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CITY · 2020 ACS

Palo Alto

California · 68,572 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 $174,003. Population has grown 17% since 2000. 83% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 33%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $2,000,001. Poverty is rare here, at 5.5% of residents. Households here earn about 121% more than the California median.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 42.2
US median: 38.8
More educated
83% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 71%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
68,572
+17%since 2000
from 58,598 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
42.2
+5%since 2000
from 40.2 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Population, 1990 – 2024
55K58K62K66K70K1990201020202024Palo Alto
202467K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.2%(2,885)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.7%(3,934)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 147.1%(4,882)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.8%(4,667)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245%(3,433)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.2%(8,369)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.6%(8,632)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5414.7%(10,047)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6412%(8,253)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749%(6,203)
US avg: 10%
75 to 846.5%(4,469)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over4.1%(2,798)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$174,003
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $90,377 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$97,307
+73%since 2000
from $56,257 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
74.5%
+6.3 ptssince 2009
from 68.2% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
5.5%
+0.7 ptssince 2000
from 4.8% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade12.8%
US avg: 10%
Arts, entertainment, food8.3%
US avg: 2%
Information4.9%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services4.6%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration3%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade1.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance1.3%
US avg: 5.5%
Transportation & warehousing1.2%
US avg: 2.5%
Professional, scientific, technical1.2%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.1%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.1%
US avg: 1.2%
Education & health services0.1%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$2,000,001
+71%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $776,000 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$2,679
+32%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $1,349 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
52.7%
−4.5 ptssince 2000
from 57.2% in 2000
47.3% rent
Afford Score
11.5
+37%since 2009
from 8.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Palo Alto on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic72.8%(42,682)
Black2%(1,166)
Hispanic / Latino4.6%(2,722)
Asian17.2%(10,056)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic48.5%(33,243)
Black1.7%(1,170)
Hispanic / Latino7.4%(5,091)
Asian35.4%(24,246)
Other6.3%(4,286)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican2.6%(1,767)
Spaniard0.4%(294)
Guatemalan0.4%(277)
Nicaraguan0.3%(196)
Argentine0.3%(178)
Cuban0.2%(153)
Venezuelan0.2%(133)
Peruvian0.2%(117)
Puerto Rican0.2%(104)
Panamanian0.1%(89)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.1%(81)
Salvadoran0.1%(67)
Costa Rican0.1%(53)
Bolivian0.1%(49)
Chilean0.1%(40)
Uruguayan0%(28)
Dominican0%(15)
Asian origin
Chinese18.2%(12,356)
Asian Indian5.7%(3,873)
Korean3.3%(2,274)
Japanese1.9%(1,281)
Taiwanese1%(692)
Filipino1%(680)
Vietnamese0.6%(418)
Pakistani0.2%(114)
Sri Lankan0.1%(93)
Indonesian0.1%(55)
Hmong0.1%(37)
Nepalese0%(31)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Thai0%(27)
Mongolian0%(18)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(28)
Samoan0%(10)
Fijian0%(8)
Ancestry
German9.4%(6,412)
English8.6%(5,836)
Irish6.2%(4,220)
Italian3.9%(2,648)
American3.3%(2,255)
Russian3%(2,019)
Polish2.6%(1,734)
Swedish2.1%(1,427)
French2.1%(1,399)
Scottish2%(1,354)
Norwegian1.7%(1,163)
British1.5%(1,037)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Dutch1.3%(871)
Swiss1.2%(845)
Iranian1.1%(753)
Danish0.9%(594)
Ukrainian0.7%(504)
Scotch-Irish0.7%(488)
Hungarian0.7%(467)
Israeli0.6%(412)
Greek0.5%(322)
Canadian0.5%(321)
Portuguese0.5%(306)
Welsh0.4%(297)
Iraqi0.4%(293)
Lithuanian0.4%(280)
Romanian0.4%(270)
Czech0.3%(235)
Austrian0.3%(174)
Turkish0.2%(168)
Finnish0.2%(164)
Armenian0.2%(155)
Bulgarian0.2%(130)
Slovak0.2%(126)
Serbian0.2%(124)
Belgian0.2%(111)
West Indian0.2%(111)
Jamaican0.1%(75)
Egyptian0.1%(61)
Brazilian0.1%(60)
Latvian0.1%(58)
Lebanese0.1%(55)
Australian0.1%(54)
Slovene0.1%(47)
Arab0.1%(45)
Moroccan0.1%(39)
Ghanaian0%(30)
Croatian0%(26)
Guyanese0%(12)
Jordanian0%(11)
Haitian0%(11)
Kenyan0%(6)
RANKED:Largest Chinese population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest Asian Indian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
82.7%
+8.3 ptssince 2000
from 74.4% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
97.5%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 96.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
54.7%
+11.6 ptssince 2000
from 43.0% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.6 min
+82%since 2000
from 13.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
57.7%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 68.9% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
6.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.3%
−1.7 ptssince 2011
from 5.1% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
62.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 64.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Management & professional
80.1%
−7.6 ptssince 2009
from 87.7% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.6%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 49.8% in 2009
Female
51.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.2% in 2009
Foreign born
34.0%
+3.8 ptssince 2009
from 30.2% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
2.1%
−92.5 ptssince 2013
from 94.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
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
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Compare Palo Alto to nearby cities

PALO ALTO VS
Los Altos Hills
Income$250,001+44%
Home value$2,000,001same
Population8,419−88%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PALO ALTO VS
Stanford
Income$75,208−57%
Home value$2,000,001same
Population18,662−72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PALO ALTO VS
Los Altos
Income$250,001+44%
Home value$2,000,001same
Population30,965−54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
PALO ALTO VS
Mountain View
Income$189,917+9%
Home value$1,927,000−4%
Population85,438+26%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Palo Alto, California?

Palo Alto, California has about 68,572 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Palo Alto, California earns about $174,003 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 $2,000,001, and the typical rent is about $2,679 a month.

How educated are people in Palo Alto, California?

About 82.7% 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 5.5% 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 12,672 residents, a change of about 23 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 →