Los Altos, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Los Altos, 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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A+
Health Top grade
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A+
Income Top grade
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A+
Education Top grade
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,560 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4672.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.24% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,785 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Los Altos grew by 11.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,560 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Los Altos is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 26.0% of residents. That is 6.2 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,700 15.4% -6.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,790 15.7% -8.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,956 26.0% +6.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,939 19.4% +4.2 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 50.4% of the people living in Los Altos and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% California 49.9%
- Men 49.6% California 50.1%
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Economy
Los Altos has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $211,028 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 1.38% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Los Altos is about 113% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,821,410 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $3,645 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.7% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Los Altos is about 41.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $3,645 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Los Altos spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.4 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,601 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 39.4% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,569 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,606 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Los Altos is 22 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
Los Altos has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 81.9% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.81 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Los Altos has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Los Altos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 85.5 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 7.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 5.3% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Los Altos, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
Los Altos, CA is the smallest of the 4 cities compared here, 30,560 residents against a local median of 68,352. Los Altos, CA sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these cities turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is median home price, 10% below the local median at $1,821,410 against $2,034,923. Los Altos, CA has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos, CA | 30,560 | $211,028 #1/4 | $1,821,410 #3/4 | 21.7 min #3/4 |
| Mountain View, CA | 81,842 | $193,154 | $2,085,161 | 21.5 min |
| Palo Alto, CA | 68,352 | $203,799 | $2,034,923 | 20.8 min |
| Cupertino, CA | 56,040 | $205,362 | $1,093,873 | 22.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Los Altos, California.
How many people live in Los Altos, California?
About 30,560 people live in Los Altos, California, in 10,785 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 46.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
Is Los Altos, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Los Altos, California has 4,673 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 54 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Los Altos, California?
The median home costs 8.6 times the median household income ($1,821,410 against $211,028), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $3,645 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Los Altos, California have a college degree?
81.9% of adults in Los Altos, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 8 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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