Menlo Park, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Menlo Park, 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 | Menlo Park | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,824 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2060.7 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.32% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,310 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Menlo Park declined by 0.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,824 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Menlo Park is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.3% of residents. That is 0.7 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,258 20.3% -1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,716 24.3% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,146 19.9% on par
- Boomers 61–79 5,116 14.3% -1.0 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 51.2% of the people living in Menlo Park and men 48.8%.
- Women 51.2% California 49.9%
- Men 48.8% California 50.1%
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Economy
Menlo Park has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Menlo Park | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $200,700 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.33% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Menlo Park is about 102% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Menlo Park | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,206,839 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $3,111 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 53.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Menlo Park is about 59.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $3,111 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Menlo Park spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Menlo Park | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.1 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,574 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 30.8% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 23,629 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,587 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Menlo Park 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
Menlo Park has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Menlo Park | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.6% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.82 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Menlo Park has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Menlo Park | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 10.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 8.6% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Menlo Park, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Menlo Park, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menlo Park, CA | 35,824 | $200,700 #1/2 | $2,206,839 #1/2 | 21.6 min #2/2 |
| East Palo Alto, CA | 24,524 | $107,317 | $1,250,000 | 21.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Menlo Park, California.
What is the population of Menlo Park, California?
About 35,824 people live in Menlo Park, California, in 12,310 households of 2.8 people on average. The median age is 35.8, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
Is Menlo Park, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Menlo Park, California has 2,061 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 24 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Menlo Park, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 11.0 times the median household income ($2,206,839 against $200,700), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $3,111 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Menlo Park, California?
62.6% of adults in Menlo Park, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 6 in 10), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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