Palo Alto, CA

Census Place

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2022 Population

67,901

1.05% 1-year decline

2022 Median Age

42.3

1.2% 1-year increase

2022 Poverty Rate

4.7%

6.34% 1-year decrease

2022 Median Household Income

$214,118

9.93% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$2M

2022 Employed Population

33,660

0.743% 1-year decline

About

In 2022, Palo Alto, CA had a population of 67.9k people with a median age of 42.3 and a median household income of $214,118. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Palo Alto, CA declined from 68,624 to 67,901, a −1.05% decrease and its median household income grew from $194,782 to $214,118, a 9.93% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Palo Alto, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (48.7%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (34.7%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.65%), Other (Hispanic) (2.43%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (2.28%).

None of the households in 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.

85.8% of the residents in Palo Alto, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Palo Alto, CA are Sofia University (653 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in Palo Alto, CA was $2M, and the homeownership rate was 56%.

Most people in Palo Alto, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Palo Alto, CA was 2 cars per household.

About the photo: Palo Alto with the East Bay hills in the distance.

Photo by Don McCullough

United States

Population & Diversity

Palo Alto, CA is home to a population of 67.9k people, from which 85.8% are citizens. As of 2022, 34.2% of Palo Alto, CA residents were born outside of the country (23.2k people).

In 2022, there were 1.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (33.1k people) in Palo Alto, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 23.6k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 4.52k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

85.8%

2022 Citizenship

85.7%

2021 Citizenship

As of 2022, 85.8% of Palo Alto, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.5%. In 2021, the percentage of US citizens in Palo Alto, CA was 85.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Palo Alto, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
33.1k ± 1.28k
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
23.6k ± 1.46k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
4.52k ± 712

7.3%

Hispanic Population

4.96k people

7.3% of the people in Palo Alto, CA are hispanic (4.96k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Palo Alto, CA as a share of the total population.

Foreign-Born Population

34.2%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

23.2k people

34.7%

2021 Foreign-Born Population

23.8k people

As of 2022, 34.2% of Palo Alto, CA residents (23.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is higher than the national average of 13.6%. In 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Palo Alto, CA was 34.7%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
448 ± 132
Korea
132 ± 66
Gulf War (1990s)
109 ± 77

Palo Alto, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.39 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Palo Alto, CA employs 33.7k people. The largest industries in Palo Alto, CA are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (9,476 people), Educational Services (5,833 people), and Manufacturing (3,987 people), and the highest paying industries are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($250,001), Information ($234,709), and Manufacturing ($197,457).

Employment

Occupations

33.7k

2022 Value

± 1,335

−0.743%

1 Year decline

± 5.64%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Palo Alto, CA declined at a rate of −0.743%, from 33.9k employees to 33.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Palo Alto, CA, are Management Occupations (6,412 people), Computer & Mathematical Occupations (5,370 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (3,299 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Palo Alto, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in the United States (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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

33.7k

2022 Value

± 1,335

−0.743%

1 Year decline

± 5.64%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Palo Alto, CA declined at a rate of −0.743%, from 33.9k employees to 33.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Palo Alto, CA, are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (9,476 people), Educational Services (5,833 people), and Manufacturing (3,987 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Palo Alto, CA, though some of these residents may live in Palo Alto, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$161,427

Median earning men ± $12,161

$99,659

Median earning women ± $12,549

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Information ($250,001), Wholesale Trade ($250,001), and Manufacturing ($206,516).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Information ($220,750), Manufacturing ($173,598), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($136,488).

Civics

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

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming is currently represented by 435 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Senator Elections

US Senators from the United States

Senator from N/AN/A

N/AN/A
N/A
N/AN/A
N/A

are the senators currently representing the United States.

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 the United States over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming have changed over time starting in 2008.

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Education

In 2022, universities in Palo Alto, CA awarded 653 degrees. The student population of Palo Alto, CA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 319 male students and 629 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Palo Alto, CA are White (26 and 55.3%), followed by Asian (11 and 23.4%), Two or More Races (5 and 10.6%), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders (2 and 4.26%).

The largest universities in Palo Alto, CA by number of degrees awarded are Sofia University (653 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Palo Alto, CA are General Business Administration & Management (612 and 93.7%), Other Psychology (31 and 4.75%), and Computer Science (10 and 1.53%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2022 there were 948 students enrolled in Palo Alto, CA, 33.6% men and 66.4% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Asian with 738 records, of which 65% were women and 35% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Other Psychology
13 degrees awarded
Computer Science
10 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
612 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Masters Degree recipients in Palo Alto, CA was Other Psychology with 13 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Masters Degree from schools in Palo Alto, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Sofia University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

653 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Sofia University with 653 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 338 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Palo Alto, CA, which is 1.07 times more than the 315 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 26 degrees mean that there were 2.36 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Asian, with 11 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($18,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private for-profit, 4-year or above ($575) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Palo Alto, CA was $2M in 2022, which is 7.09 times larger than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $2M to $2M, a 0% change. The homeownership rate in Palo Alto, CA is 56%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Palo Alto, CA have an average commute time of 23.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Palo Alto, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Palo Alto, CA is $214,118. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in Palo Alto, CA was Census Tract 5108.03 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 5111 and Census Tract 5112, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

Housing

Property

$2M

Median Property Value 2022

±N/A

$14,587

Median Property Taxes

±$741

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 Palo Alto, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

56%

Homeownership

2022

69.3%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 56% of the housing units in Palo Alto, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 55.9%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 5108.03
Census Tract 5111
Census Tract 5112

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Palo Alto, CA was Census Tract 5108.03 with a value of $250,001, followed by Census Tract 5111 and Census Tract 5112, with respective values of $250,001 and $250,001.

The following map shows all of the places in Palo Alto, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$214,118

Median Household Income

± $14,772

26.1k

Number of Households

± 1,002

In 2022, the median household income of the 26.1k households in Palo Alto, CA grew to $214,118 from the previous year's value of $194,782.

The following chart displays the households in 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 Palo Alto, CA is from Palo Alto, CA.

N/A Wage GINI in N/A

In N/A, the income inequality in N/A was N/A according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a N/A N/A from N/A to N/A, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat N/A even. The GINI for N/A was N/A than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed N/A evenly in N/A in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Palo Alto, CA across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (49.3%)
Worked At Home (28.8%)
Bicycle (7.61%)

In 2022, 49.3% of workers in Palo Alto, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (28.8%) and those who used a bicycle to get to work (7.61%).

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

23.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Palo Alto, CA have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 2.29% of the workforce in Palo Alto, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in 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 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 Palo Alto, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

4.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Palo Alto, CA (3.17k out of 67.4k 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 Females 75+, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 18 - 24.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

97.9% of the population of Palo Alto, CA has health coverage, with 66.9% on employee plans, 5.45% on Medicaid, 13.1% on Medicare, 12.2% on non-group plans, and 0.295% on military or VA plans.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.6% under 18 years, 17.1% between 18 and 34 years, 40.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 47.5% were men and 52.5% were women.

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

Uninsured People

2.06%

Uninsured

66.9%

Employer Coverage

5.45%

Medicaid

13.1%

Medicare

12.2%

Non-Group

0.295%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Palo Alto, CA grew by 5.46% from 1.95% to 2.06%.

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

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