East Palo Alto, CA

Census Place

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2024 Population

29,069

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

36.3

6.14% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

10.3%

6.07% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$113,493

8.26% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$1.1M

1.9% 1-year decline

2024 Employed Population

16,204

3.24% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in East Palo Alto, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

74.6% of the residents in East Palo Alto, CA are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in East Palo Alto, CA was $1.1M, and the homeownership rate was 49.1%.

Most people in East Palo Alto, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in East Palo Alto, CA was 2 cars per household.

United States California San Mateo County, CA San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA San Mateo County (Southeast)--Menlo Park, East Palo Alto Cities & Atherton Town PUMA, CA Santa Clara County (Northwest)--Palo Alto City & Los Altos Hills Town PUMA, CA Santa Clara County (Northwest)--Mountain View & Los Altos Cities PUMA, CA

Population & Diversity

East Palo Alto, CA is home to a population of 29.1k people, from which 74.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 44.1% of East Palo Alto, CA residents were born outside of the country (12.8k people).

In 2024, there were 2.34 times more Other (Hispanic) residents (10k people) in East Palo Alto, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.29k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 3.67k White (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

74.6%

2024 Citizenship

77.1%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 74.6% of East Palo Alto, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in East Palo Alto, CA was 77.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in East Palo Alto, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in East Palo Alto, CA

Other (Hispanic)
10k ± 1.36k
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
4.29k ± 1.29k
White (Non-Hispanic)
3.67k ± 948

58.8%

Hispanic Population

17.1k people

58.8% of the people in East Palo Alto, CA are hispanic (17.1k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in East Palo Alto, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

44.1%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

12.8k people

41.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

12.2k people

As of 2024, 44.1% of East Palo Alto, CA residents (12.8k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in East Palo Alto, CA was 41.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in East Palo Alto, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
157 ± 81
Gulf War (2001-)
134 ± 103
Gulf War (1990s)
44 ± 65

East Palo Alto, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.17 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in East Palo Alto, CA.

Health

91.9% of the population of East Palo Alto, CA has health coverage, with 44.5% on employee plans, 30.1% on Medicaid, 5.73% on Medicare, 11.1% on non-group plans, and 0.389% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1,233 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,233 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1076 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 213 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.4% under 18 years, 26.2% between 18 and 34 years, 41% between 35 and 64 years, and 10.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48% were men and 52% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.15%

Uninsured

44.5%

Employer Coverage

30.1%

Medicaid

5.73%

Medicare

11.1%

Non-Group

0.389%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in East Palo Alto, CA grew by 8.74% from 7.49% to 8.15%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in East Palo Alto, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Economy

The economy of East Palo Alto, CA employs 16.2k people. In 2024, the largest industries in East Palo Alto, CA were Retail Trade (1,754 people), Accommodation & Food Services (1,750 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,726 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($145,063), Utilities ($123,011), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($102,798).

Employment

Occupations

16.2k

2024 Value

± 1,232

3.24%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in East Palo Alto, CA grew at a rate of 3.24%, from 15.7k employees to 16.2k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in East Palo Alto, CA, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,651 people), Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance Occupations (1,627 people), and Management Occupations (1,580 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of East Palo Alto, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

16.2k

2024 Value

± 1,232

3.24%

1 Year growth

± 10.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in East Palo Alto, CA grew at a rate of 3.24%, from 15.7k employees to 16.2k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in East Palo Alto, CA, are Retail Trade (1,754 people), Accommodation & Food Services (1,750 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,726 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of East Palo Alto, CA, though some of these residents may live in East Palo Alto, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$50,965

Median earning men ± $3,953

$42,517

Median earning women ± $5,380

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Manufacturing ($110,431), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($66,362), and Information ($65,195).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($103,615), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($80,244), and Information ($77,143).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 51 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for East Palo Alto, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Housing & Living

The median property value in East Palo Alto, CA was $1.1M in 2024, which is 3.31 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $1.12M to $1.1M, a 1.9% decrease. The homeownership rate in East Palo Alto, CA is 49.1%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in East Palo Alto, CA have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in East Palo Alto, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$1.1M

Median Property Value 2024

±$75,213

$4,056

Median Property Taxes

±$551

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In East Palo Alto, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in East Palo Alto, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

49.1%

Homeownership

2024

74.6%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 49.1% of the housing units in East Palo Alto, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 47.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in East Palo Alto, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$113,493

Median Household Income

± $15,823

8.27k

Number of Households

± 857

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.27k households in East Palo Alto, CA grew to $113,493 from the previous year's value of $104,832.

The following chart displays the households in East Palo Alto, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for East Palo Alto, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (64.2%)
Worked At Home (14.5%)
Carpooled (12.3%)

In 2024, 64.2% of workers in East Palo Alto, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14.5%) and those who carpooled to work (12.3%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in East Palo Alto, CA have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.95% of the workforce in East Palo Alto, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in East Palo Alto, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in East Palo Alto, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in East Palo Alto, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in East Palo Alto, CA (2.96k out of 28.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in East Palo Alto, CA is Hispanic, followed by Other and White.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.