people live in East Palo Alto, California?
About 24,524 people live in East Palo Alto, California, in 7,219 households of 3.4 people on average. The median age is 37.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is East Palo Alto, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, East Palo Alto, California has 9,278 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 107 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in East Palo Alto, California?
The median home costs 11.6 times the median household income ($1,250,000 against $107,317), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,249 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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