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CITY · 2000 CENSUS

Palo Alto

California · 58,598 residents · 24.051 sq mi
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The short version

Palo Alto is significantly wealthier than the US average, with a median household income of $90,377. Population has held roughly steady since 1990. 74% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 24%. Median home value has risen by half since 1990, reaching $776,000. Poverty is rare here, at 4.8% of residents. Households here earn about 90% more than the California median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $42,589
Older
median age 40.2
US median: 35.2
More educated
74% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 24%
Less affordable
home values up 29%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $120,530
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
58,598
+5%since 1990
from 55,900 in 1990
1990 – 2025
Median age
40.2
+5%since 1990
from 38.4 in 1990
US average: 35.2
Population, 1990 – 2024
55K58K62K66K70K1990201020202024Palo Alto
202467K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2000
Under 55.1%(2,970)
US avg: 6.8%
5 to 96.1%(3,563)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 146.4%(3,721)
US avg: 7.3%
15 to 194.9%(2,878)
US avg: 7.2%
20 to 243.7%(2,156)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3414.5%(8,524)
US avg: 14.2%
35 to 4417.9%(10,466)
US avg: 16%
45 to 5416%(9,361)
US avg: 13.4%
55 to 649.9%(5,819)
US avg: 8.6%
65 to 747.1%(4,172)
US avg: 6.5%
75 to 846.1%(3,594)
US avg: 4.4%
85 and over2.3%(1,374)
US avg: 1.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$90,377
+24%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $55,333 in 1990
US average: $42,589
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$56,257
+73%since 1990
from $32,489 in 1990
US average: $21,522
Poverty rate
4.8%
+0.2 ptssince 1990
from 4.6% in 1990
US average: 12.4%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$776,000
+29%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $456,800 in 1990
US average: $120,530
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,349
+20%inflation adjusted, since 1990
from $851 in 1990
US average: $602
Owner-occupied
57.2%
+0.4 ptssince 1990
from 56.7% in 1990
42.8% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in Palo Alto on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

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

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)
RANKED:Largest Chinese population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Asian Indian population · Largest Irish population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
74.4%
+9.2 ptssince 1990
from 65.2% in 1990
US average: 24.4%
High school or higher
96.2%
+1.5 ptssince 1990
from 94.7% in 1990
US average: 80.3%
Graduate degree
43.0%
+9.2 ptssince 1990
from 33.8% in 1990
US average: 8.8%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.5 min
−35%since 1990
from 20.8 min in 1990
US average: 17.6
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status
Men 15+
Never married32.1%(7,566)
Married58.6%(13,792)
Widowed2.4%(560)
Divorced6.9%(1,623)
Women 15+
Never married22.9%(5,727)
Married54.6%(13,677)
Widowed10.3%(2,576)
Divorced12.2%(3,051)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2000
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Income$250,001+177%
Home value$2,000,001+158%
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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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Home value$1,927,000+148%
Population85,438+26%
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Palo Alto, California?

Palo Alto, California has about 58,598 residents according to the 2000 Census.

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

The typical household in Palo Alto, California earns about $90,377 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 $776,000, and the typical rent is about $1,349 a month.

How educated are people in Palo Alto, California?

About 74.4% 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 4.8% of people in Palo Alto, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has Palo Alto, California grown since 1990?

Yes, Palo Alto, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,698 residents, a change of about 5 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →