Menlo Park vs Sunnyvale
Menlo Park, California versus Sunnyvale, California: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Menlo Park and Sunnyvale score about the same overall (54 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Menlo Park | Sunnyvale |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $198k | $175k |
| Cost of Living | $94k | $94k |
| Home Value | $2.0M | $1.7M |
| Monthly Rent | $3k | $3k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.50% | 0.48% |
| Income Tax | 13.30% | 13.30% |
| Sales Tax | 8.85% | 8.85% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 21.26% | 20.88% |
| Unemployment | 4.3% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 51°F | 51°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 66°F | 68°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 15.1 in | 13.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 231 days | 231 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 232 days | 232 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 90.4 | 62.6 |
| Air Quality | 35 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 539/100k | 596/100k |
| Property Crime | 1775/100k | 2460/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 33,324 | 154,573 |
| Median Age | 38.5 | 35.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.59 | 0.64 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.96 | 1.09 |
| Political Leaning | D+59 | D+59 |
| White (%) | 54.7% | 27.5% |
| Black (%) | 3.1% | 1.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 17.3% | 16.7% |
| Asian (%) | 16.4% | 49.4% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.5% | 5.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 26 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 11.8/20 | 14.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 15 mi | 6 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.2% | 95.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 215.76 | 73.43 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Menlo Park or Sunnyvale more affordable?
- Sunnyvale has the lower cost of living: its index is $94k, compared with Menlo Park's $94k and Sunnyvale's $94k. Median rent is $3k in Menlo Park versus $3k in Sunnyvale.
- Is Menlo Park or Sunnyvale safer?
- Menlo Park has the lower violent crime rate. Menlo Park reports 539/100k and Sunnyvale reports 596/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Menlo Park or Sunnyvale?
- The median home value is $2.0M in Menlo Park and $1.7M in Sunnyvale, so homes are more affordable in Sunnyvale.