Housing data for Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto, CA has an estimated 67,237 residents and 29,241 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Santa Clara County.
45.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $3,484 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+1.0%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 67,237 (±73)
- Housing units
- 29,241 (±679)
- Households that rent
- 45.4%
- Median gross rent
- $3,484
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +1.0%
What stands out in Palo Alto
Median household income: $231,101 (±$9,859) in Palo Alto, higher than in Santa Clara County ($164,281).
Rental vacancy rate: 10.2% (±2.8 points) in Palo Alto, higher than in Santa Clara County (5.1%).
Working from home: 35.4% (±2.7 points) in Palo Alto, higher than in Santa Clara County (23.9%).
Median gross rent: $3,484 (±$157) in Palo Alto, higher than in Santa Clara County ($2,857).
- Income and affordability in Palo Alto
- Vacancy rate in Palo Alto
- Commute and cars in Palo Alto
- Median rent in Palo Alto
Housing in Palo Alto at a glance
- Median rent: $3,484 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $3,500 or more median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 44.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 45.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $231,101 median household income
- Home values: $2,000,000 or more median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $10,000 or more median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 29.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 69.9% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 10.2% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 66.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 21.4 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 159 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +1.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 28.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.7% of homes have more than 1 person per room
- Fair Market Rent: $3,650 Small Area FMR, 2 bedrooms (ZIP 94301)
Palo Alto against Santa Clara County, its state and the nation
| Palo Alto | Santa Clara County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 67,237 (±73) | 1,902,047 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 29,241 (±679) | 698,837 (±290) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 45.4% (±2.2 points) | 44.9% (±0.5 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $3,484 (±$157) | $2,857 (±$19) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $231,101 (±$9,859) | $164,281 (±$1,955) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $2,000,000 or more | $1,490,600 (±$14,163) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $10,000 or more | $10,000 or more | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 69.9% (±3.2 points) | 59.7% (±0.6 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.4 minutes (±0.7) | 26.2 minutes (±0.2) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 96.1% (±0.8 points) | 95.6% (±0.2 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 43.6 years (±1.4) | 38.1 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Palo Alto covers 24.1 square miles of land, about 2,796 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Palo Alto has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 66,573 (±104) | 67,237 (±73) | +1.0% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 28,050 (±587) | 29,241 (±679) | +4.2% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $2,569 (±$83) | $3,484 (±$157) | +35.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $158,271 (±$6,623) | $231,101 (±$9,859) | +46.0% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 45.4% (±1.3 points) | 45.4% (±2.2 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 6.4% (±1.7 points) | 10.2% (±2.8 points) | +3.8 percentage points | Measurable increase |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Palo Alto
In 2025, the Palo Alto Police Department reported 159 violent and 2,882 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Santa Clara County, the departments that report recorded 357 violent and 2,219 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Palo Alto
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94301 | 100% | 17,508 | $3,300 | $2,000,000 or more | $242,006 |
| 94306 | 100% | 27,183 | $2,994 | $2,000,000 or more | $210,000 |
| 94304 | 80% | 5,000 | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | $154,141 |
| 94303 | 61% | 46,879 | $2,771 | $1,826,200 | $151,609 |
| 94022 | 28% | 20,027 | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | $250,000 or more |
| 94028 | 13% | 6,531 | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | $250,000 or more |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Palo Alto
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Altos Hills | 2.1 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 6.6% |
| Stanford | 2.5 mi | $1,976 | $2,000,000 or more | 73.2% |
| Ladera | 3.1 mi | — | $2,000,000 or more | 3.8% |
| Los Altos | 3.2 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 18.3% |
| Mountain View | 3.5 mi | $3,062 | $1,927,000 | 61.4% |
| Loyola | 4.0 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 13.5% |
| West Menlo Park | 4.2 mi | $3,324 | $2,000,000 or more | 21.7% |
| East Palo Alto | 5.0 mi | $2,244 | $1,102,600 | 50.9% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Palo Alto, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,458 | $2,778 | $3,272 | $4,396 | $4,688 |
HUD also publishes a Small Area Fair Market Rent for each ZIP code in the area; the Fair Market Rent page for this place lists its ZIP codes.
HUD income limits for Palo Alto, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $43,200 | $71,950 | $113,700 |
| 2 people | $49,350 | $82,200 | $129,950 |
| 3 people | $55,500 | $92,500 | $146,200 |
| 4 people | $61,650 | $102,750 | $162,400 |
| 5 people | $66,600 | $111,000 | $175,400 |
| 6 people | $71,550 | $119,200 | $188,400 |
| 7 people | $76,450 | $127,450 | $201,400 |
| 8 people | $81,400 | $135,650 | $214,400 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $205,500.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
What you can do on Seayora in Palo Alto
One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.
Own or manage a rental?
List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Palo Alto beside you.
Create a landlord account · See what landlords get
Looking for a place to rent?
Browse homes for rent near Palo Alto, save the ones you like and apply online.
Browse rentals · Create a renter account
Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?
Get found by owners and renters near Palo Alto, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.
Questions about Palo Alto
What is the average rent in Palo Alto, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Palo Alto is $3,484 (±$157) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Palo Alto?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Palo Alto, CA is $2,760 (±$110) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Palo Alto rent-burdened?
44.3% of renting households in Palo Alto pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Palo Alto?
Palo Alto has an estimated 11,804 (±631) renting households, 45.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Palo Alto?
The median household income in Palo Alto is $231,101 (±$9,859) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Palo Alto, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $2,000,000 or more for owner-occupied homes in Palo Alto (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Palo Alto growing?
In Palo Alto, the number of residents went from 66,573 in 2015–2019 to 67,237 in 2020–2024 (+1.0%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Palo Alto?
The ZIP codes that cover Palo Alto are 94301, 94306, 94304, 94303, 94022, 94028.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94301?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94301 is $3,300 (±$357) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Palo Alto Police Department (ORI CA0431200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Palo Alto city, California (place:55282, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .