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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Palo Alto

California · 55,900 residents · 24.1 sq mi
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The short version

With 55,900 people, Palo Alto is a city in California. 65% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 20% nationally. Median home value sits at $456,800. Households here earn about 55% more than in California as a whole. The median household earns $55,333, about 84% above the national median. Renters pay $851 a month at the median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $30,130
Older
median age 38.4
US median: 33.0
More educated
65% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 22%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
55,900
−5%vs 2000
vs 58,598 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
38.4
−4%vs 2000
vs 40.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
24.1 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
55K58K62K66K70K19902000201020202024Palo Alto
202467K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 54.9%(2,764)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 94.5%(2,525)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 144.9%(2,716)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 194.6%(2,558)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 245.6%(3,111)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419.1%(10,702)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4418.3%(10,250)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 5413.2%(7,394)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 649.2%(5,133)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 748.9%(4,968)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 845.2%(2,892)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.6%(887)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$55,333
−19%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $90,377 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$32,489
−42%vs 2000
vs $56,257 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
4.6%
−0.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 4.8% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$456,800
−22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $776,000 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$851
−17%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $1,349 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
56.7%
−0.4 ptsvs 2000
vs 57.2% in 2000
43.3% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic72.8%(42,682)
Black2%(1,166)
Hispanic / Latino4.6%(2,722)
Asian17.2%(10,056)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic85.1%(47,545)
Black3%(1,658)
Hispanic / Latino5.2%(2,906)
Asian10.5%(5,846)
Other1.5%(851)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican3.4%(2,264)
South American1.8%(1,195)
Guatemalan0.9%(611)
Peruvian0.7%(476)
Spaniard0.5%(335)
Argentine0.4%(241)
Venezuelan0.3%(231)
Colombian0.3%(170)
Cuban0.2%(156)
Salvadoran0.2%(115)
Puerto Rican0.1%(69)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0.1%(56)
Dominican0%(27)
Asian origin
Chinese20.2%(13,567)
Asian Indian7%(4,680)
Korean3.5%(2,370)
Japanese1.9%(1,299)
Taiwanese1.5%(982)
Filipino0.7%(465)
Pakistani0.6%(423)
Vietnamese0.6%(418)
Laotian0.1%(91)
Cambodian0.1%(90)
Thai0.1%(88)
Malaysian0.1%(86)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Singaporean0.1%(69)
Kazakh0.1%(62)
Indonesian0.1%(61)
Hmong0.1%(45)
Sri Lankan0.1%(43)
Uzbek0%(17)
Nepalese0%(14)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(90)
Tongan0.1%(40)
Chamorro0.1%(34)
Ancestry
English9.3%(6,271)
German8.7%(5,843)
Irish6%(4,008)
Italian3.5%(2,343)
American2.7%(1,839)
French2.2%(1,480)
Russian2.2%(1,449)
Polish1.9%(1,299)
Norwegian1.8%(1,231)
Scottish1.8%(1,204)
Swedish1.7%(1,157)
Arab1.4%(908)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Iranian1%(688)
British1%(683)
Ukrainian1%(643)
Swiss0.9%(606)
Turkish0.7%(481)
Dutch0.5%(355)
Austrian0.5%(349)
Scotch-Irish0.5%(345)
Greek0.5%(341)
Danish0.5%(322)
Portuguese0.4%(270)
Hungarian0.4%(255)
Czech0.4%(241)
Iraqi0.4%(240)
Welsh0.4%(237)
Slovak0.3%(221)
Brazilian0.3%(189)
Canadian0.3%(187)
Romanian0.3%(182)
Lithuanian0.3%(176)
Lebanese0.2%(162)
Belgian0.2%(144)
Serbian0.2%(114)
Armenian0.2%(103)
Egyptian0.1%(99)
West Indian0.1%(99)
Israeli0.1%(98)
Croatian0.1%(96)
Bulgarian0.1%(78)
Palestinian0.1%(63)
Australian0.1%(58)
Finnish0.1%(56)
Syrian0.1%(49)
Jamaican0.1%(47)
Latvian0.1%(34)
Ethiopian0.1%(34)
Moroccan0%(33)
Jordanian0%(32)
Slovene0%(32)
Somali0%(18)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Haitian0%(13)
Nigerian0%(12)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
65.2%
−9.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 74.4% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
94.7%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 96.2% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
33.8%
−9.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 43.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.8 min
+54%vs 2000
vs 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married31.5%(8,526)
Married62.1%(16,824)
Widowed2.1%(571)
Divorced4.4%(1,182)
Women 15+
Never married23.8%(6,772)
Married57.8%(16,442)
Widowed9.6%(2,738)
Divorced8.7%(2,485)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
1.9%
−3.5 ptssince 2013
from 5.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
72.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 74.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.4%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 17.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2020
from 18.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
9.2%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 6.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
0.6%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 0.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
85.3%
−3.1 ptssince 2020
from 88.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
24.9%
+2.6 ptssince 2020
from 22.3% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)12.1%(137)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)8.3%(94)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era42.6%(481)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War9.5%(107)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.7%(42)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,128 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper

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Head to head

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PALO ALTO VS
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PALO ALTO VS
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PALO ALTO VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Palo Alto, California?

Palo Alto, California has about 55,900 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Palo Alto, California?

The typical household in Palo Alto, California earns about $55,333 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Palo Alto, California expensive?

In Palo Alto, California, the median home is worth about $456,800, and the typical rent is about $851 a month.

How educated are people in Palo Alto, California?

About 65.2% of adults age 25 and over in Palo Alto, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Palo Alto, California?

About 4.6% of people in Palo Alto, California live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Palo Alto, California (1990): demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy