How long do people stay in their homes in Palo Alto, CA?

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

28.6% (±2.1 points) of households in Palo Alto, CA moved into their current home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

23.7% have lived in it since before 2000.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Moved in 2020 or later: 28.6% (±2.1 points)
Since before 2000: 23.7%

When households in Palo Alto moved in

Occupied housing units by year the householder moved in, 2020–2024
Moved in	Palo Alto	Santa Clara County	California	United States
2023 or later	5.5% (±1.0 points)	5.4%	4.3%	4.6%
2020 to 2022	23.1% (±1.8 points)	22.5%	19.1%	20.2%
2010 to 2019	30.0% (±2.0 points)	36.6%	41.2%	39.6%
2000 to 2009	17.7% (±1.8 points)	16.3%	17.0%	16.4%
1990 to 1999	10.1% (±1.2 points)	9.4%	9.7%	9.6%
1989 or earlier	13.6% (±1.4 points)	9.8%	8.8%	9.5%

A high share of recent movers usually means more renting households and more turnover; a high share of long-time residents usually means more owners who have stayed.

In Palo Alto, the share of households that moved in since 2020 is not measurably different from Santa Clara County (27.9%).

It is also higher than in California (23.4%).

It is higher than the national figure (24.8%).

Households that moved in since 2020 in places near Palo Alto

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Palo Alto
Place	Distance	Households that moved in since 2020	Compared with this place
Palo Alto	—	28.6% (±2.1 points)	—
Los Altos Hills	2.1 mi	11.0% (±4.7 points)	Lower
Stanford	2.5 mi	49.8% (±7.4 points)	Higher
Ladera	3.1 mi	15.5% (±13.7 points)	Not measurably different
Los Altos	3.2 mi	18.6% (±2.4 points)	Lower
Mountain View	3.5 mi	39.3% (±2.1 points)	Higher
Loyola	4.0 mi	15.0% (±4.6 points)	Lower
West Menlo Park	4.2 mi	27.1% (±8.0 points)	Not measurably different
East Palo Alto	5.0 mi	20.7% (±3.7 points)	Lower

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Los Altos Hills, CA (11.0%), Los Altos, CA (18.6%), Loyola, CA (15.0%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Stanford, CA (49.8%), Mountain View, CA (39.3%).

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

Households that moved in since 2020 across Santa Clara County, place by place

Rank	Place	Households that moved in since 2020
1	Stanford	49.8% (±7.4 points)
2	Mountain View	39.3% (±2.1 points)
3	Santa Clara	38.0% (±2.0 points)
4	Sunnyvale	37.8% (±1.7 points)
5	Campbell	29.3% (±3.1 points)
6	Palo Alto	28.6% (±2.1 points)
7	Milpitas	28.5% (±2.5 points)
8	Cupertino	26.8% (±2.2 points)
9	Los Gatos	26.1% (±3.1 points)
10	San Jose	25.4% (±0.6 points)
11	Morgan Hill	21.2% (±2.5 points)
12	Gilroy	21.0% (±2.2 points)

Showing 12 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 often do people move in Palo Alto?

28.6% of households in Palo Alto, CA moved into their home in 2020 or later (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

How many long-time residents does Palo Alto have?

23.7% of households in Palo Alto have lived in their home since 1999 or earlier.

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_0051PE, DP04_0051PM, DP04_0052PE, DP04_0052PM, DP04_0053PE, DP04_0053PM, DP04_0054PE, DP04_0054PM, DP04_0055PE, DP04_0055PM, DP04_0056PE, DP04_0056PM

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.