What kinds of homes are in Palo Alto, CA?

Name: Types of homes in Palo Alto, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Palo Alto, CA has 29,241 (±679) homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

That is about 1,216 homes per square mile of land.

57.5% are detached single-family houses.

6.1% are in buildings of two to four units.

29.6% are in buildings of five or more units.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Housing units: 29,241 (±679)
Detached houses: 57.5%
2–4 unit buildings: 6.1%
5+ unit buildings: 29.6%

Homes in Palo Alto by building size

Housing units by units in structure, 2020–2024
Building type	Palo Alto	Santa Clara County	California	United States
Single-family, detached	57.5% (±2.1 points)	50.7%	57.0%	61.3%
Single-family, attached (townhouse, rowhouse)	6.2% (±1.0 points)	11.0%	7.4%	6.2%
2 units	1.2% (±0.6 points)	1.3%	2.4%	3.4%
3 or 4 units	4.9% (±1.4 points)	5.5%	5.4%	4.3%
5 to 9 units	5.7% (±1.2 points)	4.9%	5.7%	4.5%
10 to 19 units	5.0% (±1.0 points)	4.7%	4.9%	4.3%
20 or more units	18.9% (±1.7 points)	19.0%	13.6%	10.3%
Mobile home	0.5% (±0.5 points)	2.8%	3.5%	5.6%
Boat, RV, van, etc.	0.0% (±0.1 points)	0.1%	0.1%	0.1%

In Palo Alto, the share of homes in buildings of five or more units is not measurably different from Santa Clara County (28.6%).

It is also higher than in California (24.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (19.1%).

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units in places near Palo Alto

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Palo Alto
Place	Distance	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units	Compared with this place
Palo Alto	—	29.6% (±2.3 points)	—
Los Altos Hills	2.1 mi	0.0% (±2.3 points)	Lower
Stanford	2.5 mi	65.1% (±7.2 points)	Higher
Ladera	3.1 mi	0.0% (±13.5 points)	Lower
Los Altos	3.2 mi	11.3% (±1.8 points)	Lower
Mountain View	3.5 mi	49.0% (±2.4 points)	Higher
Loyola	4.0 mi	0.0% (±5.9 points)	Lower
West Menlo Park	4.2 mi	2.7% (±3.4 points)	Lower
East Palo Alto	5.0 mi	33.5% (±4.4 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Los Altos Hills, CA (0.0%), Ladera, CA (0.0%), Los Altos, CA (11.3%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Stanford, CA (65.1%), Mountain View, CA (49.0%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes in buildings of 5 or more units across Santa Clara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes in buildings of 5 or more units
1	Stanford	65.1% (±7.2 points)
2	Mountain View	49.0% (±2.4 points)
3	Santa Clara	44.9% (±2.0 points)
4	Sunnyvale	38.7% (±1.7 points)
5	Palo Alto	29.6% (±2.3 points)
6	San Jose	27.5% (±0.7 points)
7	Campbell	26.4% (±2.7 points)
8	Milpitas	25.6% (±2.3 points)
9	Cupertino	21.9% (±2.2 points)
10	Los Gatos	20.9% (±2.7 points)
11	Gilroy	14.9% (±2.0 points)

Showing 11 of 23 places in Santa Clara County, ranked from highest to lowest.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Palo Alto

How many homes are in Palo Alto?

Palo Alto, CA has an estimated 29,241 (±679) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Are most homes in Palo Alto houses or apartments?

57.5% are detached houses and 6.2% attached houses, while 35.7% are in buildings of two or more units.

How many two-family and small multifamily homes are in Palo Alto?

6.1% of homes in Palo Alto are in buildings of two to four units, the small rental buildings that are often owner-occupied.

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Palo Alto city, California

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 API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0007PE, DP04_0007PM, DP04_0008PE, DP04_0008PM, DP04_0009PE, DP04_0009PM, DP04_0010PE, DP04_0010PM, DP04_0011PE, DP04_0011PM, DP04_0012PE, DP04_0012PM, DP04_0013PE, DP04_0013PM, DP04_0014PE, DP04_0014PM, DP04_0015PE, DP04_0015PM

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.