Palo Alto, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
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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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 | Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,352 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2633.1 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.25% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 26,715 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Palo Alto grew by 17.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 68,352 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Palo Alto is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 23.4% of residents. That is 3.5 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,988 19.0% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,727 20.1% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 15,968 23.4% +3.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,901 15.9% +0.7 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 51.0% of the people living in Palo Alto and men 49.0%.
- Women 51.0% California 49.9%
- Men 49.0% California 50.1%
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Economy
Palo Alto has a the economy index of A+, which means it is exceptionally prosperous.
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $203,799 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Palo Alto is about 106% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $2,034,923 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $3,446 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 53.6% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Palo Alto is about 49.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $3,446 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in 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 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.8 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.5 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,363 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 35.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 26,609 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,458 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in 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
Palo Alto has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 78.2% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Palo Alto has a health index of A+, which means it is exceptionally healthy.
| Metric | Palo Alto | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 84.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 8.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 6.0% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Palo Alto, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Palo Alto, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto, CA | 68,352 | $203,799 #2/2 | $2,034,923 #1/2 | 20.8 min #1/2 |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,560 | $211,028 | $1,821,410 | 21.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Palo Alto, California.
How big is Palo Alto, California by population?
About 68,352 people live in Palo Alto, California, in 26,715 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Palo Alto, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Palo Alto, California has 2,633 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 30 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Palo Alto, California?
The median home costs 10.0 times the median household income ($2,034,923 against $203,799), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $3,446 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Palo Alto, California?
Unemployment in Palo Alto, California is only 4.0%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Palo Alto, California have a college degree?
78.2% of adults in Palo Alto, 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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