Palo Alto, California
Among the top 4% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 5% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 96% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 46% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 95% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade A, better than 91% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 5% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for cost of living
Palo Alto is a mid-size city in California with about 68,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, airport distance, and annual snowfall. It rates lower on monthly rent and cost of living.
- The median home value in Palo Alto is $2.0M, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Palo Alto is $214k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Palo Alto is $3k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Palo Alto has a violent crime rate of 570/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Palo Alto is 24 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Dry
cool
comfortable
warm
comfortable
cool
79%53%clearovercast
Precipitation 3.5 in0.1 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$214k99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$94kbetter than 0% of US places
Home Value$2.0M100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$3kbetter than 1% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$15kbetter than 2% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.50%better than 88% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden20.89%better than 4% of US places
Unemployment3.3%better than 56% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)51°F90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)68°F8th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation17.0 in10th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days231 daysbetter than 46% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 86% of US places
Comfortable Days232 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk96.3better than 3% of US places
Air Quality38 AQIbetter than 82% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime570/100kbetter than 61% of US places
Property Crime3041/100kbetter than 7% of US places
Community
Population67,90198th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age42.356th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.6194th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio0.9338th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+592nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)48.7%17th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)2.0%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)7.3%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)34.7%99th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)7.3%82nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time24 minbetter than 63% of US places
Walkability10.2/20better than 87% of US places
Airport Distance12 mibetter than 95% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access95.0%better than 83% of US places
Amenities Nearby106.92better than 56% of US places
Park & Nature AccessExcellentbetter than 86% of US places
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Palo Alto an affordable place to live?
- Palo Alto is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $94k, better than 0% of comparable areas. Median rent is $3k.
- Is Palo Alto safe?
- Palo Alto is safer than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 570/100k (better than 61%). Property crime is 3041/100k.
- What is the weather like in Palo Alto?
- Palo Alto averages 68°F in July and 51°F in January, with 17.0 in of annual precipitation and about 231 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Palo Alto?
- Public-school quality in Palo Alto is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Palo Alto?
- The average one-way commute in Palo Alto is 24 min.